Hair Coming Out In Handfuls :-(

Hi everyone,

Just got back from ordering a wig from the hospital, and hair started coming out in handfuls. I was expecting it to come out somewhere between 2nd and 3rd chemo - am only on day 13 from 1st session, so thought I had a few more hair-ful weeks left yet. Almost as if my hair went, oh well, wig ordered, time to go! Alarming how much came out, literally handfuls, now have patches of ugly bald scalp. Got BF to get the clippers on it, went down to a no.2, but resemble patchy badger / old lady and feeling very very upset by it. I didn’t expect it to bother me, but I find I AM very bothered by it. Does the rest come out quite fast now? What with the miserable chemo effects (persistent nausea depsite all the anti emetics they can throw at me, migraines, restless legs and arms, muscle and joint pain, general discomfort) and the hot flushes from the zoladex, I’m feeling somewhat sorry for myself. Anyone got anything to say that might help cheer me up? Babyboo? One of your gems wouldn’t go amiss here!

Love and light,
Angel. x

Hi Angel

I thought you may find our booklet called ‘Breast cancer and hair loss’ helpful to read, it contains some advice about how to manage hair loss. You can read it via the following link or order a copy from the site:

breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/hairloss_2004_v2_0.pdf

Hope this helps.

Best wishes
Louise
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care

Hi Angel

It is a really disturbing time, my hair came out on day 14 following first FEC, a few days later I was clippered!!! It has continued shedding, and I am still loosing it now, coming up to 3rd FEC!!! I have got some great bandannas (the type with an elastic back, you can get them in Clair’s, or accessorize (?spelling!!!). I have 2 wigs which I bought for £20 from wigbank
wigbank.com/ they are great, and wear them if going out in the evening etc.
For the nausea I find the travel wrist bands along with all the anti- emetics really help.
Thinking of you
Take care

Kim x

Hi Angel,

I am 16 days past 2nd EC and my hair started coming out a few days after 2nd chemo. I have very short hair anyway but it still came out in handfulls.
I have the smae look as you at the minute, my OH clippered mine down to a number 3 and I have bald patches however it is still coming out but I cant face shaving it all off yet but I know it will come to it.

It is so traumatic seeing it come out, I had seriously had a very bad time accepting what was happening to me, but after posting a few messages and the advice from the ladies on here helped a hell of a lot.
Now when I get sad about it, I just think of it as its medication I need to help me get rid of the is awful C and once i stop chemo it WILL grow back - some people are not so lucky, i.e alopecia(spelling?).
I have opted not to have the wig, im using bandanas.

Im still accepting it, but it does get easier.

Take Care

Lynne.x

Angel,

Forgot to ask, are you trying the coldcap?

Mine also started to come out in handfuls from about 15th day afetr no 1 chemo.I was shocked. I have washed most of mine off now and am left with a fine covering. That seems to be firm for now so keeping it as it gives me a fringe with bandana! It is a big shock to the system but gets easier to look at each time I pass the mirror. Wish it could be the same for other people when I go out!

Hi Angel,

sorry to hear you’re feeling a bit sh*t right now. Personally I took the whole hair loss thing very badly so I can totally understand where you’re coming from, I expect everyone on here can to be honest. One thing I will say is that you really do get used to being bald really quickly, although I know thats no consolation to you right now. I literally cried all day and night when my hair finally went! I felt like a right ugly duckling!! To compensate for my lack of hair I took to spending a fortune on skin care products and make-up. The girls on the Clinique counter at my local dept store love me to bits now, I’m their best customer!!!

I’ve almost finished chemo now (I’m on E-CMF) and my hair is growing back a treat (although I’ve still not gone out ‘commando’ yet!!). I can not believe how quickly the time has gone, and I’m sure you will find this too. Before you know it your hair will be growing back again and you’ll find it hard to remember what it was like when you were bald. So, for now, try to turn a negative into a positive and rejoice in the fact that for a couple of months you can save loads of money, no hair cuts/colours and products to buy! And, you can get ready in next to no time. And, to top the lot, you won’t need all manner of electrical appliances and hair products to get yourself ready! I know its easy for me to say, but its only cause I’ve been there myself that I’m able to say it.

Take care,

Kelly
-x-

Hi Angel,
I suffered the same from the 10th day following my first FEC. I had taken cold cap in my first treatment, thinking that it would prevent my hair from falling off but that didn’t help me at all. I lost an awesome lot everyday. The broken hair used to entangle in other hair & as a result more & more hair fell of with each passing day. Now i’ve got only a few badly entangled hair on each side of my scalp & i wear a big scarf all over my head to hide the bad look of it. Its really depressing for me as I had a full head of long straight hair before treatment. I just hope it starts to come back soon after my chemotherapy is finished.
Take care
Shaikh xx

You do get used to being bald and the bonus is when it starts to come back in again you feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!!I had mine shaved off in the middle of June, finished my chemo in August and I now have a covering all over. It’s soft and fluffy like baby hair and I’m sooooo proud of it! I’ve even taken to shampooing it - how daft is that! I didn’t have the option of a cold cap, and tho I have a wig, I have been wearing a rather fetching ‘bunnet’ I got from Asda - it’s so much easier than faffing with scarves etc. I even went commando this morning when I answered the door and the postie didn’t bat an eyelid. You’ll all get there too, just hang in!

kriss xxx

Hi All

I know that my colleague Louise has already mentioned Breast Cancer Care’s factsheet on the subject of hairloss, but you may also be interested in another of Breast Cancer Care’s services - Headstrong.

In some areas Head Strong runs sessions by specially trained volunteers, this free service explores the many issues faced by people experiencing hair loss.

A Head Strong appointment will give you practical tips and information on looking after your hair and scalp before during and after your treatment, as well as handy scarf tying ideas.

At your appointment you will be able to try on a range of hats, scarves, fringes and hairpieces in a comfortable and private environment. You also have the opportunity to buy selected items of stock.

This service is beginning to be expanded into more areas of the country. For more information and to find out where your nearest Head Strong session is running see the link below:

breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=2548

or telephone your area office.

I do hope that you find this service of interest.

Kind regards

Katie
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care

Hi Angel,
Sorry you’re having problems re your hair loss. I can’t add any more pearls of wisdom to what the others have said, only to agree with all their comments. I started to lose mine 18 days after first FEC, despite use of cold cap. Saw a lady about a wig today and she also helped me out with a lovely cool indian cotton scarf which I managed to parade round Sainsburys in for the first time.
I felt really down last night about the hair loss thing, but today is a new day and I feel alot more positive. I was a bit cheeky to my boss the other day; I came back into the office, saying that ‘my hair’s started to fall out!’ and he piped up “join the club”. I could not help but reply, “yes, but at least mine will grow back!” It was out there before I could shut my big mouth; oh well, no promotion for me!
Deal with each day as it comes, you’re not on your own on these fantastic chat pages.
Lots of love, Liz xx

Hi Angel

I can only echo what the others have said - you will get used to it honey. I was diagnosed back in April, and my hair started to come out after my second chemo - I too ended up getting my OH to shave it for me - and we both cried. At first I couldnt bear to look in a mirror, and didn’t want my hubby to look at me bald - now I’m happy to say I don’t care - he and the kids both kiss my bald head and my youngest gives me a lovely head massage!

I bought a wig, but never wore it (it will be on e-bay soon!), preferring bandana’s instead. Bit scary the first time I went out, but again, after a while I got used to it. Have saved loads on hairdressing bills, shampoo etc, and OH very happy that I haven’t had to use his razor on my legs for a few months!

Don’t mean to make light of what is an awful situation - none of us want to lose our hair, but like we’ve all heard I don’t know how many times “It’ll grow back” !

Please keep in touch to let us know how you’re doing !

Sending you lots of love and a big hug

Julie xx

Dear Louise, Kim, Lynne, Jewjew, Kelly, Shaikh, Kriss, Katie, Liz and Julie,
Thankyou all for your encouragement and lovely comments.

Headstrong don’t appear to be anywhere near me, can see them in Liverpool and other northern places but I’m in Huntingdon (nearby, anyway) and I can’t see any that are reachable from here, but thanks for the link anyway :slight_smile:

We got my wig yesterday, and I’m so disappointed. The crown and parting of my red bob has bits of broken hair all along it, but the orthotics people told me this was normal, and got their own display wig out to show me that even that one had it too. They said I wouldn’t see it when I’m wearing it! At £57 I’m thinking about taking it back. I did try it on, but it felt so scratchy and unpleasant, I’m not convinced I won’t be better off with my bonnet thing that one of my friends sent me. It’s pink and flowery and looks a bit like a peasant-type bit of headgear, so I can pretend I’m a Russian peasant from days gone by (or something…perhaps).

It’s all coming out on a daily basis now, and it looks very odd. Every time my BF rubs my head, which he does often as a sign of affection, it causes the hairy version of dandruff - just showers of hair falling. If I sit with a piece of paper and rub my head, the paper gets covered quickly. But it’s getting b***** cold up there! Am going to have to start wearing head gear in bed. Strange the things that you don’t think of when all this starts.

Cold cap - not an option at Hinchingbrooke, according to Jeanette, the scary chemo sister. Just prolongs the agony on epirubicin, which is the one that everyone loses it on (apparently some get to keep it on CMFand others, but no-one on epi does), so their thinking is that it’s best to get it over with.

Am hoping it will grow back thicker and curly this time, trying to “stay positive”, but reeling a bit from finding another lump in my other breast, and not feeling good. Had another miserable migraine with vomiting all day Monday, which meant doc had to come out and do an emergency hydrocortisone injection (am hypoadrenal, so throwing up is actively dangerous for me), and the pain was unbearable. NO amount of migraine prescription drugs, pain killers (including oramorph and Naramig, or Imigran, and metoclopramide, cyclizine, buccastem, domperidone) seem to have any effect when I get one of these, so we’re asking for a neuro referral, because the pain is always in the same place, behind my right eye and across the top of my head. This started pre-dx, but we were hoping it was caused by the cancer, which in theory has been removed, although with the other lump I’m not hopeful.

Suppose I should do a diff thread about that though - this was only supposed to be hair loss!

Thanks everyone for your support, huge cyber hugs and love to all of you,
Angel / Nicola / Nikki / Whatever!

Hi Nikki

Sounds like you are really going through it at the moment.
Just wanted to send cyber hugs and say I am thinking of you.
Are you getting the other lump checked out?

Kim x

Hi Kim, damn right I am. I’ve been banging on about re-investigating other breast since the MRI discrepancy, but nothing has so far been done. The new lump will most certainly be looked at by my onc tomorrow before chemo, because I will insist.

Thanks so much for you hugs and support - back at you :slight_smile:

Love and hugs,
N xx

Hi Nikki

So sorry you’re disappointed with your wig - I paid £57 for mine, and never wore the bloomin’ thing either ! I decided upon bandana’s and ordered a load from the bandana shop website. They’re really reasonably priced, arrive really quick, and I’ve found them very comfortable. I’ve got about 15 now - a different one for each outfit !

I do feel for you with your migraines - I suffer from them too, but not half as bad as you, bless your heart. I take an Almotriptan and luckily that works for me.

And as for finding another lump - try not to worry (easy to say I know), but it could be absolutely nothing - make sure your Oncolgist takes it seriously, and good luck with your chemo tomorrow. Keep posting to let us know how you get on !

Lots of love and a big hug

Julie xx

P.S I’m only down the road from you, in Peterborough! In fact, there’s two other girls on here from Peterborough too - must be something in the water !

Hi Julie - or in the agrochemicals!

S
Onc - he IS a lovely man - took a look and feel at new lump and said oh yes we’ll get you back to see Katherine as soon as poss. Bout time!

Chemo (epi cycle 2) really hurt today - veins kept spasming, apparently, but the nurses were lovely.

I’ve had a good old think about the wig business, and I do need something to put on when we have people coming to view the house (BF has also lost job recently, and I’m too ill to work, so we put it on the market but no offers yet, and I don’t want to scare anyone off with the Big C staring them in th face with the alopecia look, but I think I’ve managed to find one to borrow from a previous chemo patient, so I’m going to grit my teeth against orthotics expected disapproval and take the wig and the care pack back to them when I see the recon surgeon on Tues for my check up. Eeeek! Stupid cancer and treatments has made me very timid!

Love and hugs,
Nikki x