Hi,
I have one more tax to do in a couple of weeks and will be done with chemo! I’ve lost all my eyebrows and eylashes and have heard that they are slower to grow back than head hair. I’m after reassurance that my eyebrows will come back. I read on one of the posts that one lady didn’t ever get hers back. I feel I look so ugly without eyebrows, I looked into tattooing but don’t want anything that lasts that long. Any experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks xx
Hi Rosie
I had 4 x AC and 4 x Tax. I lost all my hair on the AC and then my eyebrows and eyelashes followed suit on the Tax
I finished chemo in January 2009 and everything for me has grown back just fine. One the brows and lashes started to come back they recovered very quickly. Much quicker then my hair in fact.
I do know one one lady on here who has only regained very sparse brows and lashes but that I understand is unusual.
One other thing I found with the tax was that months after it finished and my hair was regrowing I lost several of my finger nails which had been fine all the way through chemo. They have also regrown now but that did take me by surprise at the time.
Good Luck
Andie
Hi Rosie83,
I had my last tax at the end of January. My hair was already coming back a bit on my head at that stage. My eyebrows went before my eyelashes and they came back before my eyelashes. I think my eybrows sort of appeared one minute there was nothing and then all of a sudden they were back. I had pencilled them in and was quite pleased with the results. My eyelashes have not really come back very long. They are there but if I put mascara on they still look quite short. Unfortunately all my hair came back in every other place too so back to waxing etc!!!
I have now had two haircuts and my hair on my head has come back thicker than before but is curly and tends to be a bit fluffy!! Still it’s back and that is that countss!!
Hope this helps, glad you only have one more tax to go.
Jane xx
Hi Rosie, had last tax July2010, lost all lashes and brows, after six weeks of nothing happing the lashes and brows came back fully in what seemed like only a few days. I have about 4cms of thick hair on top.
I took silica and collagen supplements and had a ds laboratories “revita” regrowth shampoo. My profile picture is from this week, so you can see how much hair there is. I did wear the cc although most of my hair fell out except a bit at the back and sides. Not long to go now for you! x
Hi,
Last chemo on the 10th of September, so just over 8 weeks ago… hair on head still very sparce but growing, eyebrows were plucked tonight! Legs and armpits need shaving… and top lip needs work!
This has all happened in the past week!
Marguerite
i have ordered hair regrowth shampoo the ds one recommended here but need advice on when and how often to wash hair, mine is coming back but does not seem to be that much to wash!
Hi billia,
I started with a regrowth serum, twice a day massaging it in and (please no laughing) read on a website that tilting your head upside down a couple of times a day will increase bloodflow to the follicles and help with regrowth. I still do that… Honestly, if it had said run around naked in the garden at midnight, I would have probably given it a go!!! Then moved on to the shampoo and just took a little shampooed it on and left it on for 5 mins every day. Hope this helps. x
Thanks for all your replies. It’s cheered me up knowing that the majority of people do get all their hair back. Thanks ladies! xxx
Hi ladies, Can I jump in at a tangent?
I’ve just had FEC2 and most of the hair on my head has gone but not much else. I am having 3FEC and 3TAX and noticed several of you ladies have had TAX. Can I ask how you got on with joint and muscle pains and did you have white blood cell injections?
Think I’ve got a while to wait before my hair will be coming back. I’d better get some serum in ready.
Well done ladies for getting to the other side - gives us all hope.
Thanks. Stella
Stella, everyone has reacts differently to the chemo drugs, if you are getting the joint/muscles aches, ask your chemo team what kind of pain killers they give you to relieve the side effects, I enjoyed hot showers also for the muscles. As for the injections my onc prescribes Neulasta after every chemo since I had neutronpenia after the first FEC. But again every unit is different in their approach, some prescribe them as a matter of treatment, others treat reactively. The jabs can make your bones ache, too, as they stimulate the bone marrow where the WB are produced. Good Luck and dont worry too much in advance.
x
Hi Stella
I had 4 Tax and had to give myself the injection at home for several days after each one. The joint pain following the injections was quite bad and I did resort to painkillers. As soon as the injections were finished although I still had some pain it became manageable.
I was glad that my unit provided the injections automatically because I was fortunate that my blood levels stayed high enough for all my chemo to go ahead on schedule.
Good Luck
Andie
Hello everyone
I had my last of my FEC-T on Feb 3rd this year, I lost all my hair,body hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. My eyebrows and eyelashes were the first to come back. My eye lashes are normal, my eyebrows are more sparse than before, which is good (they were far too thick!!) they are also a lighter colour which a little bit of eyebrow pencil soon sorts out.
My hair is about 2 inches long now and I have just had my 1st haircut complete with head massage which was fantastic. My body hair is taking a bit longer I am definately not complaining about that.
Marian
Thanks Andie and Tina for the joint/muscle pains advice. I like to know what I have ahead of me so I can mentally prepare. I guess I should think about it less.
I have a long list of questions for my onc though.
I am also going to follow some advice from Gretchen on another thread, who said as the liver take such a massive hit when they poison you, it’s best to avoid anything which makes the liver work harder (ie animal fats, additives, alcohol etc). Don’t know about you but can’t say that alcohol appeals much in post chemo days. Any way, I’m going to make healthy soups and things in my good week prior to TAX 1 and see how it goes.
Wishing you all luck with the hair regrowth.
I think I could go with the bald look if:
I was a tad younger than 58.
I had a better bone structure.
I had better skin.
I was a skilled make up artist.
I guess I could improve my skills on the last one, but not much I can do about the first three, so it’s hats etc and the odd outing with the wig.
Thanks Ladies. Stella