Hi
Mines worse than that hun…ive got bald patches on my crown and hairline. Ive just spoke to the paxman lady. She suggested a surgeons paper hat to cover it before my round 3 to prevent burns. I cant find any though! I can find cotton on amazon so ive emailed her the photo to see what she thinks. My. Hospital said gauze but itd be so hard to 1stly cover each patch…then ensure they stay put in my opinion. Im not giving up though…as much as its a real endurance for me. Ive sprayed my head with loreal colour spray to disguise the patches. V good! I too am still shedding what seems like a hamster a day but im trying not to touch it…yet its addictive in a weird way! Ive not washed it for over a week…really scared to as I know tons will come out. Chin up ladies! (no pun intended…re bloody chin strap!) xxxx
Thankyou. It says non woven material…is that paper? Xx
Done…purchased off ebay. Paxman confirmed they were fine. X
Michelle I shed loads after chemo 1 and thought cold cap was pointless. But persevered 14 times and lost 50% or so if hair evenly over. By the end of my 6 month ordeal I had a good coverage of new 1 inch hair which I thought was hair which had snapped off but hairdresser reassured me was new growth. Since then (14 months ago) I have embraced my natural layers and hair is better than ever!
My nurse put gauze over my thin bits from round 3 or 4 and it was fine.
Hi Michelle, I only lost hair after the first FEC, then it started to grow back again! Eyelashes waited until I’d finished chemo before falling out, but grew back very quickly.
Hi Michelle, I was the same as you. Lost loads of hair 2nd cycle of FEC. Spoke to breast care nurse who told me to hang on in there and not to shave off as it may slow down. It did! I’m now on cycle 4 (1st T) and although I’ve thinned a tiny bit more it’s nothing compared to what i lost. I thought it was never going to end. I tie my hair into a clip if I’m going out and I’ve bought some Toppix (iron filings) that I sprinkle on all over my thin bits and it’s like a miracle! Looks like I’ve got a full head of hair again. I tie it back in a bobble at home and I wear a net over my hair at all times when in the house. I wash it once a week with simple and I never use hairdryer. Good luck Amanda xx
Hi, I too will be starting chemo soon, and herceptin, this has all been a total shock, and in need of some support and info x hope you get on ok hun x
Hello All newbie here. I am on day 11 of cycle 3 of chemo have cold capped and found the first 5 mins horrid but then it calms down and it feels like l am just out on a cold day. I have managed to keep a lot of hair,l am not good at percentages. Suffice to say l don’t need the (expensive ) wig but hurrah for that. I have a thin patch on my crown but wear sunglasses on my head all day and evening and it takes the eyes away. Everyone else swears it is not noticeable. I only wash it 1 x week with simple and use wide tooth comb. Lots of upside down spraying of dry shampoo and careful patting. Good luck everyone
Definitely worth a try. I was told to use hair products free from colour, fragrance and parabens. Got some organic stuff from health shop but then moved on to an essential “naked” one. Don’t dye hair til after chemo - this is more because of infection risk if you have a reaction to the dye I believe. I’m just over a year passed chemo and hair good and strong - better than before, although greyer!
Awwww thanks for quick reply ladies , still undisided ?as I have my hair coloured regulary , so not sure if I could stand roots growing through or grey hairs ? lol. As I have my hair in a short bob there is some quite nice human hair wigs in the reddish colour I usually have & as I have to style mine almost every day with hairdryer & straightners really don’t know what to do as yet ? thanks for your advice , see how I feel in the morning ? Anything else to add please do ladies , any help / advice is most welcome X X
Hi,
It has been so helpful reading your past threads and reassuring to know you are not alone with the horrible prospect of losing your hair!
I’m about to start my Chemo next week and will definatley be trying the cold cap (tips about scarves to cover your neck etc are great thx)
Ii have Just ordered a load of different style of scarves - can anyone recomend a good website other than amazon please, quite liked annabandanna :-/ And will get a wig just incase i think. Also, can i ask if anyone would recomend wearing a night cap?
Feeling a bit emotional this week - bit weepy about the prospect but also guilty putting my husband and teenagers through this - it’s not going to be pretty is it?
Thank you to all for posting your experiences x
Hiya, just thought I’d share me experience of cold cap as I know how much of a massive deal it was for me potentially losing my hair… More so if I’m honest than having the mastectomy!
Well, I’m pleased to say that I have just completed 6 cycles of TCH and still have a full head of hair. I’ve got minimal thinning at the top but it’s not noticeable to anyone else. I had very thick hair to start and cut it from waist length to a chin length Bob before I started. I have continued to use my regular shampoo and conditioner but just wash once a week, and like others have said, use dry shampoo when needed. I fuss with it as little as possible but have used straighteners occasionally on it. I have lost strands and somedays it seems more than others, but I have not lost clumps.
The first 5 minutes I found the worse…if you can preserve through them, it does become less uncomfortable. As some other ladies have said, I took paracetamol before starting and used a jersey headband for forehead and tops of ears. The fit is important, the tighter to scalp obviously the better. The chin strap is tight and the day after my cheeks and chin would ache slightly, but it’s manageable.
I am so pleased that I tried it and pereserved. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve got a beautiful wig here that I never needed to use thankfully, but I had to prepared incase it didn’t work.
Good luck… Really hope it does work for you.
With love xx
I am using the cold cap and have one more T left to go. I have list about 60% of my hair and am currently wearing a wig. I still want to carry on with the cold cap because I think that when my hair begins to grow it will only have to fill in the gaps. Is this true or just me kidding myself. I am not sure if having half my old hair and then new regrowth that I will actually look worse than if I had used the cold cap
Well done ladies, keep going! I do believe that if hair is going to come out then it will, so wouldn’t worry about the wig pulling on it. I only wore mine a few times for parties and school visits! Other than that I wore a loose ponytail which allowed for a comb over for thin bits.
It started growing back as soon as it had come out, so by the end of chemo (April 2015) I had 2 inch layers throughout my hair which thickened it up. I had it trimmed to a short bob and scrunch dried to make it look thicker. A year on and I have better hair than I did before - now having layers cut in as looks much better than before chemo !!
Keep going ladies! I kept 40% of my hair and it looks really good now 3 months later! Well worth keeping it going! Xx
Thanks for your responses.xxx
Hi ladies,
I’m due to see the oncologist on the 20th July I have already made my mind up about cutting my hair and cold capping. My consultant pulled a face and said it doesn’t work that often. My argument is that if you don’t try you don’t know. I have felt no emotion just a sense of I have things to do and need it all to be in line so I can kick chemotherapys butt!!! I have scarves, night cap, silk pillow cases, jersey headband, blanket, big hoody and will be getting a wig, collagen, biotin and hair growth oils for the end and coconut oil to put on whilst I’m cold capping. Is there anything else I will need? Oh yes and pain meds to help of course. I’m worried about losing my brows and eye lashes but presume there’s nothing I can do to stop this? I will be booking in for eyebrow tattooing as well. I aware it’s like a military operation!! Then hearing how well you are all doing makes me feel all the more ready. This thread is priceless thank you ladies xxx
Thanks for your response Marli, I will have to look into the powder. It’s inspiring to see so many strong people fighting So hard in fact it’s beautiful! I will get myself booked in I gave heard the look good workshops are good. I only got diagnosed a few weeks ago, T this is the first time and was determined to not come on any forms or do anything related to cancer but then I wanted to research cold cap so happened to come on this thread. I will get booked into everything my area does now as its good to be prepared for everything!!! It’s all about facing these things head on!!! Thanks xx
I cut my hair to shoulder length to make it more manageable. See cancerhaircare website for a good booklet outlinig the cold cap process. Tolerated the cap well but I am not prone to headaches. I just pretended I was going swimming in cold sea for those first ten minutes. It really is a bit like your head at least is going swimming in cold water - a shock at first but you get used to it. Wore an old cashmere onsie, sheepskin boots and scarfs. Biggest drawback is the extra 2 hours it adds to your day in the chemo unit, but hey what else was I going to get done that day? Lost a bit of hair at the 3 week point, but this is from sideburns and underneath at the back where the cap doesnt quite reach, easy to cover with the longer bits. I have pretty thick hair to begin with. Still have hair everywhere else so far, afraid my moustache and peach down cheeks hair is still showing. Still have 2 cycles to go so fingers crossed. Hair is thinner than it was but at least I don’t have that chemo scarf look! You can get stick on eyebrows, there are some temporary ones for around £9 including post for 10 pairs available in lots of shapes, or you can buy longer lasting real hair ones for more like £65 if you have a long term problem. reviews say they are good, but I havent tried them. They are available from simplywigs.co.uk. If you are having a drip into your vein they will fit the saline drip before you cool down as once you are cooled it is pretty hard to find a vein. Take a wooly hat to go home in. lady on the machine next to me was on treatment 5 and still a full head of hair. Thank you whoever it was that raised the money to buy the two paxman machines af my hospital. THe helmet over the cap is soft neoprene you look like you are going to play hockey in it!
Hello
I have three more treatments of Taxol (have had 4 AC and my first Taxol this past week), and would say I’ve kept around 50-60% of my hair. It’s much much thinner than it was to start, but I must say I am glad I’ve used the cold caps.They are a huge burden and a painful process, making each treatment tougher physically and mentally, but they are worth it. However, I’m nervous my hair is going to start falling out even more now. It still comes out when I comb it, as it did starting in the middle of my AC cycles, and I’m wondering when it is going to stop. Recently, it’s been thinning around my part (middle) and some scalp is visible. While this probably isn’t noticeable to others unless I mention it to them, it’s really irritating and makes me feel dirty. Scalp is also peeling, and it’s hard for me to resist picking at it, leaving dandruff looking skin follicles. Anyone know when the shedding stops? If you’ve gone through taxol, does it? Also, for hair falling out around the part and top of the head, does anyone recommend the cover your hair product? It looks like it will work but not sure; may have to just start wearing the wig.
Thanks, xx