Hair Loss

changmi
changmi Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi. I'm new. I just had my 1st chemo on Jan 7th. My oncologist told me in 2 weeks I would start losing my hair. Sure enough on Jan 21st (which also happened to be my birthday), my hair began to fall out. Within the past 4 days, I would say I have loss about 85% of my hair. I noticed yesterday and today that my scalp hurts. Has anyone experienced that and any tips on taking care of your scalp (recommended shampoos etc)?

Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
    My scalp started hurting off
    My scalp started hurting off and on for about a week before it started coming out in hand fulls. Kept hurting off and on til it was all gone. Well it never completely all came out - Son ran the clippers over it in early Sept but there is still a little stubble there. Less stubble with the Taxol than there had been on A/C but still stubble.

    PS What kind of a critter is in your picture?
  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
    #3
    Rague said:

    My scalp started hurting off
    My scalp started hurting off and on for about a week before it started coming out in hand fulls. Kept hurting off and on til it was all gone. Well it never completely all came out - Son ran the clippers over it in early Sept but there is still a little stubble there. Less stubble with the Taxol than there had been on A/C but still stubble.

    PS What kind of a critter is in your picture?

    scalp
    my scalp hurt at first but after i buzzed my hair off it stopped.
  • changmi
    changmi Member Posts: 8
    #4
    Rague said:

    My scalp started hurting off
    My scalp started hurting off and on for about a week before it started coming out in hand fulls. Kept hurting off and on til it was all gone. Well it never completely all came out - Son ran the clippers over it in early Sept but there is still a little stubble there. Less stubble with the Taxol than there had been on A/C but still stubble.

    PS What kind of a critter is in your picture?

    thanks for your input. My
    thanks for your input. My husband offered to clip my hair, but I don't think I can do that. Right before I was diagnosed I had hair to midway down my back, which I cut to my shoulder & donated my hair to "locks for love" which is an organization that makes wigs for children with cancer. My picture is with my friend's dog who is a golden retriever. :o)
  • Jacque101
    Jacque101 Member Posts: 75
    #5
    Hello Changmi
    I started my first chemo on Jan 14th. And was told I'd lose my hair in 2 weeks. I'm almost to that point and I've lost maybe 4 hairs ( I'm counting - this is less than I would have normally lost in one day). I know I'm only hoping but everytime I wash or brush my hair I treat it like a newborn baby's head. No gel, no spray, no products...not now. My chemo tech suggested I get "Sea Breeze sensitive skin astringent" for use on my head when the time comes. I have my Sea Breeze and I'm waitin'... :( Hope this might help you. Most likely any astringent will work.
  • changmi
    changmi Member Posts: 8
    #6
    Jacque101 said:

    Hello Changmi
    I started my first chemo on Jan 14th. And was told I'd lose my hair in 2 weeks. I'm almost to that point and I've lost maybe 4 hairs ( I'm counting - this is less than I would have normally lost in one day). I know I'm only hoping but everytime I wash or brush my hair I treat it like a newborn baby's head. No gel, no spray, no products...not now. My chemo tech suggested I get "Sea Breeze sensitive skin astringent" for use on my head when the time comes. I have my Sea Breeze and I'm waitin'... :( Hope this might help you. Most likely any astringent will work.

    Thanks Jacque101!
    Thanks, I had not heard about using Sea Breeze. The oncology nurse did recommend to use a mild shampoo, so I have been using baby shampoo and I was treating my hair very gingerly... but I guess that only goes so far. Mentally you try to prepare for losing your hair but it is difficult when it starts to happen.
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #7
    As soon as your hair
    As soon as your hair completely falls out, your scalp won't hurt anymore! If you have enough hair to shave off ( I recommend electric clippers!)getting rid of the rest of your hair yourself will also mean instant relief from the scalp pain.

    This is all an internal reaction to the chemo~ TLC and babying your head will not lessen the tenderness, only hair loss will! I thought that by being extra careful and using no gel,spray, etc I could somehow stave off the loss. Nope...again, the loss was inevitable due to things happening internally, not externally!

    I remember the feeling all too well; rather like leaving a too tight ponytail in for way too long! :-) As much as I hated losing my hair, I also hated it shedding on my bed pillows, in the shower, and yecch! all over the kitchen! It was indeed bittersweet to find out that not having hair would at least resolve the tenderness issue. Sigh...

    I was also so uninformed about hair loss~ I had no idea AT ALL that when I was told I would lose hair, it meant anywhere and everywhere I had hair! Lashes, brows, nasal hair, pits, legs and pubic region...what a shock to the system that was!

    Chemo is by no mean a walk in the park, but it is very do-able, and will put you on your way to living Life After Cancer!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #8
    changmi said:

    thanks for your input. My
    thanks for your input. My husband offered to clip my hair, but I don't think I can do that. Right before I was diagnosed I had hair to midway down my back, which I cut to my shoulder & donated my hair to "locks for love" which is an organization that makes wigs for children with cancer. My picture is with my friend's dog who is a golden retriever. :o)

    A spotted Golden Retriever?
    A spotted Golden Retriever? I was thinking a llama. Oh well silly me - LOL>
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181 Member
    #9
    hair Loss
    Losing my hair was one of the hardest things I went through with my BC.I do remember my head hurting pretty bad when my hair came out.I would shampoe my head with baby shampoe.When I went to bed I would use a extra soft pillow case.My head stopped hurting in a week or so.Good luck to you.Love and Prayers/ Pat.
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #10
    Changmi
    Welcome & Happy Belated Birthday!! I'm sorry that you had to spend it losing your hair. The others have given you the best advice. Shave it! Your scalp will feel so relieved. You don't have to go completely bald if you don't want to. I didn't, I just shaved it down to stubble then used a lint roller to pick up the strays that wanted to come out too. (it felt so good! sounds stange, but it does!)I also used baby shampoo & still do as I don't have enough hair to bother with regular shampoo just yet. We know how hard this is on you. I had hair down to my rear and once I decide to do Chemo, I had it cut short (also donated)which made it easier to lose. Yes, I miss my hair!! But, my short hair started to grow on me too. So much easier to deal with! Once you finish Chemo and sometimes even before, it starts to grow back pretty quick.
    Hugz,
    Cathy
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #11
    Cat64 said:

    Changmi
    Welcome & Happy Belated Birthday!! I'm sorry that you had to spend it losing your hair. The others have given you the best advice. Shave it! Your scalp will feel so relieved. You don't have to go completely bald if you don't want to. I didn't, I just shaved it down to stubble then used a lint roller to pick up the strays that wanted to come out too. (it felt so good! sounds stange, but it does!)I also used baby shampoo & still do as I don't have enough hair to bother with regular shampoo just yet. We know how hard this is on you. I had hair down to my rear and once I decide to do Chemo, I had it cut short (also donated)which made it easier to lose. Yes, I miss my hair!! But, my short hair started to grow on me too. So much easier to deal with! Once you finish Chemo and sometimes even before, it starts to grow back pretty quick.
    Hugz,
    Cathy

    I've said it before and I'll say it again...
    It's your choice whether to shave it or not. I chose NOT because I felt I wanted to hang on to as many hairs as I could for as long as I could. They never did all fall out, and the small "pain" lasted only a few days and then was gone. My onc liked the fact that I kept my hairs because it caused a more comfortable buffer between my head and the wig.
    Now my hair is growning back and all the longer ones are gone. It's as if I shaved my head!
    You should cut it really short though if you do decide not to shave. Mine was only about 3 inches long.

    Good luck! Welcome to the group nobody wants to join! But you'll be glad you found this site. Always upbeat and helpful and kind and sweet and .... all that good stuff!
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #12
    Yeah that's a kicker isn't
    Yeah that's a kicker isn't it? It's not bad enough that it's falling out, but then it hurts too!I went ahead and had mine shaved off before it starting falling out by the fistful.It's a hard thing to face either way. Do you have a cute wig to wear? That will make a big psycological difference in how you feel.Of course some ladies look really good
    going bald.....so do whatever makes you feel good

Discussion Boards