Does anyone know if having a furry face a side effect of tamoxifen? Over the last few weeks I have developed a horrid fur on my face, even got fluff on my ears. Do you think this is temporary or am I stuck with it? I started tamoxifen about a month ago.
Thanks for reading
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I’ve no experience of this but there’s an old thread on this forum about it:
share.breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=8372
doesn’t answer yout question, but suggests you may not be alone.
Sounds rubbish, poor you. Hope it goes away again.
Hi Lisa,
my understanding is that it is a common Se that does disappear, i have it too & oh yes the furry ears 
Sarah xxx
Hi
I have been on tam since may this year and I had fine downy blonde growth of hair down the sides of my face and back of my neck. My hairdresser shaved it a few weeks back and it doesn’t seem to have grown back.
Lizz xx
Hi Lisa
Yes I had a furry face when I started Tamoxifen.I have been taking it for a year now and it’s not as bad as it was.
Tracy
x
Ohhhh whaaat?? Oh nooooo!!! Poor you - big kisses xx
Me too Lisa. I wasn’t sure whether it was the Tamoxifen, or my hair going into overdrive after chemo. But my face is definitely hairier/fluffier than before. Luckily its blonde… but would still rather it went away!
Had the same on the back of my neck too but got my OH to clipper that off!
Al x
Oh lisa thats not good! ((hug)) Hope it does go away.
I have also got tamoxifen to look forward to a couple of steps down the line, the joys hey? x
Hi Lisa,
I was told by my BCN that this was an SE. I am dark haired and already have to wax my moustache before I’ve even started Tamoxifen. I have even been known to wax my ‘lady side burns’ on occasion!
So, on to the next question. Are we allowed electrolysis prior to or during RADS and Tamoxifen? Hmmmm! Could make for an interesting profile pic. Will my OH cope?? He’s already unhappy that my new short hair is showing so much grey!
The joys, the joys! x
I have it too! I am dark haired and battled with facial hair all my adult life but it is all over my face, not just lip. I used my ladyshaver to get rid of some of it but now I can feel some re-growth, now going to try facial hair remover but it is a nightmare!
Will the torment ever stop?!
Daisy xx
hi everyone, guess what I have the hairy face thing going on too, and I am not taking Tamoxifen, omg I have come to the conclusion my body is producing more and more hair, lol, taking its revenge on the chemo !!!
not going to shave it off just yet, in case it comes back thicker lol
Liz x
Hi
I too have the dreaded face fuzz. Mine’s starting to grow longer now and dark!!! I’m turning into a bearded lady!!!
I was on tamox for two and a half years, I’m now on exemestane.
I’ve invested in a professional pair of tweezers and have 5 or 10 minutes on a regular basis plucking my face. I have got an epilator and I’m thinking of having a go with that on my face, just got to pluck up courage.
Oh no!!! Don’t try the epilator thing, it’s so painful it’s made me feel sick!!! :-))))
J
I think I read on one of the threads that it is a side effect caused by chemo and that it does eventually disappear.
Will try and find where I read it and bump it up.
I had a furry face during and after chemo,settling spontaneously now, but still there a little 7-8 months post chemo and no tamoxifen. I have wondered at times about the wisdom of hair promoting shampoos!
Settling spontaneously now thank goodness
Jan you made me laugh ‘pluck up courage’, yes you will have to! I’m still hoping on electrolysis or something!
Here’s my husband moaning about all my ‘silver hair’ which is now visible, I’m sure that soon he will have more to worry about!
Good luck to all. xx
Hi crabbit
Glad you picked up the pun. I did pluck up the courage as you will see but it was so painful it made me feel so sick that I couldn’t eat my tea. Having said that it’s done a really good job and my face is like a baby’s bum with a few more cracks.
Now I’ll have to weigh up whether I want a hair free face and no tea or a nice tea and a beard!!! Not necessarily in that order.
Hi All
Another one here who started getting a furry face even before BC, but more so on Tamoxifen, now after a year it’s a lot less. I wonder if the fur is due to loss of oestrogen? I know a lot of women who have reached menopause naturally complain of growing “peach fuzz”, so maybe we’re getting the same effect, caused by Tamoxifen?
Perhaps someone who knows about these things could explain for us?
Hi girls, I got the furry face too post chemo and when I started tamoxifen, but I have a theory (!) - before chemo any facial hair gets naturally exfoliated daily through washing, cleansing etc etc. After chemo, as it comes back all in one go it appears there is a lot more hair and it then takes a month or two to naturally exofoliate and settle down and return to normal levels. I think I have a little more than before BC but much less than a year or so ago - so please dont try shaving or using hair removal - it WILL improve x
I remember looking like a peach with my furry face after chemo. It goes as instantly as it appears.
Bare with it and it will go.
My friends didn’t notice it, just don’t sit with the sun shining behind you
Good luck x