HAIR LOSS

I’m on day 16 after having my first FEC treatment. I had the cold cap but my hair started shedding quite alot from day 15. I have bob length short hair but dont know whether to get it cut a bit shorter for the moment and then to get it shaved when more falls out, I have got an appointment pre booked with my hairdresser for this saturday but in a dilemma of whether to get it cut or shaved, How quickly does it all fall out? I had the cold cap but as it is falling out so early i dont think it has really worked. Would really appreciate any comments on what everyone else has experienced.

Hi Annette, Welcome to the forum.
I had a similar reaction to you, and very thick hair which started to fall out within a couple of weeks, so didnt bother with the cold cap after that. BUT before you make that decision see if you can get more info from your BCN - all I got was ‘its your decision’. I will never know if that was the right decision, all I do know is I lost all my hair (shaved off the remnants 5 weeks in) and am still waiting 15 months later for it to come back properly ( I started a thread about it a week or so ago -15 months after chemo and still waiting for my hair…) I know I am in the minority and most people get their hair back much sooner, but maybe, just maybe, if I’d kept using the cold cap I would have it back by now.
All the best for the rest of your treatment x
Barb

Hello to you both,
I did the Cold cap and it worked really well for me. I did lose hair the first week but this gradually slowed down during treatment. I still had my hair cut during the Chemo as my hairdresser tidied the ends of my hair and kept it in shape. I had one little area that went very thin , but I was able to sort that out very easily with the way I styled my hair.
I did get myself a wig like the BCN told me to , but I never had to wear it. I also treated myself to a lovely hat as it was last November when I was having Chemo , but I only needed to use it on the way home to keep my head warm. Two other friends on the chemo suite stuck with it and coped well.
I would say give it at least a couple more goes before you decide and make sure the second part of the cap is pulled down very tightly. I used to actually pull it toghter when the nurse had left me. I thought I was coping with the pain so I may as well make it work ! Good luck with it all. I wish you both the very best.
Love Tracy xxx

Hi all, I had the same even with cold cap and haven’t used it since. Over the space of a week I didn’t realise how much hair could fall out, it was great big handful. I ended up looking like clown character on the Simpsons so my other half took great pleasure in shaving it off, it was quite liberating.
Nannabarb i’m having the opposite affect to you and I have stubble growing back after my first tax(my 4th round of chemo), its making me panic that the chemo isn’t working!!!
Annette, i had quite thick curly hair and bearly felt the cold cap which made me wonder if it would work.
Love and best wishes Vicky.xxx

does everyone that has chemo lose there hair, as i thought there was a chemo were you dont or is it just that some use the cold cap

Hi Jellymould, I believe that all chemo for primary bc causes hair loss x

My Chemo nurse said yesterday that it is common to lose quite a bit of hair over first and second cycles with cold cap as the thicker hair insulates the head. He said that many women give up by the third but those who persevere do find the loss slows down as the scalp gets cooler with less hair. There was a lady there having her 6th FEC and although her hair was a bit patchy she still had quite a bit and had lots of regrowth too. I had 2nd FEC yesterday and am dreading washing my hair toorrow as I know a lot is coming out but hope to keep enough to keep going with the cap.

Hi annette, i was very similiar to you and it is probably your hair appt day so im a bit late, i spent £30 on a cut wednesday this week to have my bob cropped, elfin like and since then so much more has fallen out. its so thin that although im disappointed the cut didnt last very long, i will have to shave it by the end of the weekend. i wasnt lucky enough to be given the cold cap but now its nearly gone im getting used to it, have lovely hats and scarves and have been out twice in them in my local high street. let me know what you decided, good luck anne xx

Hi ladies
I decided to give the cold cap a try and had my long hair cut into a short style too. It was the weekend before my 2nd chemo when I lost loads of hair. Handfuls sinkfuls! I decided to give the cold cap another go anyway. Unfortunately the hair loss continued and a week later my OH shaved it off for me. I was reluctant as I was desperate to keep my hair but I looked ill with the bald and thinning patches I had developed. It was much better not constantly picking shed hair off clothes, pillows, sofas, worktops…but im not confident with my shaved head and always wear a hat when I’m out but if I’m with my boyfriend or family I have the confidence to show my shaved head… I have my 3rd chemo in a week and might still use the cold cap…not decided…as it may help me retain the covering I’ve got… Ill speak to my nurse when I get there. Vicky x

Hi Ladies

jely mould, once you know which chemo regime you are on, you can look up the side effects of the drugs on the cancer Research site.

Most of us get a drug called Epirubicin and one guarantee is complete hair loss… not just the hair on your head, you loose all your body hair.

I didn’t bother with the cold cap - it would have added another 2 hours to the chemo and by all accounts its quite miserable with variable results.

I finsihed chemo in July. My hair is now about half an inch all over, black straight and shiny and i love it. Being bald is quite liberating, at least you don’t have to faff about with hairdryers et al when you ar feeling poorly. I ended up enjoying hats, scarves… but wigs, I bought 3 beautiful ones and they all look fantastic bt I loathe wearing them. they are so hot and the bands have to be tight to stay on. If I had known how uncomfortable they were, i would have probably done without.

pixie xx