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Rolly's avatar
Rolly
Member
14 years ago

Enquiry

I am new to this site, searching for answers!

I finished chemo (Taxel and Cyclophosphamide) 7 weeks ago and am in the middle of radiation. I lost all hair on my body except eyebrows and eyelashes, which I was thrilled about. In the last couple of days, my eybrows have become thin and patchy, and look they they will go too. Is it normal to lose them AFTER the chemo has finished?? Just when I thought the hair loss thing was over :l

Any thoughts please??

7 Replies

  • Thanks Tonya and Louise :)

    There is a lot that you don't get told, or you get a watered down version. I phoned my oncology unit (who are all gorgeous, helpful girls) but they had no answers for me regarding the eyebrow and eyelash loss, which is where this site is so valuable, because I got answers to my problem. I thought I was cruising along pretty well, having finished chemo with the eyebrows and eyelashes intact, but alas, no! They are looking patchy and pathetic now, but it's good to know they'll return.

    Take care x

    Rolly

  • Ha Ha Ha - love that comment Rolly!  "Boiled egg look"!!  I hadn't heard that one before but boy is it true :)

    I'm like Tanya - I lost my eyebrows after I had finished my chemo too.  They do come back though and quicker than your hair grows back.  Mine are still thinner than they were before though and so are my eyelashes :(

    Take care,

    Louise

  • Thank you Tanya, I wish someome would have warned me about it. Here I was thinking all of the hair loss thing was over! I'm lucky that my hair is growing back, with about 7/8 of my scalp covered with soft dark hair. Beats the boiled egg look!

    Take care Tanya, and all the best x

    Rolly

  • Hi Debs,

    I waited about 3 and a half weeks after ther last chemo before starting radiation. It is an absolute breeze compared to that chemo! I hope you are travelling ok with it- my oncologist said chemo would be like having a heavy flu. How about feeling like you've been hit by a truck? :)

    I was devastated on Tuesday to be losing my eyebrows two months down the track, seeing as I'd kept them so far. You can never tell, I suppose.

    All the very best Deb, take good care of yourself.

    Rolly x

  • Hi Rolly

    I have just read your post - I am 41 and am in the midst of chemo - I am having the same cocktail as you.

    I was glad to hear you kept your eyebrows through the chemo - my hair is just starting to come out at the moment - i am due for my 2nd chemo next Thursday. I will hope for the best !!

    I am also going to have radiation therapy - how long did you have to wait after your last chemo for the radiation treatment to start?

    I hope that all continues to go well with your remaining radiation.

    All the best

    Debsx

  • Thank you Elisha, you never really know what surprise is going to pop up next! I was prepared for the hair loss, which happened about ten days after my first chemo, but I really thought that nearly two months down the track I would have been spared. I was always so happy to have kept my eyebrows and eyelashes, and to lose them now is a bit of a blow. I like to think I'm a young 42, and all these physical changes are challenging to say the least, as you would know :-).

    I went to a make up girl today who sold me some Napoleon eyeshadow to use to fill in my brows, and she showed me how to use it and it looks better. I will have to wait and see what happens next!

    Thank you so much for replying, I hope your recovery is problem free. I am 18 radiations down, 12 to go.Take care and all the best x

  • Hi Rolly,

    Im 6 weeks after chemo FEC and 7 sessions into radio and i never completely lost my eyebrows and eyelashes either but they deffinatly both thinned out... I am happy to say that i can notice them starting to grow back now but gee its a long process,,,

     

    <3 Elisha