I finished chemo 5 months ago and my hair is starting to come back - but it’s baby fine (was lovely and thick before) and my eyebrows and lashes, which started to grow back shortly afterwards, are rapidly thinning, especailly my eyebrows - I’m never without my pencils. I’m gutted, as my eyelashes looked so full and thick. Will my hair ever return to normal, whatever that means nowadays. Is it usual to lose hair after its initial return?
Thanks. I know these things are trivial, but every bit of confidence helps.
Hi Teresa,
Well that sounds really cr**py for you! How mega-disappointing. Not trivial at all - I’m really sorry you’re having to put up with this. I’ve never heard of it. I’m just getting my eyebrows and lashes back by the day at the moment, and a bit of fuzz on top. Are you on any other medication? I know there’s been a thread about herceptin slowing the rate of hair growth. The only other thing that springs to mind is emotional factors, which I know can cause hair loss in otherwise healthy people. Do you think you’re having a delayed reaction?!? Let’s hope somebody can shed some light on this.
Hugs to you
jacquie
Hi Teresa, sorry to hear about your predicament! i hope you dont have same prob as me.You might want to read (or not!) my thread
Hair again! couldnt keep away - not only did it not come back on my head but hardly any lashes (about half what i had before and they are so slow they fall out before a good length) but also only a third of my pubes and virtually no eyebrows!
Hi Teresa,
Lost lashes and brows with Taxotere. Last one was 11/5/2007, but lashes and brows came back August/September and were both great. October, they started falling out again. Lost all bottom lashes, most of upper and had to fill in blanks in the eyebrows. Onc not interested, pharmacist didn’t find any reason why the drugs or combination of drugs should do this. Went to the GP and her immediate reaction was “Have you had you Thyroid checked?” Found out it is overactive (more common reaction is under-active) and that the thyroid is very easily upset. It is, apparently, quite a common problem for women with BC as both Chemo or Radio can upset it. Both under and over can result in hair thinning and loss.
Now, after 2 months on thyroid drugs, top lashes OK, bottom are a bit sparse and brows still very thin. Bought Talika eyelash products - you might want to have a look. Don’t know if it’s this stuff or the thyroid medication that’s worked. Another theory is that chemo disrupts the normal growth cycle. We all know that lashes last about 6 weeks, but in “normal” people they fall out and are replaced one at a time, so they never notice. Doctor chum investigated for me (she’s a Pathologist, so not really that useful!) and thinks that the loss and renewal thing may take a while to settle back into a normal pattern ie one at a time and not all at once.
Sorry this has been a bit of a ramble. Feel dreadfully for you as I’ve been there. It’s such a slap in the face after all we’ve been through. Running out of time, as I’m off to meet a friend, but you can PM if you want and I’ll reply when back .Good luck and best wishes.x
Don’t worry - this happened to me! I kept my eyebrows and lashes right through chemo and then 2 weeks after it finished - June 2006 they all fell out!!! I couldn’t believe it - onc said it can happen. Anyway they came back fully within 4 weeks and I was chuffed to bits. However . . . in the October my eyelashes all started falling out again. The explanation I was given was we lose eyelashes all the time as they have a 6 week lifecycle but we dont usually notice and they all come out at different times in normal life so we are never without them. SO because they all fall out together after chemo then come back they are all ready to drop aout again together after 6 weeks if you see what I mean!
ANyway the good news was that they grew again and I have not had any problem since so hang in there.