I'm just posting this in case it'll help someone not freak out.
When I started chemo, my hair fell out as I expected.
After my 4th cycle, my hair started coming in-eyelashes, eyebrows, hair everywhere. My infusion nurse warned me that it might fall out... It DID, about a week before my 5th cycle.
A week after it fell out, it started coming in-even thicker and faster. I braced myself and 2 weeks after my 6th cycle it fell out again.
That last falling out was Sunday, day before yesterday.
I know it will come back again fast, I know it will be thick, I know I'll need to be patient... And I'm praying that it will be insanely curly.
I just wanted anyone on chemo to be aware that this might happen, if my nurse hadn't warned me I would've gotten all excited and then been horribly crushed when it fell out.
Peace, BE
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Hair-Fell out THREE times
- By Brown_Eyes
- Posted June 16, 2009 at 8:18 pm · 27 replies
- In Side effects of treatment
- Shared with the public
27 replies
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- By ChiMom
- Posted September 20, 2009 at 6:57 pm
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Two weeks after my first chemo, I took the sissors and cut my hair approx. 1/2 inch all over and put on a baseball hat. It gave me such a sense of freedom as it was the one thing I could control and damm it, I was going to control it. Now that my hair is coming back in, it is all different lengths and sticks out all over the place. I am thinking of going to the beauty salon and having it shaped as it grows in. I have been going out without a hat or wig for some time now as I feel it is what it is. I am amazed at how many people refuse to make eye contact with you when you pass them. I almost want to say "its not contagious". To me it is the face of cancer and if you are uncomfortable looking at me, I am sorry. Hair does not make me who I am. God made me who I am and God doesn't make mistakes.
- By mrynorman
- Posted September 20, 2009 at 7:50 am
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I did cut my hair also from about 2 inches past my shoulders to a very short bob a week before starting my chemo 9/3. My hair is falling out a lot every time I brush it. Did buy some hats yesterday. I am not quite ready yet to take the plunge on shaving it to 1/4 or a little longer someone said yesterday. I have very thick hair so have a bunch of hair left but I don't think that matters, I think it is when I get tired of seeing handfuls of hair in the sink when I brush it. Not to mention just hair falling out all the time.
- By amsterling
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 11:14 pm
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thank you so much for that. i just finished my first cycle and in the 3rd week my hair was coming out in disgusting amounts so i finally shaved it all off. good to have an idea of the growth and re-falling out that may occur in the next upcoming cycles.
- By lovemnms
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 4:51 pm
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I cut my shoulder length in stags prior to loosn it. I could not imaging shaving it! That thought freaked me out more than it falling out. So when it cameo out it was in small lengths and i could handle that.
- By mrynorman
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 3:00 pm
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Before I shave it I need to go get a hat of some sort. Yes, it is like my head hurts and you just want to put your hands through your hair but beware. I have really thick hair but I don't think it matters, as you said it, you get tired of cleaning the drain. I just brushed my hair because I took a little nap and the hair in the brush and in the sink oh my. I was hoping to make it 3 weeks and then start falling out as my sister is coming in 9/26 and my next chemo is on 9/24.
- By kibbitzqueen
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 2:32 pm
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When my hair grows back in about 1/4 inch I use about 10 drops of L'Oreal dye color #6.4 and a make up brush to apply it! I'm vain! What can I say? I don't like Grey!
- By kibbitzqueen
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 2:30 pm
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God could really saved me a LOT of money over the years if he would have just let my hair grow back in L'Oreal dye color #6.4 !!!!
- By lifeisgrand
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 12:23 pm
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Mrynorman... it's pretty predictable when the hair will go... 14 days after the first treatment... and when it starts there's no stopping it. Ask yourself whether you want the aggrevation of it coming slowly or do you just want to get it over with. After two days of clearing the drain 5 times during my shower, I handed my husband the clippers and said have at it. Word of warning though, I didn't lose every hair. Some of the very fine younger looking hairs stayed with me the whole time. Not much but I think of them now as my loyal friends who didn't desert me in times of trouble... haha...
- By Brown_Eyes
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 12:19 pm
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If you shave it too short you won't be able to grasp it to get it off and it'll feel like splinters in your scalp-I learned that the hard way. I would cut it to about 1/2 an inch, so you can still pull it gently if you want to.
- By mrynorman
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 11:52 am
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My hair just started falling out 2 days ago and today it is coming out in handfuls. I only have done 1 treatment 2 weeks and 2 days. It is annoying. My hand hurts and then I go to touch it and tons more hair comes out. My question is should I just shave it off or wait a little longer. I have very thick hair. My back was itchy so I took off my shirt and my goodness there was so much hair.
- By cubsmom
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 8:29 am
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October 14th will be a year since my last chemo. I just had my first haircut on my insanely curly, ridiculously dark, hair. The cut helped out immensely. My oldest Son used to call me Ronald McDonald if that helps. As soon as she cut layers into the insane curls, they tightened right back up. Prior to chemo, I had 16 inches of my insanely straight, very light brown, hair cut off. After years of "doing" my hair each morning, I now have to "undo" it. Oh, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...Also, beware, as hair comes back thicker, it also comes back very dry. Whatever the type, it comes back!! Enjoy experimenting girls.
- By verlinda
- Posted September 19, 2009 at 7:01 am
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Bev,
I did a chemo flush about a year and a half post-chemo. I wish I'd done it earlier. On the other hand, maybe the residual chemicals killed a few more cancer cells still lurking.
The amount of "stuff" lurking in my colon was unbelievable. I had a very gentle detox, added drops to water three times a day. It began acting on day 3 or 4. The first two days I stopped up the commode twice with the amount of waste that came from my body. The detox made it a very comfortable process. You know how even the mildest stool softeners/laxatives can still be somewhat uncomfortable. It was one of the best things I ever did.
- By Brown_Eyes
- Posted September 18, 2009 at 10:34 pm
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Forgot to mention in my post above: this is about 15 weeks after my last chemo, May 30, 2009.
- By Brown_Eyes
- Posted September 18, 2009 at 10:25 pm
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I saw a post asking about hair growth, so thought I'd update this....
Last week when I trimmed my hair it was just about 3/4 of an inch long. I've trimmed about 1/8 of an inch off several times when it's gotten super fuzzy and been all different lengths, so it'd probably be at least 1/2 inch longer right now if I hadn't trimmed it.
Also, it's SUPER thick and growing pretty fast. And, to my extreme excitement, this week it Finally started sticking out all over and showing partial curls in some places :)
It's also exactly the same color it was before treatment, but I'm only 32 so I guess I wouldn't have expected it to come back in a different color.
Hope this info helps someone...
- By mawmaw4
- Posted July 22, 2009 at 6:51 pm
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Well, 6 months after last chemo, my hair is about 2 1/2" long, my eyelashes came back with a fury and indeed looked like feathers, now this week I have noticed them thinning out, this is crazy, and quite discouraging. My hair did come n curly, but I am thinking that might change too, I don't know. I am discouraged about the eyelashes but I read on here that some people experienced that after a few months from the last chemo. I do feel like this stuff is rumbling still around in my body still, with bones acheing, etc. I am seriously considering a chemo flush and studying about that online. Any help there. info, from anyone?
Bev
- By Brown_Eyes
- Posted July 11, 2009 at 5:20 pm
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Okay, quick update. It's a month and almost two weeks after chemo. 6 weeks basically.
My hair is now about 1/4 of an inch long, some of it is longer, and thickening very quickly. It seems to be kind of coming in kind of in waves--so there are longer layers, medium layers, and a new 1/8th inch which is pretty thick....
My eyelashes and eyebrows are strange in a sort of humorous, although slightly annoying, way. My eyelashes are way thicker and are somewhat longer on the right side. My eyebrow hairs are twice as thick on the left side.... I'm hoping they'll even out sometime soon. It's kind of hard to do the eyebrow pencil thing when one side is twice as thick as the other....
All other body hair coming in too, just not as excited about it :)
Anyone know how long it takes for the baby fine fuzz to turn into real hair? I'm wondering how long it'll take before I can tell if it'll be curly.
- By Shamrock2009
- Posted June 22, 2009 at 12:49 pm
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Hi JanLP,
The study I am enrolled on is GOG 0218 for first line treatment--Taxol/Carbo + Avastin/Placebo. I will now go on for 16 more cycles of Avastin or Placebo every 3 weeks.
I looked at the information that you originally posted and you said that you needed measurable disease to enroll on the PARP study. I know that it is stringent but that is the only way they can tell if we are responding to the study treatment in a Phase ll or lll study. Has that happened yet?
Hang in there!!!
- By JanLP
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 2:24 am
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Shamrock, I am waiting for my trial to begin. I was admitted in April but the logistics and rules governing all of it are so stringent. Obviously they don't worry that I have been off chemo for the trial for over a month and my counts are escalting and now over 6600 and ascities is building up and making me somewhat uncomfortable. Mine is a Parp Inhibitor Trial. Which trial are you doing and has it begun. Details details. Would love to hear.
- By Shamrock2009
- Posted June 18, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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JanLP,
Thank you for your reply. Some of the nurses caring for me I worked with over 20 yr ago at FCCC and I know it is difficult for them. However, just as you I cannot put my closest friends through this.
Fortunately since I knew who were the best docs around my area I was able to feel very comfortable choosing who to trust for good care.
For the the past 15 yrs I have work in oncology clinical trials so I really have a lot of questions for my poor physician regarding my study--lol.
- By shirlmac
- Posted June 18, 2009 at 11:27 am
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I am waiting to begin losing my hair for the first reocurrence. the first time after the fifth cycle of treatments I was slick as a whisle all over, I mean every where. No hair.
It came back fuller and healthier. Some curls and body. Hate to lose it again, but Oh well, what will be will be.
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