Hi,
Today 17 days post first chemo (with cold cap) my hair has started to shed. About 7 strands at a time but not clumps. Is this how it starts? Or normally do big clumps fall out? I’m trying to ascertain if i am just thinning or whether this is the beginning of loosing it completely. Would be great to know, it is very distressing. My hair is a bob length at the moment and i am scared to wash it, i’ll probably get it cropped shorter this week so it isn’t so distressing as more falls out.
I am due my 2nd chemo this Tuesday and this weekend my hair has been coming out in clumps. I thought i would be ok about it but i,m not.
I had long hair which i had cut shorter and tonight my sister came over to cut it like a boy,the next step will be shaving it off.
Yesterday looking around the mall at cribbs causeway Bristol i couldnt stop the tears,it is harder to take than iexpected. The only good thing is i do have a good wig.
I didnt have the cold cap, so you might not be the same as me, but i understand your not wanting to wash your hair.i dread looking at my pillow when i wake up.
I had the cold cap, and my hair started falling out like yours, but it never came out in clumps. I ended up with one very bare patch at the back of my head, but the rest of my hair covered it so it looked normal (I had a short bob). If you cut your hair short you won’t be able to hide any bare patches.
Apart from the one (nearly) bald patch, my hair thinned, but not so anyone else could notice.
I’m now on CMF so don’t need the cap any more, although I still lose hair it’s not too drastic.
Don’t worry about washing it, just don’t rub too hard and it should be alright.
I can understand exactly how you feel about your hair, I feel exactly the same.
I am 7 days past chemo FEC number 2, and I have been using the cold cap. I have also been losing about 7 hairs every time I touch my hair, but I am beginning to realise the less you keep feeling it the better.
I have mine bob length, and to me this is perfect, as it enables me to keep it in a ponytail, it stops it getting knotty at night, and stops it shedding everywhere ( if it decided too). Additionally my view is that as it thins more and more, which I know it will do, having it in a pony tail will help hide the patches. It I can get through this with just a ponytail I will be thrilled.
I definately lose more hair whilst washing, but gently and with cool water is the way to go.
I was horrified after chemo number 2, as when I washed it I lost loads and loads, although 7 days on now it seems to have calmed down a little.
My advice is to keep your hair the length it is and see how it goes.
Good luck and keep us poseted.
Hi Marysia,
I was on Epi with no cold cap so it may have been more drastic for me but I found that if I tugged my hair, it would come out without the normal pain…so I figured it wasa going to go any way and after waiting a few days…I found I was paranoid about it all just falling out while I was out somehwre.
So I just got it cut really short, then when it started to go, shaved it all off. It was a bit scary as I was worried that if I didn’t, there was a chance it would have been OK.
But I was wrong, it has all gone now but as my Epi is done, I am hpoing it will start growing again soon.
The very best of luck tho, it is a terrible thing to go through. G and T’s and a good cry got me through the night of the long scissors!
Gillian
Hi
Mine started coming out in clumps after about day 13 of first Taxotere. In the end every time I put my hand up to my head I ended up getting a load of hairs fall out, it got on my nerves when I turned over in bed and had a face full of hair.
My scalp started to get really sore too, like it was being pulled out from the roots. I had it cut from a bob into a short style, and then literally 3 days later it got on my nerves so much that OH shaved it off for me.
I haven’t looked back since - the sore scalp stopped straight away and it is so quick in the shower now without hair to wash so there is a plus side.
I had a few tears, but as my OH said “its only hair and as long as you’re here so what”, which put it into perspective really for me.
On the down side, now Autumn is coming it is a bit chilly and even in bed my head feels a bit cold.
Good luck, hope its not too bad for you - by the way i didn’t wear a cold cap through choice - couldn’t handle my head being freezing cold and hurting so decided not to wear it.