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Joey's avatar
Joey
Member
14 years ago

Tearing my hair out!

So, I'm on TC (day 16 today) and although I shaved my head the day before my first chemo, I am especially dreading the hair loss; so much so that I have taken to tugging at the bristles to see if they're still attached.  As expected, on Day 14 the tugging finally resulted in tiny clumps of bristles just sliding right out.  Anywhere between 5 and 10 (ish) hairs come out per tug.  It doesn't hurt, but there is no resistance, like they're just sitting there waiting to be removed. 

The thing is, they're not really 'falling out' on their own.  For the last 2 days I've been checking and re-checking to the point that I now have little bald dots around my head that are so obvious that I now have banned myself from venturing outside without a hat or a scarf. 

I know I'm doing this to myself.  It's my own fault I now have these little bald bits.  I wonder if anyone else out there has done this to themself?  And am I unnecessarily balding myself?  I understand that most women lose their hair on TC, but most reports are that it 'falls out' starting around Day 14. 

I'm not the kind of person to sit around and wait for things to happen, so I didn't wait for the surgery, and I didn't wait for the chemo, and I didn't wait to shave my head.  Now I feel like I've taken that to an unhealthy level by creating a problem for myself!  Am I going crazy???

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  • JENNIFERJ's avatar
    JENNIFERJ
    Member
    14 years ago

    HI JOEY,  HAIR , WE CANT LIVE WITH IT AND CANT LIVE WITHOUT IT.  I DO THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME. I HATE MY HAIR IT HAS NOW BEEN GROWING SINCE LATE SEPTEMBER AFTER I FINISHED THE FEC. I THEN HAD 3 ROUNDS OF DOCETAXEL I AM STILL WEARING MY WIG AS I AM NOT A SHORT HAIR PERSON. THIS WEATHER IS REALLY HARD WHEN I HEAR SOMEONE COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW HOT IT IS I FEEL LIKE SAYING TRY WEARING A BEANIE AND YOU WILL NO ALBOUT HOT. XXX LOTS OF LUCK  XX JENNY XX

  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    14 years ago
    Hi Julie, my hairdresser suggested the chemical free colour, and I think she said it was a Delorenzo brand. The colour seems to last as long as other colours I have used before. My oncologist was happy for me to colour my hair with what ever I normally used. I remember him telling me this soon after diagnosis. I also meant to tell you that I stopped wearing my wig in the last week of September, which was 6 months to the day that my chemo finished. By then I had enough hair to cover my head and though it was still very short and curly, was more comfortable than wearing a wig. Love Chris xx
  • Julie_P's avatar
    Julie_P
    Member
    14 years ago

    Thanks Chris, as I've had straight hair all my life I will be very excited if I see any curls, even if they are temporary! I was interested to see you had a chemical-free colour,  I had thought about this as with all the chemicals in my body right now I'm not keen to keep adding more to my head! I will have to check with my hairdresser if she knows about these.

    Julie x

  • Julie_P's avatar
    Julie_P
    Member
    14 years ago

    Hi Chris, my story's the same as yours. I'm 3 TC down, one to go and have a thin stubble on my head that persists and doesn't look like its going to drop out. Just wondering how long it took your hair to grow again? And did you have to shave it once more, to even out the 'old' stubble with the new hair that was coming through?

    Julie

  • Julie_P's avatar
    Julie_P
    Member
    14 years ago

    Hi Chris, my story's the same as yours. I'm 3 TC down, one to go and have a thin stubble on my head that persists and doesn't look like its going to drop out. Just wondering how long it took your hair to grow again? And did you have to shave it once more, to even out the 'old' stubble with the new hair that was coming through?

    Julie

  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    14 years ago
    Hi Joey, I had 4 rounds of TC last year, and my hair started to fall out on about day 18. Initially my scalp felt like my hair had been parted on the wrong side, or pulled tightly into a pony tail. I started to lose clumps, and so 2 days later my husband shaved my head down to a number 2. About 18 days after my second chemo, the remaining bristles started to shed. I also used to tug at my bristles, and they would come adrift. I never went completely bald, and always had a light stubble on my head. Maybe about 5% of my hair remained, but for anyone seeing me without my head covered, would have thought that I was completely bald. You saved yourself the anxiety that the rest of us felt. I knew I would lose my hair, but didn't want to take it off until I was 100% sure that I was going to lose it, but I left it one day too long, as I woke up on day 18 with large bald spots that were difficult to cover, and yet I had too much hair to comfortably put under a wig, and I had to go out. That day I did regret my decision of not shaving earlier. Good luck with all your treatments. What surgery have you had, and how much chemo do you need? Love Chris xx
  • Maria333's avatar
    Maria333
    Member
    14 years ago

    Loving the nails Joey. I had my hair cut fairly short. Then pulled it in clumps before my showers, hated losing clumps of hair in the shower. I also had patches, maybe your hair is strong, which is why its taking a little longer to fall out. I get what you mean about it just sliding out.

    I agree with Tonya, she has the best advice, you'll figure it out.

    All the bery best.

    Maria333

  • Maria333's avatar
    Maria333
    Member
    14 years ago

    Loving the nails Joey. I had my hair cut fairly short. Then pulled it in clumps before my showers, hated losing clumps of hair in the shower. I also had patches, maybe your hair is strong, which is why its taking a little longer to fall out. I get what you mean about it just sliding out.

    I agree with Tonya, she has the best advice, you'll figure it out.

    All the bery best.

    Maria333