Hi. I am on day 16 post first EC and am cold capping. My breast nurse advised that I would get some shedding but she couldn’t say how much. Those that are currently doing EC and cold capping, what day did you start shedding and was it every day and did anything trigger it eg was it more when you shower, brush your hair or was in on your pillow. Thanks
Mine was a 3 weekly cycle like the treatment, towards the end when I was due back. I got a little flurry each time, then it stopped. I did the ice cap, and just make sure each time it fits flush to your scalp. I had a different cap for my 5th, it didn’t fit quite as well, so got a bigger loss. I kept enough throughout 6 EC cycle and it grew back super fast. Hang in there.
I cold capped but only for the first EC…so had really thick hair and the cold cap I used didn’t really touch my sculp…Mine started falling out just before my 2nd EC, which was every 21 days.So I decided not to use the Cap from the second one…
So mine started coming out after about 18 days…but it depends on hair type and health maybe…
Hope it works well for you…
Mine started after the 2nd EC, not immediately but a week or so after? It hasn’t really slowed down much until now (3 EC down, 3 docetaxel) but I don’t have a huge amount of hair left so I assume the only reason it’s slowed is because I don’t have much left… 
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I had three EC cycles, one every 3rd week. I cold capped, but noticed loss around day 18. I never found any on the pillow, but definitely when I brushed my hair or washed it. It started to matt together which is when I cut it short.
I never shaved it, and I never lost it all, but I lost enough that the nurses suggested stopping the cold cap. I continued to use it, and believe it has helped my hair regrow quicker. It can be devastating, but its only temporary.
It can be from days 10-14 shedding can start and I started getting a little at day 22 but it was day 26 when i was washing my hair that it happened. Since then it continued to shed noticeably more than usual a few days but has slowed down again so although I’m shedding it’s not a ridiculous amount each day. I was mines every 5 days and comb with a wide toothed comb once a day, sometimes twice and that’s where you see the loose hairs coming out more.
I’d say to potentially expect a ‘big shed’ at some point so you’re prepared (like on my day 26). I have super thick hair but have maybe lost about 30% mostly from 1 big shed which freaked me out as I don’t think I realised just how much hair would come out. It did come out fairly evenly for me so no bald patches and has levelled off since
I am on AC-T and cold capped. Shedding started on day 25. I brush hair once a day with a wide tooth comb and keep it in a ponytail. Have lost about a palm full of hair every day. No bald patches yet but definitely thinning.
Does anyone know if moving to Taxol slows it down?
Hi if you stick with cold capping, you may lose up to 50% of your hair, i did, but retained the rest and as the cover was all over it was hardly noticeable… it did look like the dog had rolled on the carpet, but I my normal was fine hair and a lot of it. Stick with the cold cap, its worth it. We were offered a free wig and i went for my fitting, but never got to wear it other than my hairdresser checking what it looked like and doing a few trims even on a wig. I also kicked off my shoes and kept me feet cool, which can help prevent Peripheral Neurotherapy, that affects the nerves in your feet. Take care, enjoy the rest or read a book, although i found turning pages impossible with cold cap. I did have an extra blanket i brought from home, so although my head and feet were cold my body wasn’t. The great news once my hair grew back it was Curly, and i accepted going grey, but salt and pepper grey great. PS make sure you book in on your Feel good - make up day, but make notes, xxx love and hugs moonsox.
Ps make sure you don’t wash your hair in HOT water or use the hair dryer on Hot, do both on cool, that matters going forward, and i’m continuing with that regime 2 years down the line. Moonsox xxxx
Mine started on Day 15 and ramped up fast. By Day 20 it was soooooo thin and awful, I had it all shaved Grade 0 and it was all over with. It didn’t all go on EC but Docetaxel finished it off in one night of mass hair suicide. Weirdly, I’m about to do 5th cycle and I have soft baby grey hair growing back through. I expect Docetaxel will steal that too as my eyebrows and eyelashes are practically non-existent now.
My pubes were the first thing to go at Day 14 i just remembered. Freaked me out!
Mine started to now shed from yesterday when I showered and brushed my hair. I’m not sure when I’ll get the big shed which I’m not looking forward to but I hope I keep enough of my hair so it’s not noticeable to others.
Are you on EC @rosa1? Are you cold capping? Some on our April group have kept a decent amount of hair but cut it short by cold capping but they haven’t started Docetaxel yet which kills hair more. I remember hair feeling like this endless obsession and shaving it just ended it having control over me to be honest and it helped me. Understand it’s not the same for everyone though. I really hated the hold it had over me and shaving it just ended that! X
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@swk1981 yes im on EC. I’ve had 2 cycles and used the cold cap on both so far. I think the oncologist wants me to take Paclitaxel after. Not sure if that’s similar to docexatol. I have very thick hair so not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing. Time will tell about how much I’ll keep.
A friend of mine did Paclitaxel and has such thick hair and cold capped and she never needed a wig at all and you’d never have known! I think thick hair can be too thick for the cold cap to work perfectly but equally you have more to lose so it kind of balances out I guess! Mine was too fine for it to ever have a chance of success!
Not sure about paclitaxel, but my hair has started to regrow whilst on docetaxel. I’ve got a centimetre or two of peach fuzz where I only had shiny bald patches before. My eyebrows and lashes are falling out, but my head and body hair is filling in. I’ve still got one more docetaxel to go, so who knows what will happen next.
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Hi Are you having Cold Cap, I had cold cap throughout chemotherapy and only lost 50% of my hair, despite it looking like the dog had rolled on the carpet, yes much shedding. Now its grown back thick and with a natural curl that i had to pay to be permed in the past. I lost hal my eyebrows, and all eyelashes, plus other fine body hair, some of which has never grown back. the worst part was the ‘plates’ layers of nail that lifted off 60% of my toenails, and the the red dye traversing from the base to the tip and the hard wrinkles that also traversed. these have only just finished passing through - 2 years down the line. the soles of my feet on the side where Doxetaxel inserted have remained very dry.
Other tips i picked up, don’t wash your head with hot water, ensure cool to warm, and ditto same with hairdryer etc. Washing with cold water protects the pores and roots of the hair.
Under the arms, only use Sanex, no aluminium important if you have radiotherapy. Hope this helps, ask if you need more info.
Ps many of my fellows going through hair loss, did like you shave off rather than endure. As it was through winter 2022 i just kept hats on whilst thin.