Hair after Chemo

djyellowvette
djyellowvette Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi Everyone,
I am new to this discussion board and cancer for me. Had experience with mother's breast cancer in 1991, she is a survivor and my father died with Lung Cancer that metastosized to the bones in 1983. I have just been diagnosed with Stage 3 Invasive ductal carcinoma in one breast. Have decided to do mastectomy, but unfortunately I have negative receptors and that will make me candidate for Chemotherapy. My mother had positive hormonal receptors and was able to use the Tamoxifin therapy with great success and little side effects.
My question is regarding Hair loss. I have been told it normally comes out after 2nd treatment. I have been told I will have 4 treatments 1/wk every 2 wks for the first compound, sp? adreomycin/cytoxin and then 4 treatments 1/wk every 2 wks for a second compound, sp? taxol.
What is the pattern for coming out? Little by little, out in bunches? Is there a point when you just cut or shave it all off? What is normal hair growth return, when growth starts, what is texture, color, & how fast does it grow back? Once growth starts, does it stay or start and fall out again?
I understand from my hospital support center, there are free wig & head wrap options provided thru the American Cancer Society. Does anyone have any knowledge of making wig out of your own hair? I have very long hair, brown with a little gray, almost to my waist and it has been with me in this long state since 1962. So this is going to be a major life changing appearance for me to adjust to; in addition to dealing with the survival rate situation.
Any help?
Any suggestions of things to do pre surgery to ease life after surgery?
Appreciate any info or sharings
dj

Comments

  • tan39
    tan39 Member Posts: 49
    #2
    HAIR LOSS
    Hi DJ

    Am from Down Under so treatments a bit different , was on FEC for 4 months and it was after my second infusion that my hair started to fall out. It came out in large clumps so i asked my hairdresser to cut my hair very short which was alot easier to manage. I am now 2 months after my last chemo and my hair is back , extremely short but my head is covered, it is fairly grey but am getting a natural colour put into it soon. My hair actually started to return before my last chemo infusion, almost as if my body was fighting back !!!. Good advice which served me well was to get a wig fitted before you loose your hair , that way they match up to your own hair and your wig looks terrific.
    It is a major loss on top of the worry of cancer, but just look at it as a year of your whole life and then you start a new life, breast cancer is extremely curable now, more then ever as all of these ladies will tell you. I was stage 3 with no nodes, had mastectomy and chemo, and am due for reconstruction soon. Keep fit and eat healthy and think of yourself a year from now, it will all be over and there will begin your new life.
    take care and huge hug to you
    tan x
  • ohilly
    ohilly Member Posts: 441
    #3
    hair loss
    Everyone's hair is different, but I will tell you my own experience: on day 17 after starting chemo (I had Taxotere and Cytoxan) my hair started coming out in clumps. Unlike most people, I never shaved it because I felt I wanted to hang on to my hair as long as I could! Sometimes it itched, so I pulled some of it out. I never lost all my hair, but I did have big, bald patches. I coped during chemo by never looking at it - I would step out of the shower without looking in the mirror, put a cap on, and then look in the mirror once the cap was on. When chemo was over, I finally decided to look because I realized I would not be able to tell if it was growing back if I never looked. I would say my hair started growing back a little over two months after chemo stopped, which for me was on June 20. My hair now totally covers my head, but is very short and nearly totally gray which it wasn't before chemo. However, it's growing every day and I figure I can always dye it.

    I don't know if hearing my experience helps you, but there it is. Try and remind yourself that it's only temporary and that we all have to go thru it. I had a lot of anxiety about my hair, but now I feel better seeing it grow back.

    Best of luck, Ohilly
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #4
    hair loss
    I started loosing my hair 6 weeks after my first treatment (2 weeks after second). I had cut my hair very short (down to 1/2 inch), my way of being in control. I think because my hair was so short, it only fell off when I washed my hair (every day). Before my last treatment I shaved my head, I was told I was not going to loose what was left. Had my last chemo treatment on July 11, as of now I have a full head of hair, very short but I don't have to wear a head cover anymore.

    When I cut my hair, my girls cut theirs too, we asked about having a wig made from their hair and we were told it was very expensive to do so, so we donated the hair for kids wigs. Call the American Cancer Society and register for the Look Good....Feel Better program, they will go over make up tips, head wraps tips and wigs.

    Patty
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #5
    Wigs, head wraps...
    Hi dj,

    Contact your local American Cancer Society, and talk to them.

    They have been very helpful to me, in regards to a wig and also a temporary prosthesis. They were extremely wonderful about it all, and are very encouraging. They will also tell you about all of their programs and let you know what is availavle in your area.
    They also have all kinds of pamphlets and information in regards to mastectomy and treatments.

    They are a very good source of information, encouragement and assistance.

    Warmest regards,
    CR
  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #6
    Locks of Love
    Dj, I would suggest you contact Locks of Love (they have an online site). As you probably know, they accept 'pony tails' from people with long hair and make them into wigs for children going through chemo. They could, I feel sure, direct you to some business or agency who could take your long hair and make a wig for you. Just off the top of my head, I would expect that it would be a pricey process, but if it is important to you, then at least checking it out would do no harm. :)
  • jamiesue1
    jamiesue1 Member Posts: 21
    #7
    Hair loss
    I was diagnosed with stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in my left breast. My surgeon gave me a 25% chance of getting cancer in my right breast in the future so I had both removed. I wasn't about to wait for breast cancer to happen again. It was the right decision for me. Especially since I am going to have a DIEP Flap reconstruction. Before my surgery I had a "Boob Voyage" party. I had the same recipe of chemo you'll be having. My Onc. told me I would start losing my hair in clumps 14 days after my first chemo treatment. I didn't have much mobility in my arms at that point and didn't want clumps of hair falling out in my bed at night (I have a hard enough time changing my sheets when I did have mobility) so I decided to have a "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" party. (as you can see I like to have parties) I had 13 girlfriends over for a simple dinner and my friend who owns a hair salon shaved my head. I tried a wig but hated the feeling of it so I wear turbans most of the time or I go bald. I am told I have a perfectly round head. (LOL) I finished chemo on Sept. 17. My Onc. says I should start seeing some hair growth about 1 mo. from that date. We'll see. By the way, the first half of chemo (A/C) was fairly easy for me. A little nausea and fatigue. The second 1/2 was Taxol. It was pretty miserable even though my Onc. said it should have less side effects than A/C. Lots of body aches, restless legs and fatigue. Good luck to you
    Jamie
  • erin25
    erin25 Member Posts: 2
    #8
    Hair Loss
    Hey DJ! I had four treatments of the adriamycin and cytoxan as well followed by 12 courses of abraxane. Before I started my treatments, I had beautiful long hair. Before I even started, I cut it very short so it wouldn't be as traumatic when it started falling out. That was the best thing I could have done. I can tell you that my hair started thinning around day 14 after my very first treatment and it started coming out in clumps by day 17 so I shaved it at that point. I can also say that I knew when it was going to happen because I could feel it. It felt like I had my hair in a ponytail for too long and had just taken it out, but that was obviously not true considering my hair was very short!! I just finished my radiation and my hair has started to grow back. When it first started it was baby fine and coming back in patches. It was kind of like a balding man! I had hair around my hairline but none in the back!! It was pretty funny! And mine came back dark but with a lot of gray!! Now this might not sound bad to you, but I am only 25!! I laugh and actually just had my hair dyed the other day because it is finally long enough. I hope I have been of some help to you and I wish you the best of luck with your treatments!! If you have any further questions about the chemo, feel free to ask because I have been where you are now. I know how scary it can be and it really helps to get info from people who have already done it.
  • djyellowvette
    djyellowvette Member Posts: 2
    #9
    Hair Loss
    Thanks for getting back to me. I had my consultation with my plastic surgeon today and then went and visited with the folks at the ACS. They were very helpful and gave me a wig to try out. When I first went in, so many of them were the layered curley look and none were my color, so it was a little depressing. Also, trying them on with my hair still in place didn't make it feel like it was staying on. Anyway, they found one, that was smooth and straight, just a lighter shade of brown, but the roots are dark, so it looks like I just got a new hair cut and lightened my hair. Haven't cut my own hair yet, just trying to get used to the new view when I look in the mirror. My surgery is scheduled for 10/13 and chemo is projected to start around the 3rd week in November. I want to get as many things in order before the surgery, since I don't know how long I will be healing from the surgery before I am able to do things normally. Then when the chemo starts, I realize I will have times that are going to leave me like not wanting to or being able to deal with stuff like this.

    Again Thanks for your sharing. It is so nice to have had so many responses to my question. Will keep in touch.
    dj
  • eau246
    eau246 Member Posts: 2
    #10
    djyellowvette said:

    Hair Loss
    Thanks for getting back to me. I had my consultation with my plastic surgeon today and then went and visited with the folks at the ACS. They were very helpful and gave me a wig to try out. When I first went in, so many of them were the layered curley look and none were my color, so it was a little depressing. Also, trying them on with my hair still in place didn't make it feel like it was staying on. Anyway, they found one, that was smooth and straight, just a lighter shade of brown, but the roots are dark, so it looks like I just got a new hair cut and lightened my hair. Haven't cut my own hair yet, just trying to get used to the new view when I look in the mirror. My surgery is scheduled for 10/13 and chemo is projected to start around the 3rd week in November. I want to get as many things in order before the surgery, since I don't know how long I will be healing from the surgery before I am able to do things normally. Then when the chemo starts, I realize I will have times that are going to leave me like not wanting to or being able to deal with stuff like this.

    Again Thanks for your sharing. It is so nice to have had so many responses to my question. Will keep in touch.
    dj

    hair style by chemo!
    Hello DJ,

    I was diagnosed with invasive lobular cancer in my left breast and opted for a bilateral mastectomy. It turned out to be a good thing as I had three areas of insitu-ductal carcinoma in the right breast. I had a positive node on the left side. My last chemo treatment (same as what you will have) was August 19, 2008. My hair started falling out on the 13th day after my first treatment. I also knew when it was going to fall out as my scalp started to ache. I have a 2 year old daughter and a 4 year old son, so they helped me shave my head. I thought it would bother me more than it has. I believe in mind over matter. This is a temporary situation. I also lost my eye lashes which I think bothered me the most. My hair really started growing back about a week ago. My kids like to rub my head and tell me how my hair is really coming back fast and fuzzy. It is much darker than before, but I will take whatever I can get. Best of luck to you!

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