Just a quick question regarding hair regrowth. I had very thick wavy hair (the bane of my life once although for a brief period in the 1980s I liked to think it was reminiscent of Kate Bush!!) Hairdressers over the years have hated it too, it took them hours to blowdry it straight!
Anyway, to the point, my hair started thinning about day 18 after first FEC, but still a lot of hair left: it was literally everywhere but I still looked like I had a full head of hair. After 2nd FEC my scalp was sore so about 2 days after my friend shaved it to a no. 1. It was very thick in places with bald patches! I therefore asked my other half to wet shave it completely bald which he did and seemed to enjoy (strange!). It was lovely and smooth to the touch and I must admit I spent a lot of time just stroking it - if I was 20 years younger I think I would have gone wig-less!! Hair on body has just thinned although the bikini line is as thick as ever! (why or why - does FEC have a sense of humour?) Eyelashes and eybrows still going strong too.
I now have my 3rd FEC tomorrow and have an increasingly itchy head which I think is caused by what is now quite noticeable stubble all over my head, hair is even growing in what was a very smooth bald patch! Will this all fall out again after my next FEC or is this regrowing likely to stick around? Any experiences gratefully welcome of course.
I had FEC and my hair thinned rather than falling out completely, had to bite the bullet and shave it off after about my 4th as looked very odd!! Wished I’d done it sooner as looked much better when gone!!
I found that I always had a good coverage of soft stubble whilst on Chemo but where I did notice a hair regrowth cycle was my pubic hair!! I lost all of mine and noticed that about day 19/20 after chemo I had stubble appearing then following my next Zap of chemo it would dissapear and do the same after each session!! Most odd!!! Once I finished Chemo my head hair really started to sprout around the same day 19/20 after Chemo!! Its growing quite well now.
I had my last FEC in April and am now having to remember to shave as got away with it for so long!! Make the most of it!!
I too kept some eyebrows and lashes all the way through and they have both started to grow back much thicker than before which is quite cool really.
Dahlia, the puberty thing made me laugh, especially as I already have the pimples to go with the growing hair! Ive had some bizarre hormone thing going on since my late 20s when I suddenly starting getting spots!
Juniper, Ive got a feeling that the hair on my head will be going the way of your pubic hair unfortunately! Im therefore expecting it to come out after the 3rd chemo! I’ll be pleased if my eyelashes grow back thicker eventually but please not the eyebrows or hair on my head, it was quite thick enough! My daughter (aged 7) and I have our fingers crossed for straight blonde hair! (very unlikely!)
Your ‘symptoms’ are just like mine. Hair shaved off (no.1) on day 16 of 1st chemo as falling out in clumps. It pretty well stayed the same length throughout chemo but thinned so I had complete bald patches. All other body hair fell out apart from bikini line which just thinned! Lost most of eyebrows and lashs by last fec.
Some slight thin and light coloured re-growth of leg hair in last cycle. Now 8 wks post last chemo and hair has gradually started re-growing and I think it is now growing at a ‘normal’ pace. Leg hair nice and thick and lush, eyebrows getting bushy, head hair still gappy! Oh yes and I got a beard for a few days 2 wks ago, fortunately very fair and now soft and looks just like normal female body hair if you know what I mean!
I lost most of my hair on all my body apart from eyebrows, lashes and on my arms, but where I did lose it,it didn’t go completely, some patches were left with sparse hair! This was on AC, I then changed to Taxotere and on the 2nd cycle of this my hair began to grow back (very slowly but noticable on my head, but more thickly on my face!! and legs) but my eyebrows and lashes began to thin. I have now finished chemo and it is all making an appearance again, but it still takes ages to find enough lashes to put mascara on to make me look human!
Nicky
(I see the humour in it when reading all your posts - but not when I look in the mirror!)
Think it depends on individuals, lost mine after first chemo and by 3rd lost eyelases eybrows, they all grew back eyelashes not thicker though!!! hair when it grew back was very soft like baby hair and changed colour twice while growing and was at first very curly and is now wavy. I wonder what it will be like when it falls out again in a few weeks, will it be the same?
I ddin’t shave my hair off, I just had a short cut. When it started to fall I found that brushing it gently encouraged it to fall out. Sounds mad, but it seemed better to get it over with!
I have a theory (bear with me) that the pain is caused by the roots “dying” and the pain only stops when the hair comes out, root and all. If you cut or shave the hairs, the root is left intact just under the skin so it will still be sore. That wee stump of hair will appear to grow until it finally falls out then it’s all gone till after chemo when it will come to life again.
I think that’s what happened with my hair, of course others might have different experiences.
just to share with you as i was shocked so be aware, i lost alot of my eyelashes and eyebrow hair 2-3 months after chemo finished, which is really weird and very unexpected as they were fine when i lost all the hair on my head. Its now been six months since chemo and ive got about an inch and a half all over, its seems to me that its stopped growing but maybe its like watching grass growing and its a long and slow process, my lovely straight blonde hair has now become a thick brown wave of what looks like pubic hair, i never wanted to be a bottle blonde, im gutted but thankful its sort of growing back.
thanks for all your comments everyone, now 6 days after 3rd FEC and body hair is really coming out now! Stubble on head though is as stubborn as ever! Its not growing but its not falling out either!
Not sure about eyebrows and eyelashes though, they may be getting thinner but Ive confused myself by caking them in mascara to make the best of them whilst Ive got them: havent worn the stuff for years before this!
Sorry to hear youve lost your blonde hair Tracey, Im hoping I lose my grey!
x
I lost my hair shortly after starting FEC but it appears to be growing back as a fuzzy blonde halo even though I am still on Taxotere. Wierd… I know what you mean about a sense of humour, Nicki41, whenever I look in the mirror I am reminded of the poor unfortunate Russian spy whose picture has appeared so many times on TV. Yes, I really do look like him!!! And I have always though of myself as a feminine kind of person. I can’t wait until eyelashes and eyebrows grow back. I’m sure that’s what makes me look worse.
In the meantime I wear lots of pretty hats , jewellery etc, to make sure people know I’m a girl!!