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JSN's avatar
JSN
Member
7 years ago

Eyelashes & eyebrows falling out twice? Is this normal?

Hi all

Finished chemo the end of January this year 4 X AC and 12 x paclitaxel.  Eyebrows and eyelashes fell out during this time and grew back after chemo completed on the 31/01/18.  Now they have significantly thinned out with most of them falling out.

It may sound silly but when I noticed this I had a panic attack.  Wondering what this means and why and is this normal.

Does this mean that the hair on my head will fall out again? The silver grey short hair that I have, which is growing at the slowest rate possible, sort of makes me feel normal.

So silly to be stressed by this.  Also coming up to 12 month appointments and scanning-I think its a mammogram and ultrasound not a MRI or CT.  Is this the normal pathway? Onc and surgeon have not said anything about it. 

Looking forward to comments....

chemotherapy
side-effects

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  • primek's avatar
    primek
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    7 years ago
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    Life cycle of eyelash is around 100 days...so when they all grow back together a lot fall out together  too. I shed at least once (and panicked ) but it did slowly change and now some still stay when I shed. 
  • kezmusc's avatar
    kezmusc
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    7 years ago
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    Same thing here. Mine didn’t completely go until 4 weeks after chemo. Not sure but maybe the cold cap helped with that as my eyebrows never completely went either. They did it again after about two months then all good. Your hair shouldn’t be affected.  The first time mine went was after I had worn heavy makeup and used eye make up remover. They all came out at once. The second time was random but apparently it has something to do with a 90 day cycle for eye lash shedding.
  • Glemmis's avatar
    Glemmis
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    7 years ago
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    Hi @ SamJgS, this is very normal. I had same chemo as you finishing Feb 2017 & my eyelashes have done a complete shed 3 times. They will grow back. I didnt have much in the way of eyebrows to start with but they seemed to have returned to the same now. Hair has grown back too.   As @Irb_03 said yes usually just mammogram & ultrasound at checkups. 
  • lrb_03's avatar
    lrb_03
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    7 years ago
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    Hi, I've certainly heard of this happening. I had FEC-D, and my eyebrows have never been as thick as they used to be since then. My hair also grew back very slowly. Finished chemo early in the October,  didn't go out in public without head wear until the following February or March. 

    In terms of follow up, yes, just a mammogram & US is normally it, unless you have symptoms that lead your team to send you for more tests. I think they day there is no survival benefit in other routine screens compared to watching for symptoms,  and  the added cost and  scanxiety makes it not worth it. I'm 3 years out from diagnosis, and while I trusy my team, I'm still not 100% sure of that one.

    Take care