Hello all, This is my first post so please forgive me if it’s already been covered!
I started losing my hair a couple of weeks ago (I’m now in to cycle 2 of TC) & decided to shave it off as it was so painful.
I now seem to have some red itchy spots on the top & around the neck area. I thought it may be from where I wear my hats? I was using Bio Oil on my scalp but have now stopped that. I’ve tried some Tea Tree oil but early days. I use Baby Shampoo too.
Looking forwards to your suggestions xx
Hi atomicjojo,
Welcome to the Forum but I am sorry that you find yourself here.
I have moved your post to our Top tips and practical supportthread in order to give users more of a chance to see it and show their support.
In the meantime you can always call our helpline on 0808 800 6000. They will be able to talk through the itchy spots you have experienced and offer a friendly ear. The opening hours are below.
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Late opening Wednesday 9am-7pm
Saturday, 9am-1pm
Best wishes,
Lizzy
Hi Atomicjojo - sorry to hear about your problems with your scalp - as if we don’t have enough to deal with just losing our hair. I would have posted earlier but I have had problems posting using my phone. I have now had three cycles of FEC and developed an itchy scalp during my second cycle, but not when I actually lost most of my hair, which was halfway through my first cycle. The cause of my problem was almost certainly an allergic reaction to a baby wash/ shampoo I was using, because it cleared up pretty quickly when I stopped using it and started washing the remnants of my hair and scalp with aqueous cream instead. I am still using this - best to be safe than sorry. To stop the itching in the meantime I used E45 Itch Relief cream. However, E45 Itch Relief cream should not be used on broken skin, so it may not be appropriate for you. It is not clear from your post exactly what has caused your spots to break out, so if you are still having problems - and especially if any of your spots have burst and gave got infected - it is probably best to contact your breast care nurse or your GP for advice on what is likely to have caused it, the best treatment, and how to stop it coming back in the future. Hopefully they will also be able to prescribe some suitable cream to stop infection and speed up the healing process (which should not cost you anything if you have got your NHS free prescription card) or advise you on suitable things you can buy over the counter. I am no expert and my experience is different to yours, but from what you have said there are a number of possible causes for your spotty scalp, which you could discuss with your nurse or doctor: 1. Effects of chemotherapy - this has already caused your hair to fall out, and could have made your scalp sensitive or caused it to itch or tingle. It may be worth checking on the Cancer Research UK or Macmillan websites to see if the cancer drugs / regime you are on has any of these kinds of side effects.The pimples could have then developed as a result of scratching or further irritation by something else. 2. Allergic reaction to shampoo / other products applied to your scalp - I’m pretty sure this was the cause of my itchy rash and could be the root cause of your spots too, although it may have been aggravated by other things, such as 3 or 4 below. 3. Shaving your head - this could also have caused some irritation, even if you didn’t cut or graze your scalp in the process, which could then have developed into the spots, particularly if it was then aggravated by something else such as a wig or hats (4). The risk of this was the main reason I wouldn’t shave my head, instead I got my hairdresser to clip my hair short when I went to have my wig fitted. 4. Irritation from/ allergic reaction to wig or hats - you have identified this yourself as a possible cause, and you may well be right, particularly if you have not been wearing any caps or liners underneath them. Wearing a wig or hats could also have aggravated an existing problem caused by something else such as 1 - 3 above. I always wear a wig liner under my wig and at least one soft cotton or jersey ‘sleeping cap’ under hats and turbans. This not only protects my scalp from possible irritation, but also keeps my head warm and helps to ‘bulk out’ the hats and turbans in the absence of a thick layer of hair. 5. A combination of 1 - 4 above. I hope this is of some help with identifying possible causes of the spots on your scalp and how to deal with them. If like me you started your chemotherapy in September, you could consider joining the September 2016 Starters thread of the Forum, which you will find under ‘Chemotherapy Monthly Threads.’ There you can share your experiences with others having chemotherapy at the same time as you. Nobody will judge you if you want to have a rant about something, because we are all in the same boat. While no two people’s experiences are exactly the same, we are all on a similar journey and know how you feel.
Thank you so much for your reply!
I’ve been to the gp since my post to see the nurse, who wanted to give me antibiotics but I managed to persuade her to give me an antibiotic cream instead! Have enough chemicals in my system thank you! Anyway, it seems to have done the trick. Just a few left on my crown now.
I think it was a combination of things…shaving my head closely, using Bio Oil (too heavy) using baby shampoo, wearing hats & mainly sweating! So now I’m using tea tree shampoo until they go away then I’ll try the aqueous cream. I don’t tend to wear anything under my hats because of the hot flushes (had to stop the hrt!) & like to whip my hats off when need be.
I’ll definitely be joining the September group. I wasn’t even aware of it so thank you!
Take care
JO xx