Hello,
My mom began to lose her hair today, and she is really depressed. She has a beautiful wig though, but of course it does not compensate for hair loss. I just need to know if anyone has encouraging words for her.
Hello,
My mom began to lose her hair today, and she is really depressed. She has a beautiful wig though, but of course it does not compensate for hair loss. I just need to know if anyone has encouraging words for her.
Losing hair is just one of the sad things that happens with chemo & radiation treatments. The good thing is when it comes back, it could be thicker or curly.
I live in CO and lost my hair in January, so lived the Winter in wool caps. I got scaves for Spring and early Summer, now it's warmer and my hair is coming back.
I have a fraction of an inch and plan to go without anything on my head next month.
My hair is snow white and growing quickly, so I will strut my old age and courage with pride.
Enjoy....we don't have bad hair days....:))
as a matter of fact, I have got some real encouraging words for mom: THE CHEMO IS WORKING!
the way chemo works is that it keeps fast growing cells from reproducing - cancer is one of those kind of fast-growing cells - so is hair. so....when the hair disappears it is a real good sign that the chemo is doing the right kind of thing in her body!!!
when my dad's chemo quit working, the first thing that started happening was his hair grew back in.
I know it would be nice for mom to have her hair - but I'm ready to do the happy dance that the chemo is working!!! please tell her to keep the faith and it will come back when it's time. I've also seen it happen too many times - the hair comes back thicker and wavier than it was before and often a different color. wouldn't that be interesting?!
hugs to mom
Pat
My mom lost her hair due to the chemo. She has three nice wigs and lots of beautiful scarves.
I was in the infusion room today when someone brought up this very topic. A 30-year old woman was wearing a wig and pulled it off. We told her she looked great without her wig. My aunt who had breast cancer lost her hair due to chemo. We told her to stop wearing her wig in May. Now, whenever she takes my mom for treatments and such, she doesn't wear her wig. :) We tell her she looks great without it!
Kristi
Had to find this....davecerami275 sent this July 15th and your Mom might enjoy reading it...
Ten Positive Things about Not Having Hair
- Emily Hollenberg,
10. Your hair never gets out of control.
9. You can save a lot of money on shampoo, hair cuts, perms, dye jobs and body waxing.
8. If you go to the bowling alley and there is a long wait for a lane, just put your turban on, place your bowling ball in front of you and charge for fortune reading.
7. If you walk through the airport without your wig and in your bathrobe, people will give you money. The best airport according to my sources is San Francisco.
6. The shower and the sink drains require a lot less DranoTM. The need for rodding is completely eliminated.
5. You are happy to go to the show to see a hair-raising movie.
4. Your hair can keep your teeth company in the bathroom.
3. You can remove your hair when you weigh yourself.
2. People can see a strong resemblance between you and your new grandchild.
1. You can charge people $10 for rubbing your head. Remember when you were pregnant and total strangers would come up and pat your stomach... seriously, never talk about your hemorrhoids!!
seMPer fidelis
Dave
Pat those were great words of encouragement. Never thought about that before!
Julie
i just lost mine, so i can relate to how mom feels. when mine first started coming out, i had planned for a friend of mine to come over and just shave it. have one big pity party, and get on with life. so in preparation, i chopped off over 12 inches...and it wasnt a pretty chop job either! instead, when he came over, he looked at it...said...its soooo cute...and asked me to wait a week. i grudgingly consented. by the end of the week, i was so glad to NOT have it falling out into my food, down my back, all over my clothes, that i was actually happy to have it all gone at once instead of greiving it a lil at a time. he cried when he shaved it all off....but i cheered! just a thought, but maybe mom needs to get the mourning over, and find out how much nicer she might find things with the wig instead! make a party out of it. get all her support folks together and cheer her on. let her know that the reason all these folks are here, is cause they care about HER...not her hair, and that she would be beautiful if she was painted purple in a gunney sack!
that was a very :-) reply! My husband was a marine many yrs ago. Keep fighting for the cure.
When I first lost my hair, I was devastated. I thought I would never go anywhere without a wig. Now, I NEVER wear the wig and just wears scarves. At first I was bothered by people always staring - now I just walk with attitude! I am proud to be in the "hair world" doing what they are doing, but battling cancer while doing it. Tell your mom to look at it as a badge of courage. if someone would've told me that when I lost my hair, I would've said - yeah, right and been upset for someone saying that to me, but that is truly how I feel now. If you saw my earlier posts when I lost my hair, you will see how upset I was by it. Now, of course I wish I had my hair, but it's not a big deal. Your mom will get used to it. Good luck.
Susan
The onc. had told my husband that he would lose his hair, but after 2 wks., his hair still looked beautiful. And, then, on the 15th day, it started to fall out in clumps. It was shocking, a real reminder that he was sick and in treatment. But, it's only hair. After the chemo treatments were over, about 3 mos. later, his hair started to grow in, and within 4 mos., he had very short hair, and within 6 mos., he had hair again....a price your Mom will be willing to pay for recovery. So, help her to deal with the present. I promise that 4 mos. after chemo, she will have hair.....but one can't minimize that emotional impact of losing hair.
I was going to say exactly what Pat said.... it means the chemo is working! Tell her it's a good sign. Her hair will grow back. That's exactly what I told my Mom when her hair started falling out. Rather than watch it come out in clumps she finally had my brother shave her head. My 4 year old nephew thought that was pretty cool that Grandma had a haircut like his!
Best wishes to you and your Mom.
When I started losing my hair I had my children come over on mother's day for a head shaving. We had loads of fun and actually it felt good to have it gone. I also had two of our children get married in 2005 when I lost mine and just ended up wearing scarves and caps, my daughters came up with some beautiful designs to decorate my caps and actually my husband and I took the best pic together in years. Tell your mom to hang in there and like Pat said the chemo is working. It will come back in and you never know she might like it better. My prayers are with you and your family. Sharon
i soo feel for your MoM. At my treatment center, I get a less dose of chemo, but once a week. I figured because of this I might not lose my hair. Denial. As the previous post said day 14 nothing, day 15 started losing it. I went to the hairdresser and had him cut it very short,just in case, so IF it happened it wouldn't be so traumatic. My husband said just shave it when it started falling out. We had a celebration of sorts with my oldes't daughter here and first they shaved his head in honor of mine so I wouldn't feel as funny about it. I'm talking a full head of curly hair. I wouldn't let him go to the skin, but pretty close. Within a couple of days, all was gone on its own. i bought wigs,scarves,hats but all were not comfortable so at home wore nothing.
I think of myself as a fairly vain person and thought this would devastate me. It did not. Amazingly I took it in stride as part of the deal. That was a year ago and I now have about 1 1/2 inches of hair back. Unfortunatly I wasn't one of the lucky ones that got different hair. Mine is same color,same stick straight hair it always was, but thats ok.
Tell your mom to try to have fun with it, and it will come back.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Michelle
Tell you Mom she will get used to it. The best thing to do is shave off her hair because the worst part is watching the hair get all over everything. I had mine shaved off and started wearing my wig right away. I now still wear my wig. Between my chemos, my hair started to grow back but the wig is nice because it is so easy. No more washing, blow drying and all the stuff you have to do with you hair. You just throw the wig on and you are ready for the day. I wear headbands which keep the wig from flying off on a windy day. I get compliments on my hair all the time and people do not believe it is a wig. Tell you Mom it is one of the things that just takes getting used to. Also, no more shaving legs, etc. That is also a plus.
I had my hair cut short just before I started the chemo, and I too got sick of the loose hairs all over everything--and it was a glaring reminder. I also felt sensitivity, even pain, when it began to let loose. I actually began getting headaches (which scared me to death, but I had just had a brain MRI a few weeks prior), and my doc said, "get the hair off!" He was certain that would help, and it did.
I thought I'd be a wig wearer, but in the end I felt more comfortable in caps. I think you grow into the idea. But the hair will come back, and lots of lung cancer drugs don't cause hair loss. My last traditional chemo (now on Tarceva) was 3/12 and I already have a little pixie cut. For now it's just necessary.
The day I shaved it, I received a Hallmark (Journeys) card from a friend (who didn't know that was the day), which said:
"No one said it would be easy to lose your hair.
But knowing you, you'll find a way to turn this situation around and use it as a badge of honor,
a sign to the world that your treatments are working.
And when this is all behind you
and your hair grows back,
you'll be able to say with assurance,
that every day is a good hair day."
Please pass that sentiment along to your mom from me. It loses something without the pretty font and spacing and artwork, but the message worked on that day.
Tell Mom that a lot of us know just how she's feeling. It is temporary. Hugs and prayers.
--Stephanie
A few weeks after my first Chemo I noticed my hair starting to fall out a bit. Even though I am an older person I always had long hair. I also have a 6 year old grandson that I have been, for the most part raising.
At the time he was 5 and I wondered what it would do to him if all of a sudden he saw me lose a clump. So, I said to my husband I think I am going to cut it myself.
I brought the large trash can into the bathroom and told my grandson I was going to give myself a hair cut. Being the nosey kid he is, he was very happy to follow me in to see what I was going to do.
I just started grabbing a clump and cutting. It was not easy, but I told him that Granny was sick of taking care of all this hair, so I chopped away. I tried to make it as funny as I could which I must have without realizing he because he was laughing.
Finally, when I was finished with the scissors, my husband took out the electric clippers and we made it even.
My grandson laughed and laughed, and said "Granny you're bald." I told him there are lots of bald people and lots of people who keep their heads shaved. After that I made a point to show him people who shaved their heads.
I have hair again, about 4 inches long. He remembers once in a while and asks me if I am going to do that again, and I tell him I don't know, I might.
No, I did NOT like losing my hair but I was much more concerned with my grandchild and whether the Chemo would work for me. Both me and my grandson survived.
*Hugs*
Mine came in curly
Marylou
As said before in previous posts - the Chemo is working!
I own a wig shop - who better than one who has had cancer and is fighting it now - and I have a lot of women coming in who are terrified of losing their hair.
It will come back - takes about 8 - 10 months but it will come back and chances are you'll like it better as it might be curlier or even a different shade!
Nioxxin is great to use on your scalp as your scalp is extremely sensitive.
And caps, turbans and scarves all go a long way in helping you be comfortable. One thing I do recommend is night caps for sleeping - your body heat escapes through the top of your head and you can find it cold on some nights.
Another new experience on this journey for your Mom - she's a survivor and this is another little bump in the road.
Wendy
I was unhappy about losing my hair but knew it was ineviable so on day 15 took it all off with my poodle's dog clippers! I have a wig for "special occasions" but hardly ever wear it. Simple scarves and canvas hats work fine. Everybody knows what the scarf means and I think it is good for people to see that someone who obviously has cancer is out and about shopping, going to restaurants, just like normal people. What have we got to hide? After what we go through with surgery and chemo we deserve to show up looking however we are comfortable.
Valerie
DAVE....TOP 10 things about ! HAHAHAHA
GREAT STUFF!
Cathy had long hair and is going to send it off to "locks for love" They use the hair to make wigs for children with cancer.
Love and God Bless to all!
Bill & Cathy
Shave it off! Totally. I did, and I was so much happier not to be waking up with hair in my mouth. I never wore a wig, too hot and scratchy, and even stopped wearing scarves after a while, just went bald. It can be very liberating.
mine started sprouting several weeks after chemo ended. hair also returned in places I could have done without. Eyelashes are coming back quickly. eyebrows thicker.
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