When diagnosed, I had lovely long hair. Two weeks after my first AC treatment, my scalp hurt so much I got a pixie cut to relieve the weight/sensitivity. A few days later, what was left fell out in large patches. To spare myself feeling traumatised when the rest fell out, I shaved it off. What surprised me was to feel some stubble in the days after. I didn't expect to have some hair that didn't fall out at all, because such a large volume had fallen out before I shaved. I thought that it would all fall out over a few weeks, but it didn't (despite a smooth body). Fast forward four months (three months of AC and two rounds of Taxol), and first I noticed chin whiskers the other day. Then downy hair on my arms. Then more pubic hair (though it is still patchy). It is hard to tell how patchy my scalp is, I continued to shave it to avoid the patchiness - I thought I would wait until it was obvious all my hair was growing again to stop. Given that I still have 10 Taxol left, I am curious - am I likely to have more hair loss as the Taxol treatment progresses, or now that I am having some hair regrowth, is the hair loss over? How did you all know when to let your scalp hair grow, was it patchy at first then filled in? Any advice/insight is welcome!

Hi @jtee AC Chemo is when the big drop occurs, and I had very little shedding during taxol. My hair has grown back salt and pepper, which I’m loving now. I was unsure about it initially, but I get lots of comments about it.I still have some cute chemo curls and waves too which can get out of control on humid and rainy days! But I’m pleased with my new hair, it has grown back thicker, and I am enjoying growing it long too, for something different I’m a new me! :) Caz x

The fact is that your hair (any hair...anywhere) grows from below the skin in the follicles. All that shaving the surface of the skin does, is to cut off a growing hair, leaving a sharp edge. A hair that is not shaved thus, has a fine pointed tip, which feels softer. So...whether you shave or not, will not make your hair grow faster or thicker. Before chemo, I used to sit on my dead straight hair. I had it shaved to a #2 to avoid the trauma of metre long hair falling out in clumps. After that, I left my head alone and soon was blessed with much peach fuzz. This turned into an old fashioned hairy mango pip. That then changed to my Albert Einstein phase, with a mass of silvery white curls which exploded from my head looking as if I'd stuck one of my metal knitting needles into a plug socket. I then had to cut my hair very short again in preparation to brain surgery. It's now salt and pepper ...a lot more salt than pepper, to my shoulders, and just a wave, but no more maniacal chemo curls which I miss.

Hi@jtee,I lost most but not all my hair in ac. The stray hairs continued to grow through taxol but not much else. Leg hair etc all went into further decline. Eyebrows fell right at the end. Everyone is different. I finished chemo in january and i have gone from quite bald with fluff at new years to a full head of hair. If you like it better shaved go for it. I left mine and found it quite nice to have some hair. The strays got long in a nice way. Ive had 2 haircuts now.

@FLClover. Thanx. Its hard to tell from photo but i have a subtle pink rinse through that @Locksley sent me! Im goingvin the Mothers Day Classic on Sunday. Have raised over $1000 for the national breast cancer research foundation with help of family and friends. I hope rhey can make treatment better for everyone! Maybe there will be a day in the future where hair loss isnt a thing, where we all achieve more certainty over our futures...

@MicheleR I saw the pink tint 😁. I love it. I have a pink tint too 😊. And omg, that’s fantastic!! Good work!! 👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻. I hope you feel very proud of yourself 😃. I hope for the same things 🤞🤞♥️

How do I know when to let it grow?

16 Replies

MicheleR
Member
5 years ago
Hi@jtee,

I lost most but not all my hair in ac. The stray hairs continued to grow through taxol but not much else. Leg hair etc all went into further decline. Eyebrows fell right at the end. Everyone is different.

I finished chemo in january and i have gone from quite bald with fluff at new years to a full head of hair. If you like it better shaved go for it. I left mine and found it quite nice to have some hair. The strays got long in a nice way. Ive had 2 haircuts now.
Caz1
Member
5 years ago
Hi @jtee AC Chemo is when the big drop occurs, and I had very little shedding during taxol.
My hair has grown back salt and pepper, which I’m loving now. I was unsure about it initially, but I get lots of comments about it.I still have some cute chemo curls and waves too which can get out of control on humid and rainy days! But I’m pleased with my new hair, it has grown back thicker, and I am enjoying growing it long too, for something different
I’m a new me! :)
Caz x
jtee
Member
5 years ago
@Afraser - Thanks for your response, I am please to hear your hair is healthy and stable now. :)
Afraser
Member
5 years ago
I started getting some fuzzy hairs about halfway through 12 rounds of Taxol. It took quite some time to grow in and I didn’t cut it until it was quite well developed and needed some shape, then trimmed regularly which helped reduce the wild frizz. About a year after it had grown back, I started losing more hair than normal (which had been almost nothing) when brushing my hair. It seems that not only can the colour and texture of your hair change after chemo, but so can your shedding pattern. My hair is now a little finer and I shed a little more (but well within normal amounts), otherwise stable and healthy, a little wavier than pre bc, but not the crazy frizz which I didn’t like much!
jtee
Member
5 years ago
Thanks @AllyJay! I am so sorry to hear that you have been through so much. xo
AllyJay
Member
5 years ago
The fact is that your hair (any hair...anywhere) grows from below the skin in the follicles. All that shaving the surface of the skin does, is to cut off a growing hair, leaving a sharp edge. A hair that is not shaved thus, has a fine pointed tip, which feels softer. So...whether you shave or not, will not make your hair grow faster or thicker. Before chemo, I used to sit on my dead straight hair. I had it shaved to a #2 to avoid the trauma of metre long hair falling out in clumps. After that, I left my head alone and soon was blessed with much peach fuzz. This turned into an old fashioned hairy mango pip. That then changed to my Albert Einstein phase, with a mass of silvery white curls which exploded from my head looking as if I'd stuck one of my metal knitting needles into a plug socket. I then had to cut my hair very short again in preparation to brain surgery. It's now salt and pepper ...a lot more salt than pepper, to my shoulders, and just a wave, but no more maniacal chemo curls which I miss.