Hmmm, don’t listen to that GP, he does not know if it will will work for you, Grrrrrrr to him.
My hair is still fine 11 days after 2nd FEC, noone would know a thing and it seems to be shedding less than it was.
Hugs
Jules
X
I had 4 x AC and 4 x TAX on a dose dense regime - so every 2 weeks rather than every 3 weeks so oncy said it was harsher than the 3-weekly chemo regimes and that the cold cap wouldn’t work. I did lose alot of hair about 3 weeks after my first chemo and had the sore head feeling and thought that was it. But after that big shed the hair loss slowed down although I did lose a bit after each round and it looked normal until sessions 7 and 8 when it got very thin. I met another girl my age on the same regime as me who was as bald as a coot (what is a coot?!) after a couple of weeks, so I knew it was working. I also lost ALL other hair including my eyelashes and eyebrows. They’re now growing super fast one month on after my final chemo.
If you’ve got bald spots on the side, check that you have the right size cap and that it’s nice and tight everywhere.
You sound as desperate as I was for it to work. I wished I was as strong as some other women I met who totally rocked the bald look and went scarfless and wigless - but I didn’t want anyone to know unless I wanted to tell them - particularly acquaintances or colleagues - and was so scared i’d bump into someone I knew in Sainsburys etc and have to explain what was going on. But until I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows not many people would have guessed - and I got pretty pro with eyeliner and an eyebrow pencil. There’s enough to deal with with a cancer diagnosis alone and then we have to deal with the body change, menopausal symptoms, risk of lymphodoema etc etc and then hair loss as well! It’s like you have to wave goodbye to so much and face so many unwanted changes all at once. Although at least the hair will grow back!
Good luck. And let me know if you have any questions at any point. I really hope it works for you.
X
PS there are old threads on here with women who had FEC and it worked. Have a search through.
Sandy toes, Jules, you are angels.
So down, feel so shallow and weak minded when i see how brave everyone else is being. I wish i had that strength, i just cant cope with the thought of losing my hair and i dont know how to get over it.
My cold cap didnt reach the back of my neck so i am wondering now if that is why i have lost it there?! When i pointed it out to the nurse, she said it didnt matter as long as the crown was covered.
My OH is amazing and so loving but i just keep pushing him away as cant bear the thought of him seeing me with no hair. Relationship is 18months and still so new. I shouldnt be pUtting him through this.
I get what your saying about the teenage thing ( i dont have kids of my own, never will do now :((
Guess it the thought of his ex knowing!
Anyway, enough moaning i have very little other side effects and i am grateful for that, just wish i could get over this hang up aboUt my hair and be as brave as everybody else on here.
YESSS!! WHAT IS A COOT?!
teecass
its not shallow or weak minded not to want to loose your hair, i really hate the idea of it, and from reading other posts from those who didn’t use cold cap and have had a Big Shave, it seems but that stage they are relieved to do it as their scalps are sore, maybe it will be the same for us??
i’ll be trying the cold cap tomorrow for the 1st time, but i’m trying not to pin to many hopes on it, but i have been worrying about re-grow too, my hair is quite dark but i know my re-grow will be grey!! (see theres no pleasing some of us)
can i ask how you get on with OH daughter, and i understand why you’re not keen on his ex knowing, i didn’t want to tell my ex as we had a bad split up and hardly spoke to each other (4 years on!!) i had to tell him as we have a 6 year old, he has been really supportive and his family, whom i’ve not seen since the split have contacted me, and i’ve accepted that people genuinely want to help if they can. Maybe your OH feels that at 18 his daughter is mature enough to understand what is going on, my older daughter is also 18 (just) and she has been a fantastic, a lot for her shoulders but she wants to support me.
My other half has 2 boys who are 11 and 13, we haven’t told them (we told them i was having an op) but because we only see them every other weekend we decided not to tell them unless we really need to, and that might be if i loose my hair! i don’t really like the idea of their mum knowing either…
sorry for waffling on, don’t know if any of what i’ve said helps, but hope it does
Gill x
TeeCass - Take what your GP says with a pinch of salt they told me I would lose mine too. I did at the sides of my ears and the nape of my neck where the cap didn’t reach so it could be you just thin - just make sure the cap is tight all over. I started chemo with a girl who’s on her 4th FEC and she’s only thinned as well. I bought hair thickening spray (which is the stuff for bald men we all giggle at lol) to cover the thin bits on my crown so I can start going wig-less. My hair’s grown a few inches while I’ve been getting chemo over the last few months ao I’m gong to get it styled tomorrow - woohoo!
On your OH, maybe he just felt it would be easier if his daughter knew what you were going through? I had a bit of a wobbler at diagnosis and had a few fall outs with people because I wanted it kept quiet and they took it upon themselves to ‘share the word’. Now from experience, people genuinely will care and will soon be respecting you for what you’ve been going through.
Sandytoes - you’re such a gem, you really helped me keep a level head about things when I was diagnosed and you’re still giving lots of words of wisdom to others. I hope you had someone as nice to help you along when you were in our position!
Jules - glad everything is going good for you!
gill13 - good luck for tomorrow! It’s funny how people can surprise you sometimes, I split with my ex in April and was disgnosed in August. I didn’t want him to know in case he thought it served me right (it wasn’t a good breakup). My mum talked me into telling him before he heard it on the grapevine and he was genuinely gutted and has been really supportive since which is great considering we weren’t even talking lol.
Anyway, sorry this has turned into a huge post. Keep similing everyone and remember each day is a day closer to coming out the other side of this xx
thanks Caroline, i hope i’ll be able to post on here in a few weeks that i still have my hair, enjoy your pampering tomorrow
i’ll have to remember the mens hair thickening spray for men! lol
Gill x
Hi everyone,
I’m trying the cold cap too. Hd my first session twelve days ago, the cold cap was HORRIBLE. I mean really horrible. It made me feel dizzy and sick for about half an hour, I thought for a time I would ask them to take it off I hated it so much but persevered - luckily a woman had told me that the first 15 minutes were the worst and that it gets better. And it did although I got very cold - more clothes next time and a hot water bottle!
It was extremely tight - they have only two sizes - very small and very large! So I went for the tight one - apparently where they don’t have contact with the follicles is where you lose your hair. I too will have grey roots as it grows but and I’ll use scarves, but hopefully I’ll have a little bit of fringe and side bits.
But so far I don’t seem to be losing much yet. Although just realised that ladygarden, as I keep seeing it referred to and I like, is starting to fall out. Which will be a bit weird! Anyway it’s daly days, so may well start to lose more on my head soon.
Xxxx
Impatients,
Try taking a couple of paracetamols half an hour beforehand and drinking a large hot drink when it’s put on. The hot water bottle will help too if your body got cold (I was spoiled and was given an electric blanket! Didn’t 't need it towards the end on account of hot flushes). That’s what my chemo nurse suggested, so that’s what I did and I don’t know whether it was thanks to that or just me coping OK, but I never had a problem with it at all. With TAX they gave me piriton which made me really sleepy and i’d fall asleep WITH the cold cap on for about 4 hours! I quite liked those sessions…!
X
Caroline - just read your message. Thanks! 
x
Well after the second fec my hair has started coming out in handfulls.
I have a massive bald patch on top and it is very thin everywhere else so the cap doesn’t seem to have worked for me.
I did phone up Paxman and they reckon that I should carry on using it but I just dont know although to me having some hair is better then none. But I can’t not go out now without my wig anyway.
Strangely enough the hair loss hasn’t upset me as much as I thought, after everything we go thro you just get to a not care point!
x
i’ve had my 1st session using cold cap today, and i didn’t find it too bad at all, when it first went on i did think i would not be able to keep it on for 2 1/2 hours, but the main reason was because it was touching my forehead, once the nurse put some wadding around the front it was ok
i was given a blanket and a quilt so i was quite cosy
i was advised to only wash hair 1 a week!! ( i usually do it daily) use a satin pillow case, stops rubbing. not hair dryer, straighteners or hair dye. and to use a gentle shampoo, such a Simple or baby shampoo, and a leave in conditioner
So time will tell… i’ll keep you posted
Gill
Great news Gill, i was told NOT to use baby shampoo though.
I usually do mine daily and have actually manged 10days without a wash with the aid of a baseball cap. Good luck xx
Hi
Sanditoes,good idea about the paracetamol, I actually had the hot blanket at thehospital but still got very cold so taking a hot water bottle next time as well.
I wash my hair about every 3 days but I dont rub at all, in fact it’s more like stroking shampoo through and then conditoner. I don’t seem to be losing any yet…fingers crossed.
But not looking forward to next session!
Alison
My hair is really thin now can only get away with weasring a hat.
x
7 weeks post chemo - dyed my hair (naughty!) and went to the hairdressers who chopped it into a short bob. Said I’d post a pic when I’d had it done - and here it is. It’s very thin - but hairdresser says it will look more volumised when my regrowth comes through. Am going out tonight WITHOUT HEADSCARF!!
Am also very pleased with eyebrows as they are a relatively new addition!!
Nice haircut Sandytoes its encouraging to see that the cold cap worked for you, i think i can cope with thinner hair, no probs
I’m exactly 1 week post 1st chemo, so still too early for me, i keep thinking head is feeling sore and bit itchy, but that could be the fact i haven’t washed it since Monday.
i may treat myself tomorrow and have a gentle wash
Hows everyone else getting on?
Gill x
Hey girls,
I have my third FEC tomorrow, and hair is still fabuuuulous. Shedding a little bit but no one else would notice, so I’m really pleased
Washing every other day, and even running the straighteners through very gently, probably not a good idea but I just have to do it, I can’t resist.
So, so far so good, but who knows what will happen this time around.
Jules
Xx
Jules you are soo lucky.
I too am due the 3rd fec (75) and my hair is really badly thinning.I have to wear a hat.
The Paxman people who make the cap suggest that I keep wearing the cap but I’m not sure.I’m shedding hair all the time.
Has this happened with anyone else ?
x
Sozza, I have to say my hair was very very thick to start with. When I had my first FEC there was a women on her last one and she had gone thin, too thin to go without a hat I think BUT, she was happy that she would not have to start from scratch to grow her hair, she could have a short cut and the new hair could gradually blend in. You could try carrying on with the cap, at least you will have some hair under your hat, although it’s not pleasant is it, I don’t look forward to wearing it every time.
Good luck hunny
Jules
Xx
Sozza, i’m getting chemo #5 on thursday (nearly done - yey!!) and will still be doing cold cap even though my hair’s gone really thin round the crown so my advice is keep going. I kept shedding up until just before my 4th so hopefully yours will slow down but I know it can be different for everyone. I found it a relief getting my hair cut into a short style because I wasn’t constantly watching for long hairs falling out but each to their own… Now I’m not wearing the wig so much, my crown is thin still but my hair’s growing back already, the spray on hair (restrand which I bought on eBay) is a godsend to cover my scalp while i’m waiting for full coverage again.
I’ve also just bought Redken intra force which my hairdresser recommended which promotes re-growth of hair (apparently they’re calling it the Botox for hair), I started it on Friday and it’s got a 30 day money back guarantee. I’m a sucker for all these things but I’ll do anything to get my long hair back I’ll let you know how it goes…
Jules hope you got on ok with #3 on Thursday - halfway there!!
Gill hope your hair’s still hanging on…
Sandytoes nice hairdo, well done
Alison I was dreading #2 but it wasn’t as bad as the first chemo, I think it’s because you know what to expect.
Keep well everyone xx