Forum Discussion
jennywren
14 years agoMember
Loss of eyelashes
Hi everyone,
It is about 8 weeks since my last round of chemo, during which I lost most of my body hair with the exception of my eyebrows and eyelashes. Now, 8 weeks on my eyebrows have thinned out to virtually nothing and my eyelashes have all gone completely. This has upset me more than my actual hair loss!!
Has anyone else experienced this?
Jen xx
21 Replies
- MargheriteMemberThanks all. Yr comments are v helpful. I finished Five months of chemo last week and though my lashes had been thinning I got away with using liner (as well as eyebrow pencil). I then lost all my lashes and The last two days I've had styes. First in one eye then th other. The chemist gave me an antibiotic cream but hey are so sore and effect my vision. It's worse than the chemo. ..or maybe just that I thought I was over the worst when chemo finished. Also have a chest infection which is depleting my energy. I try to keep telling myself that if this is the worst it will get I will be fine. I don't always believe it but I try.
- MargheriteMemberThanks all. Yr comments are v helpful. I finished Five months of chemo last week and though my lashes had been thinning I got away with using liner (as well as eyebrow pencil). I then lost all my lashes and The last two days I've had styes. First in one eye then th other. The chemist gave me an antibiotic cream but hey are so sore and effect my vision. It's worse than the chemo. ..or maybe just that I thought I was over the worst when chemo finished. Also have a chest infection which is depleting my energy. I try to keep telling myself that if this is the worst it will get I will be fine. I don't always believe it but I try.
- joadavisMember
I was the same. I lost my head hair at week 2 after chemo #1 and i was ok, bit teary but managable and lost majority of my eye brows and lashes about a month ago after chemo #5. I was devastated! I can even count them haha one on the bottom and about four at the top on each eye, but over the last few weeks im getting used to drawing on the eye brows and using mascara on limited lashes and i must admit u cant really notice. And my leg hair is starting to grow back now bugger! haha have to start shaving haha what we girls have to go through haha!
I am also sory to hear about ur pathology results, i understand that it must be very upsetting for you, but cry and let it out when u want as thats natural, i know that helps me when i hear news. but just think how far you have come and what will be will be, keep on smiling as we are all here for you :) take care xoxoxoxo
- TonyaMMember
Somehow I don't think Playboy would buy our gnarled chest photos so no worries there.After all the horrible chemo you've had,radiation will seem like a picnic Jen.You might get a bit tired part way through but nothing like chemo tired.Your chest might glow like a hot plate but it's no worse than a bad case of sunburn.It is tedious going every day for 6wks.My skin never broke down and I'm fair in colouring- you just don't know with that side of it.Gosh ,all these treatments cut a years chunck out of your life don't they.It's good to get away-gives you something to look forward to.You can relax and forget about the cancer world for awhile.
Tonya xx
- jennywrenMember
Once again girls it was lovely to hear from you and I can totally relate to both your comments. I am trying to stay calm and get on with everyday living, my radiotherapy starts mid November so hoping to get a few days away with my hubby before then. I have been told they are treating a very large area with the highest dose possible and to expect burning! Something else to look forward to!! When they were doing the planning yesterday and took photo's I told them to make sure they didn't end up in Playboy!!!
Have a good day xxx
- jennywrenMember
Once again girls it was lovely to hear from you and I can totally relate to both your comments. I am trying to stay calm and get on with everyday living, my radiotherapy starts mid November so hoping to get a few days away with my hubby before then. I have been told they are treating a very large area with the highest dose possible and to expect burning! Something else to look forward to!! When they were doing the planning yesterday and took photo's I told them to make sure they didn't end up in Playboy!!!
Have a good day xxx
- TonyaMMember
Sorry to hear about your pathology.I know how you feel as my cancer came back 7yrs later in the same spot despite clear margins and radiation.I thought I'd done the hard yards but then it came back,growing 3cms in less than a year.I have no lymph nodes so no way of telling if it travelled.I felt sick to the pit of my stomach.I had the body and bone scans and fortunately they were clear. I had the mastectomy and then some chemo last year.My oncologist said that chemo mops up stray cells but won't really get rid of a mass - just reduce it. I guess you have to tell yourself that hopefully chemo did it's job on any stray,breakaway cells and the mastectomy got rid of the mass that was abit big for chemo to tackle.It is too disheartening to think otherwise.I'll admit that I've lost abit of faith in radiation and chemo but there isn't much choice is there.As time goes on I don't think about it so much and that will happen for you Jen. It's a normal response to feel gloom and doom with this cancer stuff but in a year's time you'll feel more confident that you are ok.I like to read inspiring autobiographies where people overcome great adversities in their life.For an attack of the miseries I either get busy or have a glass of bubbly.Maybe meditation might help- just find something to distract yourself with if you feel you are going down the doom path.Thinking of you.
Tonya xx
- TonyaMMember
Sorry to hear about your pathology.I know how you feel as my cancer came back 7yrs later in the same spot despite clear margins and radiation.I thought I'd done the hard yards but then it came back,growing 3cms in less than a year.I have no lymph nodes so no way of telling if it travelled.I felt sick to the pit of my stomach.I had the body and bone scans and fortunately they were clear. I had the mastectomy and then some chemo last year.My oncologist said that chemo mops up stray cells but won't really get rid of a mass - just reduce it. I guess you have to tell yourself that hopefully chemo did it's job on any stray,breakaway cells and the mastectomy got rid of the mass that was abit big for chemo to tackle.It is too disheartening to think otherwise.I'll admit that I've lost abit of faith in radiation and chemo but there isn't much choice is there.As time goes on I don't think about it so much and that will happen for you Jen. It's a normal response to feel gloom and doom with this cancer stuff but in a year's time you'll feel more confident that you are ok.I like to read inspiring autobiographies where people overcome great adversities in their life.For an attack of the miseries I either get busy or have a glass of bubbly.Maybe meditation might help- just find something to distract yourself with if you feel you are going down the doom path.Thinking of you.
Tonya xx
- Leonie_MooreMember
Hi Jenny, My remedy was to draw my eyebrows on and I am still using eyeliner to give my eyes some "lift" as the eyelashes are still pretty non-existant. It works really well and I think I will keep it up as my eyelashes are normally fairly sparse, light coloured and thin. I too have to do my legs - bugger. I am now hatless - have my "hair" coloured and it is still very short but I am starting to like it. Everyone says it looks great but hubby is looking forward to some more growth. Sure is easy to manage and cuts the "get ready" time when going out. Re the eyebrows- when they came back it was in a "mass" of light coloured fluff. I had to get them waxed and coloured to give them definition. It will all happen - just go with the flow. XLeonie
- Leonie_MooreMember
Hi Jenny, My remedy was to draw my eyebrows on and I am still using eyeliner to give my eyes some "lift" as the eyelashes are still pretty non-existant. It works really well and I think I will keep it up as my eyelashes are normally fairly sparse, light coloured and thin. I too have to do my legs - bugger. I am now hatless - have my "hair" coloured and it is still very short but I am starting to like it. Everyone says it looks great but hubby is looking forward to some more growth. Sure is easy to manage and cuts the "get ready" time when going out. Re the eyebrows- when they came back it was in a "mass" of light coloured fluff. I had to get them waxed and coloured to give them definition. It will all happen - just go with the flow. XLeonie