I’m on EC and didn’t cold cap. Had my hair cut short just before it started coming out of its own accord. Now it is coming out in lumps but mostly from the top so I have some bald patches.
What is best to use to wash my head at this part of the process to keep the scalp clean and ease some of the itch/dryness/soreness?
Hi silvertong
Good luck with the rest of the ECs. I had my hair cut short before chemo but I got a number 6 buzz cut straight after my first treatment as I hated hair sliding out. A buzzcut meant combing, brushing etc were unnecessary. I used Simple shampoo and conditioner and just palmed it onto my scalp, no rubbing, and let the shower wash it away, no fingers to speed it up.
I found that while I was shedding hair in the early days, my scalp hurt like I’d slept on my hair wrongly or had it tied up too tightly. I’d recommend the small sleep-caps as that means you don’t find hair on your pillow. If it’s lost, it’s in the cap. They also provide warmth. I bought cotton gloves from the chemist to stop scratching and just pressed if I itched. The soreness didn’t last long.
I moved onto paclitaxel after 3 ECs but, after 9 of those, I still had a covering of hair which I never hid and it started regrowing quite quickly. I only wore my wig about 5 times. The new chemo curls are beautiful and the new hair feels so soft, like stroking a puppy. When you think about it, it’s only a few months of beanies and wig so it IS worth it, even if it’s a shock at first. Losing my eyelashes and my pubic hair affected me more - and I still don’t get why leg hair stayed firm when it’s the one thing no one wants!
Hope something here helps. Take care,
Jan x