Chemotherapy took my hair away before the second session. I am now four weeks post final chemo (I had 4 x EC and 4 x tax.
I lost all my hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. I have a very fine covering of hair on my head - invisible until you get up close. Mostly white hairs, some dark.
What I am thinking of doing is ending this year by shaving my head for the last time on New Years Eve and then starting an on line diary thread in here to report on the progress of the return to hairyness.
Does anyone else fancy joining in? We could compare notes, shampoos and oils used, etc.
What a great idea, I can’t join in as my last Tax isn’t until 12th Jan but I’ll be following your thread with interest. Like you I lost my hair before my 2nd chemo, still have a few eyebrows and sparse lashes but no doubt they’ll desert me soon too!
I hope your hair grows back thick and fast, and the products you use give you beautiful shiny locks. Must say I’m looking forward to starting anew with virgin hair and determined to treat it more gently once it makes a return, eg no over processing, I intend using non chemical hair dye, I’d like to turn this journey through BC into a positive experience from end of chemo, there’s been more than enough negatives, so if I can improve the way I look after my hair by treating it gently, then I will. As an aside, has the skin on your legs and arms softened? Pre chemo my upper arms and lower legs felt pimply, but now feel soft and smooth…so I intend pampering them from now on, lathering rich creams and exfoliating regularly.
I’m game Supertrouper! I had 3 FEC and 3 Docetaxel and am now 12 weeks post chemo, and also on herceptin. My eyelashes and eyebrows stayed with me throughout FEC, but abandoned me once I started the Tax. My hair is coming through now, but I am waiting until I get a thicker covering before I get rid of the ‘baby fuzz’. I did have a lot of cradle cap on my scalp initially, which I have got rid of by massaging in almond oil, leaving it on for a couple of hours and then washing it off with an E45 medicated shampoo. So now I have a nice clean, healthy scalp for my hair to grow back on.
I also think that my eyelashes and eyebrows have decided to hibernate as not much sign of life there, but I have heard that the last hair to go is the last to return.
The hairs on my legs are coming along nicely though! Although it goes against the habit of a lifetime, I am trying to resist the urge to shave my legs as it is my way of seeing that my body is beginning to recover from its chemical warfare! My leg hairs don’t seem to need any help in terms of oils though - how unfair is that?!!!
Hi brill idea ,I’m now 9 weeks post last chemo .My lovely GREY hair is coming through ok still very very short .Will be interesting to see how we all go on.
I never lost my eyelashes and eyebrows although they thinned out .My leg hair has def returned .Its the grey hair bit i don’t like as i think its a long time before you can dye it lol xx
Just bumping this up to see if anyone else is interested.
Might even start a Facebook group so that people can post up photos.
One of my District nurses went through chemo 18 months ago, her hair is long enough to put into a pony tail and looks lovely and thick. She said her hair used to be blonder and very straight but she is delighted with how much she has.
Its a good idea. I finished treatment in May and on the anniversary of me shaving my head last Dec I went for my first haircut and had it dyed back to my normal colour. Its came out nice and with all the shades of grey I had, my hair has taken on different colours. Looks like I have had streaks put in. Still has a mind of its own though with all the waves. Hopefully now its in some sort of style it will grow a bit straighter the longer it grows.
Great idea for a thread Supertrouper. I still have one FEC to go on 6th Jan so im a bit behind u but i’ll be following the thread with interest. I can’t wait for my hair to start growing again.
As I promised, I shaved my hair for the last time on New Years Day.
7 days later and I can see that I have about 1cm of new growth. I am rubbing in Emu oil before I go to bed at night - if I was brave enough I would rub it into one half of my head as a test - but I am not!
wow Supertrouper, that sounds remarkable. 1cm already! I had my last FEC yesterday & now gonna buy some Emu oil,definately. Just cant decide whether like u i should shave off the straggly bits i have left over from chemo or just leave them, hmm decisions. Well done on ur growth so far though, its fab x
Just had a look on ebay for the emu oil but there are some emu shampoos & conditioners as well. Not sure if they would work or should i just stick to the oil? what do u think,thanks
Why not have a word with Rod Hull as he knows a lot about Emus?!!!
I had my 1st haircut a week ago - actually it was to trim off the straggly baby-fuzz and my hair looks much better for it as it looks much darker than before, although it’s amazing that the new baby hair seems to be growing twice as fast as the stronger darker hair. My hairdresser reckons it will take another couple of trims to get rid of it, and that this is normal. At least the baby hair is followed by the stronger good hair.
I am massaging in pure almond oil once a week to keep my scalp free of dry skin and then washing it off with E45 medicated shampoo so that it stays healthy. Not recommended if you have a nut allergy though! I am also taking a B7 Biotin supplement which promotes hair growth.
My eyelashes have also started sprouting, but the eyebrows are still very sparse. The leg-hair had to go as I couldn’t bear it putting my head hair to shame in terms of length!
I went for the oil as I had dry skin on my head and wanted to be able to massage an oil into the skin. With regards to hair elsewhere - some on legs and arms, no eyelashes, one hair on right eyebrow and some cheeky short hairs on my chin!
I had my last EC on oct 27th finished rads on dec 21st.Started wearing my wig …Dec21st lol. I haven’t worn it through all my chemo but went to a works party and bought a cap to go under wig to stop it itching and it felt ok.
I now have about an inch of hair but its mega grey .I will wait another month i think before wearing hats again but will wear them until i can colour my hair.Not sure when that is? I will upload a pic soon .I have been using baby shampoo but it does seem to be growing well .All other hair just about back to normal .xx
ALL other hair back to normal?! Did you lose eyelashes and eyebrows then as docetaxel was the last straw for me as far as they were concerned. They stuck with me through FEC, but threw the towel in when I started on the docetaxel!
Tax was the eyelash and eyebrow killer for me too. Head hair started to make an appearance halfway through Tax but it was white on one side and dark on the other! Which was one of the reasons for the New Year shave.
Hi Mazzalou ,i had EC only so hardly lost eyebrows and lashes .Eyebrows thinned a bit but they were really bushy lol so wasn’t too bad. My hair dropped out 2 weeks after my first chemo and started coming back sometime during my 5th chemo. OH says I’m being optimistic about the length as i said an inch and he says more like three quart of an inch !!
LG on its way back too but not impresses as that is darker than my hair on my head !!!xx
31 days since I shaved my head for the last time and I am sporting a look similar to Sinead O’Conner or at least how she used to look. Don’t need a magnifying mirror to see it now.
I was blonde before, why does it look so dark now?
Eyelashes are coming back too - very short at the moment but can see them, and eyebrows too. Unfortunately hair on chin has reappeared.
Good result so far - I took photographs last night so that I can compare with ones I will take at the end of Feb.
Over five months since I shaved my head for the last time and my hair is long enough to pass as a short hair style rather than post cancer treatment look. It has come back a darker colour with less grey, and has the chemo curl.
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