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girlpower731 View Drop Down
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    Posted: Oct 22 2009 at 9:16am
I know everyone is different, but when should I be expecting all my hair to fall out (on my head)?
 
I am currently doing chemo, DD AC for 4 sessions (session 3 is on the 26th).  I've been wearing a soft night cap to bed and each night more and more hair is falling out.  It continues to fall out during the day as well and as you can imagine in the shower.  I don't have any major bald spots yet just a lot of thinning.
 
Do you think in about another week (after session #3) I will be completely bald?  I'm trying to prepare myself for this change.  It's a big adjustment as alot of you all know from experience.
 
Has anyone had any experience with their hair starting to grow during their Taxol treatment or is that just a big myth that you can have hair growth during that treatment?  When does the hair usually start to grow back (just the little hairs themselves)?
 
Thanks for listening.
 
Girlpower
dx: age 31. Stage 2a, BRCA1/2 -, Lumpectomy 8/09, AC/Taxol dense dose 9/09-1/10
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sandykelser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 26 2009 at 7:25am
Dear Girl Power,
I went to the beauty shop after my second treatment and had my hair buzzed.  The beauty operator cried and so did I, but it looks so much better.  Every time I had tried to comb it or style it ,I almost cried.  It took a few days to get used to the new look but I'm glad I did. 
I was tired cleaning up the hair in drains.  Big difference is to go outside with it getting cooler, I need a hat.  I have a wig but it is not comfortable I also have a soft hat that I wear alot.  I think losing my hair was the hardest part but my head don't look so bad, it is me without the frills.
Be brave we will beat this.  I have my third treatment Oct. 29.  I'm doing ac.
I live in Ohio
Sandykelser
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote unklez Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 26 2009 at 11:51am
Dear GirlPower,

I think you started AC with DW on the 28th Sept. Just so you know, I buzzed her head with #3 clipper last week - at first sign of fistfuls falling off -  and then with #1 clipper 2 days after that. We did this based on advice from all the wonderful women here and on breastcancer.org. The rationale seems to be that:

1. Emotionally it is far easier to not see long tresses falling all the time on bed, shower, etc.
2. You feel a little bit more in control of the situation this way.

You also don't want to completely shave it off all in one shot because:

a. Again the big change from having hair to having none can be emotionally hard.
b. A very smooth head makes for a very bad base for wigs.

DW has a stubble on her head which is also slowly going away but she feels comfortable, is not constantly reminded by falling hair and is able to hold the wig or scarves on the head easily.

I know this is emotionally hard time for you.

Hope this helps.


Wife Dx: Jul/09. Age: 37. Size: 3cm. BRCA: -ve. Lumpectomy: Aug/09. Micromet 1/9 node. Chemo Start: Sep/09. E5103. DD ACB-> DD Abraxane (Taxol reaction). Zometa (S0307). Canadian Fraction Rads.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SagePatientAdvocates Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 26 2009 at 2:38pm
Dear girlpower,

my daughter was dx with TNBC when she was 36. She always had gorgeous hair- very thick, lustrous..
she was advised that if she wanted to wear a wig (which she did) it would be advisable for her to shave her hair off before chemo so that she could get fitted for a wig. I went with her to a hairdresser who was recommended because he does so many of these. I held her hand as he made his first cut and I think a bit of me at that moment died. I felt so overwhelmingly sad. She squeezed my hand very tightly and I could see the deep sadness in her eyes through my tears...This was September 2004 and I swear the image is so clear that it could be happening right now.

I am 65 and my memory is failing but that vision is super clear...I imagine it always will be.

The crazy thing was that she spent a bunch of money on the wig but found it uncomfortably hot. She became menopausal from the chemo and her hot flashes and this wig were not a good combo. I got her a lovely book she found inspirational-


filled with beautiful pictures of women, bald, going through chemo. I told her over and over again how beautiful she was without hair and also went scarf shopping with her. She generally went bald inside the house and wore something on her head outside..

girlpower, I know all of this is so incredibly difficult but I want to tell you that I believe the chemo did its thing and my dear little girl (she still is, even though she is 41) in now five years NED....and her hair came back...super curly...very grey but she is still vibrantly alive and beautiful...helping kids as a guidance counselor in a large public middle school, helping women with cancer in her school, biking, eating healthily, treadmill addict and still gives me wonderful hugs and melts into my chest/arms every time I see her, which will be in a couple of weeks (I live in L.A. and she N.Y. so that is tough).

Think positive please and try to find the joy in everyday. I understand completely, as best any guy can, your concerns but let's root for the chemo to do its thing and kill the cancer...and this is an unfortunate side effect but your hair will come back...yes, I know..it all truly sux.

all the best,

Steve


Edited by steve - Oct 26 2009 at 2:43pm
I am a BRCA1+ grandson, son and father of women affected by breast/oc-my daughter inherited mutation from me, and at 36, was dx 2004 TNBC I am a volunteer patient advocate with SAGE Patient Advocates
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 123Donna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 26 2009 at 6:06pm
Girlpower,

I had different chemo than you, but my hair started to fall out around the 15th day after my first chemo.  My DH shaved it off using a #3 (3/8") trimmer.  Most of the hair fell out within the following week but I never went totally bald as there was a little left, mostly around the sideburn and back area.   Before I finished treatment, I notice a little of it was trying to grow back, a few scraggly hairs.  It's been a month since I finished treatment and we're starting to notice a little growth, but that's all.  It looks like its coming in lighter and some of it is curly, almost like a brillo pad.  I still wear my wig when I go out and have a hat on when I'm home.  I think it will be a few months before more hair returns where I'll be comfortable enough to go out of the house without the wig.  I feel better each day, but truly don't think I'll see myself back to normal until my hair returns.  There's something about not having hair that reminds you of the illness.  My family thinks my bald head is no big deal and we even joke about how easy it is for me to get ready to go out.  I just have to plop the wig on and I'm ready to go!  I keep telling my DH how much money I'm saving on hair cuts and coloring, so when I want to splurge on a shopping item, it's justified.  Good luck and try to stay positive. 

Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09)
11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote elaineb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 27 2009 at 10:08pm
I am almost to my 4th treatment of taxotere/cytoxan and I still have a ton of hair.  In fact, I have buzzed it twice in the last four weeks.  It's grown about a half inch each time.  Now I have the little hairs starting to come back in along my hair line.  I've decided to try to grow it out and see what happens.  It is a little thin, but I am amazed at how much I have left.  I am also still shaving my legs and have not lost any of the hair on my arms.
 
The sick and twisted thing about this is that it makes me worry that the chemo isn't strong enough. If it can't make my hair fall out, how can it possibly be killing cancer?
Dx 7/09 1.1 cm, Stage 1, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes TNBC
Lumpectomy 7/23/09
PB Rads x 1 week 8/31
TC x 6 9/8
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote unklez Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 27 2009 at 10:22pm
Originally posted by elaineb elaineb wrote:

I am almost to my 4th treatment of taxotere/cytoxan and I still have a ton of hair.  In fact, I have buzzed it twice in the last four weeks.  It's grown about a half inch each time.  Now I have the little hairs starting to come back in along my hair line.  I've decided to try to grow it out and see what happens.  It is a little thin, but I am amazed at how much I have left.  I am also still shaving my legs and have not lost any of the hair on my arms.
 

The sick and twisted thing about this is that it makes me worry that the chemo isn't strong enough. If it can't make my hair fall out, how can it possibly be killing cancer?


Dear Elaine,
TC is less toxic than AC-->T. With your tumor size etc I think TC is the better regimen. It is also less harsh on your body, organs besides hair.
Wife Dx: Jul/09. Age: 37. Size: 3cm. BRCA: -ve. Lumpectomy: Aug/09. Micromet 1/9 node. Chemo Start: Sep/09. E5103. DD ACB-> DD Abraxane (Taxol reaction). Zometa (S0307). Canadian Fraction Rads.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nmunoz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 27 2009 at 11:29pm
Hi,

I began chemo on the middle of January of this year. I received AC every two weeks for 4 cycles and then Taxol once a week for 12 cycles. I had long, dark, thick and a lot of hair and it all fell. I actually cut it short before I began chemo and once it started to fall after my second AC round I shaved it off and it eventually fell.

It was hard; harder than I thought it would be as the first times I looked at myself in the mirror I felt that someone was going to give me a gun and ask me to start shooting aliens . But I got a wig (my recommendation in aaht area is to try to find one that is very ventilated and light) and wore it without much problems. I also wore scarfs and wraps (i particularly loved the one I got from Good Wishes - a program from France Luxe that sends one to you as a gift you can look up the info on that here in the forum).

My hair did begin to grow back a couple of weeks after I began the Taxol. So it is not a myth. In fact by the end of my Taxol treatment I decided to put away the wig and all hair covers, put on big hoops in my ears and went showing my new hair to the world. The thing that did happen though was that my eyelashes and eyebrows fell just when my hair began to grow... But I fixed that with makeup. They did come back about a month after I finished the Taxol. They are really slow to grow and I am just recently feeling they are back to their original shape.

As for the hair, it came back lighter; my mom says that is the color I had when I was little... but a bunch of white hairs decided to appear as well. Oh! and it came back curly (it was wavy before). I actually had my first haircut last week as I wanted to give some shape to it and I actually love the way it looks.

You will get through this and you'll find that you are stronger than you thought.

Best,

Natalia
Natalia, 38 years

Dx TNBC 10/22/08, BRCA1+

Double Mx 11/20/08 with Recon.

3/37 nodes

Rads 7 weeks done 8/09

ACx4 every 2 weeks and Tx12 weeks. Avastin e/3 weeksx10 (Clinical Trial) Done Dec/09
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote girlpower731 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 28 2009 at 3:59am
Thank you all for all your personal insight into losing our hair.  It is a tough thing to go through.  Once I was done with my flu symptons from the flu shot I began wearing my underhair again.  Refer to link for a picture of it:
 
I think I'll shorten the hair a bunch this weekend around halloween.  I'm gonna try and keep the side stuff on so that I'll have some more options with hats if I don't want to do my underhair.
 
Steve--Where does your daughter live in NY?  Maybe I can meet her sometime after I'm done with treatment.  I live in CT and it's just a train ride away to NYC.  Let me know
 
Girlpower
dx: age 31. Stage 2a, BRCA1/2 -, Lumpectomy 8/09, AC/Taxol dense dose 9/09-1/10
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 123Donna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 28 2009 at 7:38am
Originally posted by elaineb elaineb wrote:

I am almost to my 4th treatment of taxotere/cytoxan and I still have a ton of hair.  In fact, I have buzzed it twice in the last four weeks.  It's grown about a half inch each time.  Now I have the little hairs starting to come back in along my hair line.  I've decided to try to grow it out and see what happens.  It is a little thin, but I am amazed at how much I have left.  I am also still shaving my legs and have not lost any of the hair on my arms.
 
The sick and twisted thing about this is that it makes me worry that the chemo isn't strong enough. If it can't make my hair fall out, how can it possibly be killing cancer?


Elaine,  We all react differently to the side effects of chemo.  The only side effect that I can honestly say I enjoyed was not having to shave.  I'm 5 weeks past chemo and still haven't had to shave yet, but I can see where it will be soon.  As far as worrying about the chemo not strong enough, I've been there too.  I can remember after finishing chemo thinking that maybe they should give me a couple of extra treatments just to make sure.  Is that insane to actually want more chemo?   With chemo we think we're actually doing something to destroy the cancer and its our safety blanket.  When we're done with treatment, that security blanket is gone and we don't have any drugs like tamoxifen to give us some reassurance that its fighting recurrence.  Worrying is unfortunately a big side effect of fighting TNBC.

Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09)
11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ziggy0 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 28 2009 at 1:18pm
Girlpower and Natalia--My hair also started to grow back while I was on Taxol.  It even continued to grow, slowly and thinly (or maybe it just didn't fall out), during my subsequent six cycles of carboplatin/gemcitabine.  My eyelashes and eyebrows, which fell out with Taxol, grew back soon afterward it was stopped.  But what they call the secondary-sexual hair--axillary, legs, and some of the pubic--never did come back.  Can't say I'm disappointed at some of the disappearance! 
Dx IDC 8/08/2008
TNBC stg 2 grd 3
T1c N1 M0, Ki67 97%
Neoadjuvant A-C, Taxol (failed), gemzar/carboplatin
Lumpectomy 1/09, completed G/C 4/24/09
0/6 nodes positive
Radiation 5 wks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jhonahemad34 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 24 2021 at 11:40pm
First of all, you need to understand the cause of your hair loss...

Following are the major cause of hair loss in women-

1. Nutritional deficiencies- It happens due to poor diet. However, you can take additional supplements (Biotin & Zinc) in this case. I'm using Folexin after checking a review and I noticed a result within 6 weeks.

2. Hormonal Imbalance- It starts at the age of 30.

3. Birth Control Pills- If you're taking birth control pills very frequently, then it could be another reason for hair fall.

4. Mental Stress- If you're not sleeping enough then it could be another reason for hair loss.

5. Hairstyling products (cosmetics)- You should avoid chemical based hair care products. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jhonahemad34 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan 24 2021 at 11:46pm
Originally posted by 123Donna 123Donna wrote:

Girlpower,

I had different chemo than you, but my hair started to fall out around the 15th day after my first chemo.  My DH shaved it off using a #3 (3/8") trimmer.  Most of the hair fell out within the following week but I never went totally bald as there was a little left, mostly around the sideburn and back area.   Before I finished treatment, I notice a little of it was trying to grow back, a few scraggly hairs.  It's been a month since I finished treatment and we're starting to notice a little growth, but that's all.  It looks like its coming in lighter and some of it is curly, almost like a brillo pad.  I still wear my wig when I go out and have a hat on when I'm home.  I think it will be a few months before more hair returns where I'll be comfortable enough to go out of the house without the wig.  I feel better each day, but truly don't think I'll see myself back to normal until my hair returns.  There's something about not having hair that reminds you of the illness.  My family thinks my bald head is no big deal and we even joke about how easy it is for me to get ready to go out.  I just have to plop the wig on and I'm ready to go!  I keep telling my DH how much money I'm saving on hair cuts and coloring, so when I want to splurge on a shopping item, it's justified.  Good luck and try to stay positive. 

Donna

Keeping short hair is one of the good practice to reduce hair fall. I too going through hair loss at the age of 30 but my dermatologist suggested for organic supplement and keep my hair shaved for few months. I did that and now hair fall almost stopped.
Once again I consulted and she recommended to clean my hair frequently with a DHT blocker shampoo and now all good.
She writes new hair care tips and products reviews on- https://hairlosscares.net/
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