nails ... and top of head ?

tgf
tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I've thought about posting this for several days ... but ... I finished chemo the end of May LAST year ... and finished radiation the end of LAST August ... but ... my nails are still a mess. They don't turn black/bruised ... but they are still not right. Many of my toenails still sort of "peel off" ... and my finger nails keep splitting ... no matter what I put on them. I am on tamoxifen ... so ... does that have anything to do with it?

Also ... this may sound crazy ... but the top of my head is very tender to the touch. I didn't notice it being that way when my hair came out ... so I'm really surprised that it is so sensitive now ... after all of these months.

I know these are 2 silly little issues ... compared to the big picture ... but I just wondered if anyone else has experience the sensitive head thing ... and if/when my nails will ever be "normal" again ????

hugs.
teena

Comments

  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #2
    Hi Teena
    I finished chemo
    Hi Teena

    I finished chemo Oct.09 and radiation Jan.10. I'm also on tamoxifen as of 2/1/10. The top of my head is sore. My hair is coming in wavy which it use to be straight as a pin. My finger nails break very easily and my big toe nails are a mess. On my left toe 1/4 of the nail lifted and the right one is red, black, very thick and has ridges. My hands are very dry now so I keep hand cream rubbed into the nails as well.

    As far as normal goes, I was told 1 year after treatment stops I should be good to go.
    Until then the side effects stay.

    Hope it helps that you're not alone with this.
    Sher
  • weazer
    weazer Member Posts: 440
    #3
    Sore head
    Hi Teena,
    I finished Chemo in July 2009, and Radiation at the end of October.
    My nails are starting to look a whole lot better now, I'm not sure about Tamoxifen, I would suspect that that my be the culpret.
    As for a sore head...I had it during Chemo when my hair was falling out, so I ended up shaving the rest of my hair off thinking that it might help, and it just seemed to get better with time.
    Take care Weazer
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #4
    weazer said:

    Sore head
    Hi Teena,
    I finished Chemo in July 2009, and Radiation at the end of October.
    My nails are starting to look a whole lot better now, I'm not sure about Tamoxifen, I would suspect that that my be the culpret.
    As for a sore head...I had it during Chemo when my hair was falling out, so I ended up shaving the rest of my hair off thinking that it might help, and it just seemed to get better with time.
    Take care Weazer

    I finished Chemo in November
    I finished Chemo in November and my nail are bad to. I started using Sally Hansons Hard as wraps. This is keeping them from spliting, but they still have white lines running through them.
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #5
    my symptoms were relatively
    my symptoms were relatively mild with head sensitivity and nails turning white. It seems like the head was back to normal within a few days after I finished chemo, but it took over a year for the nails to get back to normal. The white part stayed that way, but healthy nails grew in from the nail bed. That's what took so long.

    This too shall pass, seof
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #6
    It took a loooooong time for
    It took a loooooong time for my nails to be almost normal. So I did a test. I had a pedicure last August. There is STILL polish on my big toenails. My nails still have funny ridges and I finished chemo 1 1/2 years ago. Give yourself time. I thought my hair was thinning after chemo, but it is back thick and curly now. Our bodies are a mystery and a miracle. xoxoxoxo Lynn
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #7
    Kat11 said:

    I finished Chemo in November
    I finished Chemo in November and my nail are bad to. I started using Sally Hansons Hard as wraps. This is keeping them from spliting, but they still have white lines running through them.

    Could you take some vitamins
    Could you take some vitamins possibly to help your nails to be better? I thought Vitamin A was for that, but, I am not for sure. You might talk to your oncologist about it.
  • kickin the big C
    kickin the big C Member Posts: 18
    #8
    not sure about the nails,
    not sure about the nails, but absolutely to the tender head. not sure why, but i am 16mths out from chemo and it is still tender.
  • LynnPlatt
    LynnPlatt Member Posts: 6
    #9
    Nails
    Teena, I have breast cancer and still doing chemo. I have a problem with the nails. I am also a nail tech. My nails are turning dark at the nail beds. Not much I can do about that but wait it out. I do take a vitamin that helps with hair, skin and nails. I have taken this vitamin since I had gastric by pass surgery. It is Biotin. It is a B vitamin. My chemo doc has continued you to let me use this vitamin. It helps rebuild the Keratin in our hair, skin and nails. Another thing that will help with the splitting of the nails is to use a nail strengthener daily. Apply 2 coats of nail strenghtner to nails, polish and then apply another coat of the strengthner daily. Each week, remove all polish and start over. Buy some cuticle oil and use several times a day on cuticles and under the nails, this will help keep them from being so brittle. Rubbing the cuticle oil in also helps promote circulation to the nail beds, which promotes growth and strength. It is time for a little pampering. As far as ridges on the toe nails, a buffing block with 240 grit used lightly on the nails will help remove some of the ridges. Just don't try to remove all the ridges. Sally Beauty stores carry all these items.

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