Hair growth after chemo...

Hi All

Finished chemo (3 FEC/3 Tax) beginning of December. Hair is growing but so slowly and not it’s not very thick. Am I being impatient? I’d hoped that 3/4 months down the line i’d be able to go ‘wigless’ but I really can’t. Am now on Tamoxifen if that makes a difference. Any advice or words of encouragement greatly received.

Saz x

Hi there,

I know what you mean Saz. I finished chemo very recently at the beg March although my hair started growing back mid Jan. It seemed to be coming back quite quickly then but now it seems to have really slowed down and is still very patchy and thin on top. I am also on Tamoxifen and also having Herceptin (which is meant to slow hair growth) but it is so frustrating. I know I can’t expect too much as it is still early days but like you can’t wait to get rid of the wig.

No sign of eyebrows and eyelashes yet either, again they started to grow after FEC but came out after the last Tax. Aaaaarrrrgh!!!

xx

Hi Ladies

Finished 3 x Fec & 3 x Tax beg of Jan and have a fairly thick head of hair, brows & lashes also pretty much back to normal but I’ve been drinking “forever living” aloe vera gel… A friend had alopecia and was given it by a nutritionist with great results so thought I’d give it go. Wouldn’t want to say this definitely the reason for the return but daren’t stop!!

Have to say also have a great deal more grey, and the hot flushes are full on!

Lucy xx

I guess we are all different at the rate the hair grows back - after my last chemo I went from totally bald to being able to ditch the wig in 5 months - altho the hair was short it looked like I had chosen to have it cut that way, rather than the chemo deciding how I looked. Hope this helps ladies xx

Hey ladies thanks for all your comments - i guess i’ll just have to be patient! Juno, is it safe to drink the aloe vera gel whilst on Tamoxifen? I know that some things affect the way Tamox works… I may have to bulk buy!!!

Saz x

Also, does anyone know whether it’s OK to use the (expensive) shampoos that are supposed to promote regrowth of hair?

hello ladies,

Juno… just wondered did you drink the juice throughout your chemo?
it sounds great think ill start now,

Donna
xxx

Oh, thank goodness, I thought it was just me! Am TOTALLY fed up being bald! I finished my last chemo on Feb 14th. I have a bit of fuzz, but that is all. I too am on herceptin, so that may be slowing things down.

I have actually got to the point, where I look at photos of me, pre chemo, and do not recognize myself!

Aaaargh!

I think this thread higlights (excuse the pun!!!) the feelings that we have around our hair loss. I was resigned to losing my hair through the chemotherapy and seemed to take it in my stride when I chose to cut it all off 10 days after 1st chemo when it was falling out in handfuls. I don’t think the loss of it really hit me until I found I couldn’t tolerate wearing my wig for several days after subsequent chemos as a result of pounding headaches made worse by the restriction of the wig. My last chemo (taxotere) was mid Feb and I am currently on Hercepton (like many others on here) and my hair has grown quite a bit at the back and the sides though still very thin fuzz on the top. Feel quite anxious as I still look more bald than anything else and am desperate for its return. Good to hear that others are having similar experiences, makes me feel a bit better at still having to wear a wig, which incidentally, although it is very impressive is beginning to look a little bedraggled at the ends. Has anyone had a ‘wig cut’?? Just a thought…

Hi

I am still in chemo and so not expecting to see anything emerging for a good few months. I have a wig which i like but think it will be too hot in the summer. I’ve found this website which has really pretty scarves - bit pricey but only the same as the few haircuts i won’t be having! and they don’t look ‘chemoish’. Turbans are ‘in’ this season anyhow so we should look like we leading the way!

randrconfidence.co.uk/Razzle_Dazzle_Intro.html

Hi ladies,

I’m not sure about drinking aloe vera whilst on Tamoxifen, as I’ve not had to take it but I wouldn’t think it’s a problem as only contains natural ingredients. I started taking it towards to end of my chemo but that’s only because that’s when I discovered it.

I would recommend going for the “forever living” as contains less leaf (thou quiet expensive), you need to find an agent to buy but they’re fairly easy to find on the web. Also helped me with energy levels too.

Lucy xx

Hi all

I was recommended rosemary shampoo health food shops should sell it approx £5. I can’t remember who told me but I started using it every morning in the shower to wash my bald head and massaged my head at the same time. Rosemary stimulates the hair folicules apparently. My hair grew back quickly and thicker! It started growing back before I finished chemo and by the time I went in for my mastectomy 6 weeks later I had a full head of very short (grey unfortunately) hair! I may just have been lucky but its worth ago and not too expensive!

My hair is now Plum/purple spiky, thick and grows like mad, I’m also on herceptin indefinately. My nails are only now starting to grow longer too (sally hansen - maximum growth has helped) and I finished chemo July 2009 so keep at it girls you will get there!

xxxxxx

lush shampoo bar called new.
very nice,
lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/solid-shampoos/new

Hi Karen,

I’ll be trying this - LUSH is great. Here’s the UK link if it helps anyone who hasn’t got a LUSH near them:

lush.co.uk/shop/product/product/path/147_148/id/38/hair-solid-shampoo-new-

Just reading this as my hair is coming out in handfuls on day 17 of FEC. Ventured out for the first time in my wig which is a rather brighter colour than my natural colour. Felt very self conscious but chatted to a couple of ladies while walking the dogs and they didn’t seem to notice wig. Don’t know whether to shave head or wait for it all to fall out. Looks dreadful at the moment, really thin like an old lady…
It cheered me up reading your posts and reminded me that my hair will grow back eventually & that’s something to look forward to!

Thanks xxx

Hi girls, Trevor Sorbie had set up a training s heme to train hairdressers to cut wigs. I think it’s called My New Hair. Check out the web. O had my wig cut and it’s lovely. They do charge for the service tho but ate based around the country.
Polly. Xx
Ps. May try y aloe Vera.

i had 4x ec followed by 4 x tax , my hair came out after my 2 nd ec so i shaved it and had a wig that i found no prob , i actually had the wig cut more often than my own hair lol, my hair was very slow growing. half way through my tax it started growing back around aug, finished chemo end of sept anf then 3 weeks rads, ditched the wig when i went on hol at end nov, short but even and died it brown cos it came back grey and not ready at 45 to be totally grey, my hubby got me some fast shampoo that i read about on net it was £60 but got massive bottle of shampoo and conditioner and my hair has come back so think (was thin b4) not so much grey bits now :slight_smile: so thats good, only prob is my cancer came back 5 weeks ago arghhhhhhh secondary in my lungs so back on chemo but side effects for hair loss aint common but to be honest thats the last of my worries at moment i can tell u. i never lost my lashes or brows they just thinned and back to normal now in fact other day someone asked if i had false lashes on cos they lookes so long lol !!
kaz xxxxx

Sorry girls but my hair came back like corkscrews. So curly I couldn’t do anything with it. My hairdresser suggested growing it a little so that the weight would drag it down. It seemed to help.

This morning, over 2 years after finishing chemo, I finally had the last of the curl trimmed. Back to as it was.

Mal