I have now finished chemo nearly 2 weeks ago, had mixed feelings glad it was over but also felt part of my security blanket has gone, starting radiation on the 20th of 4 weeks.
I did the cold cap through chemo and kept some hair I did lose a lot I had really thick hair now its very thin, however my hair is re growing but is coming in spikey and i think looks awful, my question is has anyone been there and do you think I should chop it short, take some of the length off or just suffer it??? I have the hair dressers on Thursday and dont know what to do.
Also due to start Tamoxifen this week i have heard the night sweats are bad with it so worried about that. I hate this disease.
I’ve only just shaved mine off but if you trust your hairdresser I would ask her for advice. Mine has been great and cut mine really short for me ready for when it started to fall out and cut it in a choppy style that she said would look good even whilst it was getting thin. She was right too and I’ve only shaved it off today because it was bugging me falling out in my face all the time.
Hi Jill, Sorry can’t help with the question about what to do with your hair. I was lucky enough not to need the chemo. However, do not worry unduly about the Tamoxifen. I have been on it 4 months or so now and I haven’t had any real side effects apart from not sleeping as well as I used to. Everyone seems to react differently to this drug so you may not get night sweats at all.
Hope this has put one fear to rest at least. I agree with you absolutely - I hate this disease too!!!
regards
Val
Hi
I’d say trust your hairdresser. I finished chemo five weeks ago and have a covering of about 1 cm now. I decided to shave mine at the beginning of treatment so it is all one length. I a looking forward to having to make a decision about what to do!
Jacqui
Hi Jill, I too wore the cold cap during the 4 epirubicins and was told not to bother with the cmf as hair grows back and sure enough it is. Although I wore the cap, it didn’t fit properly and gave me a bald patch on top and at the back to the left. I’m now almost finished chemo and the patches are filling in. I still go out with the wig on as the patches aren’t quite good enough yet. The thing is, the hair I kept due to the cold cap is still coming out, I seem to be losing about 60 a day - I have counted! and the hair comes out easily if I run my hands through my hair. On most of the hairs, the hair shaft is damaged and thinned. At some point when the bald patches match up with the retained hair, I’ll have to have it tidied up into a short style again and eventually grow it back to my former thick shoulder length bob which at this rate will take years. Is your hair coming out too?
Like you I used the cold cap and kept some lost some. I’d had my long shoulder length hair cut before I started in case the cold cap didn’t work and losing the shorter hair would have meant a 2 stage process (I thought!) rather than a one off shock.
I saw my hairdresser and he basically said to do anything with what was left he’s have to cut it quite short all over. It looked such a mess as it was I just went with it, and you know? I didn’t mind it! Now 7 months on it’s still shorter than I’ve ever dreamed I’d have hair, but having used the cold cap gave me a head start as it were and altho very fine still (I was hoping it might thicken as lots of people say) there’s a headful of hair now and I’m actually getting people telling me they prefer it this way!!
Go with your hairdresser - they know you and are doing what suits your head best at the time rather than looking at what you’re pining for.
