hair frustrated

e_hope
e_hope Member Posts: 370
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am 37 and have been done with chemo for 8 months. I totally hate this hair that is growing in! i am thinking about shaving it all off again.. to see if that helps. I find it so f''ing insulting that we have to go through this lose our hair.. than to get **** hair in return.. My hair is like thin baby hair... UGH!!!!! Not to mention, it is growing so slow.. its like watching glue dry. I've had to shape it a few times or i would have a total mullet by now. The hair on the my head is not the only hair taking forever to grow back... i still have thin eye brows (doesn't bother me to much), bottom lashes grew in nice.. but my top thats a total other story.. still barely have any... only positives to this whole slow hair growth is... no hair grew back on my legs or under arms.. and bikini area grew in once.. i shaped the way i like and has yet to grow back....

Just wonder if I shave my head...... will it make any difference? really unhappy with my new mop

Comments

  • Stephanie123
    Stephanie123 Member Posts: 10
    #2
    e_hope...
    i'm really sorry about your hair i don't get what your going through but my godmother passed away from cancer and she was always bald..i have heard of some people shaving there heads and getting wigs but i'm sorry you don't have your eye lashes and it most be great not having to shave anymore right? i'm sure you look great and i wish you the best of luck!
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #3
    Hi E-Hope
    I understand your frustration with your hair. I was done with chemo in November and my hair is about an inch now and came in very grey and white. Slow growing and very much like soft baby hair. I would not have the guts to save my head again, but this might work for you. Now my eyebrows came in funky and my eyelashes came in nice but are now getting thin. I am hoping I am not going to thin to much on the lashes. Back to the hair. I dyed it a couple of weeks ago and I feel much better with it colored. There is shampoo and cond you can buy at Sally's for thin and hair loss. Also JC Penneys has something as well. I am using the stuff from sally's and I think it's working good.
  • cantthink
    cantthink Member Posts: 36
    #4
    Kat11 said:

    Hi E-Hope
    I understand your frustration with your hair. I was done with chemo in November and my hair is about an inch now and came in very grey and white. Slow growing and very much like soft baby hair. I would not have the guts to save my head again, but this might work for you. Now my eyebrows came in funky and my eyelashes came in nice but are now getting thin. I am hoping I am not going to thin to much on the lashes. Back to the hair. I dyed it a couple of weeks ago and I feel much better with it colored. There is shampoo and cond you can buy at Sally's for thin and hair loss. Also JC Penneys has something as well. I am using the stuff from sally's and I think it's working good.

    hair extensions?
    I just googled "hair extensions chemo" and found
    http://www.healthcentral.com/breast-cancer/c/95526/28746/exciting
    There are probably many other products out there. Don't shave it yet,
    check it out, or something similar?
    Being bald (and sweaty) seems to me about the most socially unacceptable
    ways a woman can be to me, I just hate it too! This looked intriguing and probably costs a fortune! Happy spring anyway!
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #5
    cantthink said:

    hair extensions?
    I just googled "hair extensions chemo" and found
    http://www.healthcentral.com/breast-cancer/c/95526/28746/exciting
    There are probably many other products out there. Don't shave it yet,
    check it out, or something similar?
    Being bald (and sweaty) seems to me about the most socially unacceptable
    ways a woman can be to me, I just hate it too! This looked intriguing and probably costs a fortune! Happy spring anyway!

    Hi e-Hope
    I shaved my hair twice after they grow. As I am 12 months out of Chemo I keep them short and different style then I used to.
    My advice either shave or short hair cut. I am ok with my hair now, they are different but seems ok and minor compare to other side effects.
    Good luck
  • Mariannemm
    Mariannemm Member Posts: 136
    #6
    Growth
    I am still in treatment so my hair hasn't grown back yet. I used to work as a hairstylist 10 years ago. Sometimes color can add more body to your hair. Maybe call and talk to one of the top local stylists in your area and ask if they have any experience in this area. My oncologist told me this 1st growth of hair would be just as you have talked about. He said the 2nd growth would be more like my normal hair. Personally I am liking not having to style my hair, I just don't have the energy to think about what I look like right now! I just put on a hat and off I go. I even wear one when I work! I have a couple of wigs but I just don't like them. They are too hot and itchy! I have been wtihout hair for about a month now and I have only worn my wig a hand full of times. Good Luck!
  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    #7
    have tried....
    the shampoo from sally's and i have dyed it twice and have cut it ( not shave) a few times... to prevent the growth of a mullet....

    just tried of this.. my hair looks so **** all the products in the world aren't helping with styling this unstyled hair.. UGH... have also tried taking biotin supplements.... hmmmm, what to do
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #8
    e_hope said:

    have tried....
    the shampoo from sally's and i have dyed it twice and have cut it ( not shave) a few times... to prevent the growth of a mullet....

    just tried of this.. my hair looks so **** all the products in the world aren't helping with styling this unstyled hair.. UGH... have also tried taking biotin supplements.... hmmmm, what to do

    I am sorry that this has
    I am sorry that this has happened to you. I didn't take chemo, so, I was fortunate to not have to go thru it. I hope you find something that helps you and that you feel good about your hair again. Good luck e-hope!
  • patti anne
    patti anne Member Posts: 101
    #9
    I could have written this
    I feel the EXACT same way. I am almost 12 months out from my last chemo and my hair looks like crap. I had straight blonde hair and it is still straight and some ugly brown color. I tried to dye it myself, back to blonde, and it is more red. I can deal with the color just fine, but the mullet that is growing back is awful. I've had it cut once to help "shape" it, but I think we just have to go through this crap stage for probably a year or more and then it will work itself out. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

    I think the tamoxifen makes it grow slower...least that's the excuse I'm using. Hang in there, you are not alone!!

    Patti
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #10
    hair trauma
    e_hope, I totally know where you're coming from. I cannot tell you how much $$ I have spent on the few inches of hair on my head since chemo ended a year ago. It's hard for me to give it a chance to grow since I keep cutting it to prevent the mullet (and rat's tail!) that you talk about. Mine also came in curly so now I get it flat ironed all the time so it's not all over the place. I did highlight it, which seemed to take pretty well. I think the thing to do is to wait for the front part to catch up to the back and then grow them long together. My eyebrows only came back very recently and are now back to their original length. It took so long though that I thought they would be short and sparse forever. Good luck. I know it's frustrating.

    Mimi

    PS. On another note, the *other* hair on my body is back in full force and I am back to lenghty trips to the salon for painful waxing procedures. Ouch.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #11
    mimivac said:

    hair trauma
    e_hope, I totally know where you're coming from. I cannot tell you how much $$ I have spent on the few inches of hair on my head since chemo ended a year ago. It's hard for me to give it a chance to grow since I keep cutting it to prevent the mullet (and rat's tail!) that you talk about. Mine also came in curly so now I get it flat ironed all the time so it's not all over the place. I did highlight it, which seemed to take pretty well. I think the thing to do is to wait for the front part to catch up to the back and then grow them long together. My eyebrows only came back very recently and are now back to their original length. It took so long though that I thought they would be short and sparse forever. Good luck. I know it's frustrating.

    Mimi

    PS. On another note, the *other* hair on my body is back in full force and I am back to lenghty trips to the salon for painful waxing procedures. Ouch.

    Mimi, I was hoping you would
    Mimi, I was hoping you would reply to this post. Your hair looks so cute in your new picture. I'm just starting to get my hair back, it's all of 1-1/2 inches. Mine seems to be very thick on top and sparce on the sides and back. As much as it's not my pre-chemo hair, I'll still take it over "zero" hair.

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