Hello, I’m about to start my chemo next week (6 rounds on docetaxyl, carboplatin) plus her2 therapy of herceptin and pertuzumab. I have very very fine hair and so just wondering when I should expect to lose it - online googling gives a huge range and I know it’s different for different people but just wanted some real life experiences esp from people with fine hair! Thank you!
Hey. I too have very fine hair, i had my 2nd round of docetaxel on tuesday, im having 4 cycles, one every 3 weeks. I had my hair cut shorter before my first cycle. Its only been the last week that ive started to shed hair, i think its speeding up now, coming out fairly evenly, so where ive never had much hair it looks thinner now. Still got my eyebrows, and ive lost the older longer eyelashes with shorter ones still hanging in there. Ive not bothered with cold cap, just didnt feel the discomfort was worth it.
Im just hoping something grows back 
1 Like
Hi. I was on exactly the same treatment as you. I finished chemo in April 23. My hair started to fall out quite rapidly after my 2nd cycle. I had already had my hair cut very short by my husband’s barber. I then had it shaved as it was leaving clumps which can be annoying.
My hair was also very fine. I now have a full head of lovely thick hair - for some reason my hair came back much better. I just thought I would share this with you. It might not happen to everyone, but I am very pleased with my new hair.
Hope your cycles of chemo go well for you. It’s a tough thing to go through, but so worth it.
Take care x
2 Likes
Hi
I have fine, fairly straight hair and had almost identical treatment. My hair started coming out in clumps soon after the first round of chemo and was almost completely gone by the second. After this, I had my head shaved and got a decent wig and some scarves - don’t have the bone structure to suit a bald head!
It took a while for my hair to come back and when it did it was very thick, curly and grey, not dissimilar to the fleece of a Herdwick sheep. After about 8 months of this, my “proper” fine, straighter hair reappeared. It was all very odd.
The good news is that I finished my treatment over 10 years ago and am living a great life post breast cancer.
Wishing you well for the journey. It’s not the easiest but it is “doable”.
Sending love
Wendy
2 Likes
Hi worried 1
I had fine hair and last year had 6 cycles of ECT so Docetaxyl and I did do the cold capping and it was worth it. I had mid length hair and was advised not to cut it and so I did not and was also told to make sure the cold cap was right size fitted well touching all parts of your head and back hair line. I used a pair of tights to tie the cap on so it touched the top of my head at all times. Make sure hospital are supportive and don’t let them put you off .
The cold capping certainly limited my hair loss, yes it thinned and came out but not in clumps and although I knew it was thinner but other people didn’t.
I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes completely but they can be replaced temporarily with pencil and falsies.
The cold capping is something you might want to try I found the first 10/15 mins a little tough but then your body seems to get used to it and of course it lengthens time you are there.
But our hair is so important to us ladies it might be worth you trying it.
My hair eyelashes and eyebrows grew back very quickly and my hair grew back and has I think thickened up too after, plus it retained its colour.
Good luck I hope all goes well for you
2 Likes
Thanks everyone. I’ve just had my eyebrows tattooed on in preparation for the no eyebrows. I’m kind of ok about losing my hair (it’s obviously not great but I always hated my hair anyway) just wondered on time scales - guess it’s different for everyone. I have some nice headscarves and the chemo unit have a wig fitting service from John Lewis so think I will get a wig too.
Thank you also for the supportive comments, not looking forward to it but am ready to take it on! Xx
Hello @worried1
First of all, all the very best for your chemo. Trust your team, stick to their advice like glue - they want you to be as well as you can be.
I started on EC on 5 Feb 2021. I have a hell of a lot of fine, naturally wavy (used to be curly when I was younger) hair. It looks thick but it isn’t - there’s just a load of it. Before chemo started my hairdresser came to cut it short. On 13 Feb, my hair started coming out. My hairdresser then cut it very short. Within a couple of weeks, I had no hair anywhere whatsoever. My head hair coming out hurt a bit - like it was being yanked out.
Looking to the future…
I had 3 ECs, 3 weeks apart, then after another 3 weeks, 9 x weekly Paclitaxel. My hair started to grow back with 3 or 2 (can’t remember exactly) left. Flipping great, thick nose hair appeared first!
Early August, I took my girlfriends out for a slap up meal once my radiotherapy was finished. I ditched my wigs for that. My head was covered in fluff. Only 2 20 somethings who had spent too long in cheap and nasty aesthetic salons took a 2nd glance at me. They actually had more looks off others than they looked at me as they looked so fake. Monkey bum lips anyone?
By early September I had a reasonable amount of head hair. It was just very short - people did congratulate me on having it shaved off for charity.
By mid-October it was just a short hair style when we jetted off to the sun for 2 weeks.
I started having highlights (was a full head bleach blonde pre-chemo) the next summer. This summer I’m back to full bleaching with no extra curling or change of texture.
My bestie had a pal whose hair story is similar to mine. She tried the cold cap twice but hated it so hung on to it a bit better. Her’s has come back wireier, curly and greyer.
Hope everything goes smoothly for you.
AnGELa x
@worried1 hey, I am on the same treatment as you and also had very fine. I am due my 4th cycle on Tuesday. I chose not to cold cap and my hair started to shed day 15 after my first cycle but started to thin the week before. I also chose to have my hair cut short before I started treatment and then braved the shave before my second cycle. Good luck with your treatment xx
Here are some pictures of my journey. The first one is after ny shave and the next one the week after my first cycle when my hair was thinning. The last two are my wigs which I love
w
2 Likes
@WAC i love reading the stories of people who are so far out the other side. It makes my heart feel warm for those of us right in the midst of it all 
3 Likes
Hi you look amazing - where did you get your wigs from and the construction lace top ? are they human hair.
Thanks
1 Like
Hi @etienne i live in Kent so got them from a local supplier who was brilliant. No they are all synthetic the supplier said hopefully you won’t need them too long and human hair is such much more maintenance and incredibly expensive so I took her advice. Thank you for the lovely words. Xx
gladiolus 
Oh wow they look amazing. I live in East Sussex so borders onto Kent. If you don’t mind sharing the company information they would be helpful
Thanks 
1 Like