My eyes have been really sensitive for a few days now which I was hoping was just a reaction to the cold, windy conditions. BUT on closer inspection I am pretty sure that I am losing my eyelashes. My lids are very red and there are definitely less and less hairs there. Everytime I touch my irritated eyes I come away with a few hairs! Having got through 4 of 6 chemos I was hoping that I was going to escape with eyelashes and brows intact but maybe not. I know this is really minor in the scheme of things but I think this is actually worse than losing the hair on my head because it is not so easy to cover! My eyes are very sensitive at the best of times and I can't imagine putting make-up on to help with the naked eye look. I guess the soreness will settle and maybe I will be able to do it then. I did go to a LGFB workshop so I know what to do. I have never worn much make-up so this will be a bit of something different for me. The eyebrows are definitely looking on the thin side too! Oh well, after landing in hospital with neutropenia this week I might just go into hibernation for the next few weeks until I get through that last Chemo. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for eyebrows/lashes to grow again after chemo finishes? Sorry to be going on about a minor issue but sometimes it helps to know how long you have to expect to have these side effects. Deanne xxx

Hi Deanne, sounds like you've been having a rough time of it lately. I was just like you, thought I was going to escape losing lashes/brows, but then they dropped. And like you I found it unsettling not just in terms of appearance but as a functional problem, especially in cold weather. My eyes would stream, my nose would run (no nostril hairs, I guess--who knew they did so much work?). As you say, it's minor in the scheme of things, but still... To the point: everyone's different (la la la, I got a bit tired of hearing that, even though it is true). For me the regrowth on my head was really quick (my hair started growing back even before I'd finished chemo -- 8 rounds); but agonisingly slow for eyelashes. Seriously, I reckon they're about nearly normal just now, and I finished chemo 18 months ago. So you could be in for a long haul. I did the false eyelashes thing just once, for a party, and it looked great. Apart from that I just told myself it's a 'look' like any other, and just tried to wear it well. (I'm pretty delusional to start with, so that worked ok for me.) Other times I thought, well I've exchanged hair loss (etc. etc.) for my life, and that helped me maintain perspective. Go well,Heather

Sorry to hear you've been in hospital.I did the 4 day isolation gig with my first chemo round - not fun at all.My eyelashes/eyebrows fell out,grew back tnen fell out again! So it seemed ages before they came back and it was about 6mths for my head hair to get to a buzz cut-definitely a long haul for me.Even 3 years on,my eyelashes are just stubble but my eyebrows are ok,just never have to pluck em.I hope you are one of the lucky ones who can grow hair quickly. And it is not a minor issue cos you have to get around still looking like a"cancer patient"for ages,long after treatment has finished.I had my first short hair cut,colour and style about 8 months after chemo and I had my brows and lashes back a few months before that. Look on me as your worst/slowest case scenario and you'll be pleasantly surprised if you get it all back sooner! Tonya xx

Hi Deanne Losing your eyebrows and eyelashes is not a minor thing at all. I really struggled with that, more so than losing my head hair. And it happened to me twice!! Lost it all after 4 rounds of FEC, then it all grew back through rads, then all fell out again through taxol. My hair grows really quickly but eyelashes seem to have a mind of their own. Only really back to semi normal now 12 months on. Losing your eyebrows & eyelashes, to me, really screamed to the world "I have cancer" and I really hated that. So my advice is if you're good at pencilling eyebrows than do it everyday to feel good. I really sucked at that so I didn't bother. Wear lots of eyeliner once your eyes settle down, and always wear sunglasses.. Keeps any irritants out that previously were stopped by lashes.. They will grow back. Kat xx

Eyelashes/brows going, going .....

22 Replies

Carol
Member
11 years ago
8 years post surgery but hair growth still only 1cm in two or 3 months. Seem to need to wash it alternate days now wheras only needed every 4th or 5thday when longer b4 surgery in 06. Guess we all are different. btw still no arm hair and virtually no leg hair yay!
NaturalBel
Member
13 years ago
The fastest things to grow back, were the eyebrows and eyelashes. Healthy hair grows at a rate of 1cm per month by the way. You could get saline too to flush out the hairs that fall in, remember not to touch your eyes with fingers, because of your immune system!
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
I have a very trendy right eyebrow this morning with a gap just past the arch part. I look like some of the young trendy people who deliberately shave gaps in their brows! Eyelashes keep getting stuck in my eyes as they are coming out, ouch! :-) Deanne xx
NaturalBel
Member
13 years ago
Systane eye drops, several times a day until the eyelashes grow back. When you put makeup on ( including eyebrows). remove the foundation with a wet cotton bud before you start, in the shape of your eyebrow. (trace your eyebrow, if you have time onto tracing paper, or make a stencil). Then use a small makeup brush, and eyeshadow in the brown close to your colour, a shade lighter better than dark. Brush eyeshadow onto eyebrow area. Pencils are second, Use light short strokes to create a feathered brow, avoid a line if you can. If its too dark, I use translucent powder over the top to soften result. I used the eye shadow most of the time. Check my blogs out to see when they left. They are all fully back now, but I lost every hair on my body. Now, dammit, I am back to shaving legs again! A 6 month time frame, I lost all hair, and it came back. Good Luck, XX Bel
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
My focus is definitely on getting to that 'new normal' now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I can't wait to get there with or without eyelashes/brows. Then I hope to recover from all this and do all that I can to stay healthy! As you say it is all put in perspective when you think about what others are going through. Deanne xx
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
Hope my hair starts to grow back around last Chemo as this is only 4 weeks away. That sounds not so bad! xx Deanne
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
Thanks for helping me feel better. It will be interesting to see what happens post chemo. At least I only have 2 to go! Deanne xx
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
I guess as long as my hair starts to grow back pretty quickly I will feel better about the lack of eyelashes/brows. I had really thick hair before so hopefully it will grow back quickly! Deanne xx
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
Hi Kat My 18 year old daughter has given me some great tips on make-up this afternoon. My worry has been that my right eyebrow was disappearing more than the left! She has some great powder that she uses to define her brows and it has helped to even me up. Hopefully my hair will start to return fairly quickly after I finish my last Chemo in about 4 weeks. Fingers crossed! Deanne xx
Deanne
Member
13 years ago
Great way of looking at the issue of hair loss. It really is impossible to work out how it really works! I had a theory that my hair loss was from the areas on my body that were the hottest. This explained why the hair on my head, pubic hair and hair under my arms stopped growing but the hair on my legs and arms was still mostly there. I was hoping that this meant the eyelashes and brows would be ok too, maybe not! Thanks for helping me to keep smiling! Deanne xx