Forum Discussion
How long does it take for hair to fall out on AC Chemo once it starts shedding
Hi girls
I am on day 19 of AC chemo and while i have had some hair loss since day 11 it has finally started to shed seriously today and especially tonight. I was hoping someone could help advise me how long it really takes for the hair to fall out once it starts going like this as I am finding the scalp really irritated and painfull any time my remaining hair is touched and am being driven nuts by the hairs that are falling into my eyes on my face and neck - plus the neck and shoulders are SO itchy with all those small hairs in the clothing (I had cut it into crew cut over a week ago)
Also is there anything I should know or watch out for in this stage? do I have to have a sleeping cap or is it OK not to wear any headwear to bed?
And has anything changed in the way one needs to care for their head / scalp during this shedding period or when the hair is completely gone?
Sorry about 101 question but just hoping not to do something stupid and complicate my life even more as with all my sideeffects and newly acquired UTI I have enough challenges so hoping heavy hairloss could go trouble free - for once.
This photo is what I have managed to 'shake off' my head in under 2 min post washing my hair. Once I cleaned it off I did another 2 rounds to shaking and rubbing the hairs off my head resulting in probably 4 times as many falling out each time but there is still heaps left and is driving me insane as nothing comes off in the shower - I literaly have to rub it off my head to get rid off it (so it would not be itchy)
Thank you in advance
Jel.
12 Replies
Thank you
Jel
http://hathouse.com.au/product.php?category=16
I have several of these...you can also wear them under a nice woolly hat as protection as you get less and less hair.
I hate my phone - how could it replace 'them on' with 'outdoors' I will never know. I hate hate hate this phone ????????
Thank you for that suggestion on sleeping cap andnwhat it looks like
I am being admitted for my 2nd AC tomorrow and bound to see the breast care nurse so will ask her if she can suggest a good place to get ond or she may be able.to show me a what they look like andnchance is I can make it myself out of an old tracksuit or something like it.
I have been wearing caps until my hair started to fall out massively the other day as was imagining that cap would be painfull to get on or off while my scalp hurts this much. Plus was worried about not being able to get the hairs out of them. I have some fleecy caps that I bought at aldi snowgear sale the other week so chance they can work now (they were great pre hairloss stage keeping my head warm outdoors)
Never occured to me that caps may prevent scalp pain so will definitely try outdoors.
Thank you again ??????
Jel
My hairdresser cut mine with a special shaver...no 2. Which of course are appropriately stetilised. It really helped with the pain as the hair then wasn't moving about. I also discovered my scalp was extremely dry and so started washing it in cetaphil cleansing lotion then used a cetaphil moisturiser. I don't use this all the time now just when it gets really dry. I usually now just use a facial cleaner on my head. The sleep cap does a couple of things. ..it stops the hair falling everywhere, it helps prevent your painful scalp and remaining hair dragging on the pillow and once most of hair is gone. ..which takes a few more cycles. ..you will discover you will sweat...which then cools off and then your head gets suddenly freezing. A sleep cap needs minimal seems for comfort. I foubd also a rubber glove rubbed over my hair helped pull off lose stuff or a damp hand. I think wearibg sone sort of head gear presently will reduce the discomfort of the falling hair. I still wakeup with a pile in my sleep cap even though I look quite bald. My breast care nurse actually gave me a fleecy one which is great...but a windcheater sleeve...cut off and sewn one end would do something similar.
thank you - mine are constantly falling so will try again
jel
As long as you have it long enough to pluck lose ones out is ok. I could just put thumb and fingers together and gently pull and the firm ones would stay there but half a dozen lose ones would come away as well. I just did it every morning because if I didn't and I put the fan on behind me during the day, my keyboard would get full of lose hairs!
less than a week sounds really good - if I only knew mine would be gone by the next weekend I would be the happiest person evwr...
I read the vacuum thing the ither day and honestly was contemplating it last night but a bit worried about applying the dirty vacuum head to my head and getting an infection as my neutrophils are not back yet it seems as I got a UTI yesterday and now on antibiotics for it ??
Jel
Hi Jel
The falling out process was less than a week for me and I was shedding at a similar rate to you. Every time I rubbed my head huge clumps fell off. My pillow looked like a furry animal every morning.
Even though I shaved it, my scalp really hurt for 2 weeks. I took panadol every day for the pain. The itchy pain doesn't last and it isn't as bad when your hair starts growing back either (mine has only just started growing back).
A smart lady on this site (can't remember who), decided to vacuum her head when it started shedding. Seemed to have done wonders for her. I figure, why not try it !
Best of luck xo
Thank you Brenda and Chris.
We were told at the Look good feel better workshop not to cut it shorter than half an inch (no4) as supposedly there is risk of irritation and scal infevtion if shorter but this is driving me insane.
In the past 24 hours it is sheding like crazy and is in my eyes on my fave and all over my clothes and because it is so dry it just keeps on irritating me and I cannot stop scratching. I just find it so frustrating thay any time I touch my head even out it on a pillow wherever there is a lot of hair it hurts my scalp and there is still so much left there ??
I honestly cannot stand it so sounds like I need to go No 2 as well if this is not likely to fall out any time soon. Well buzz down to no2 and a good moisturing cmoisturing to keep the poor scalp hydrated
Thank you again
Jel.
