Permanent Hair Loss?

Hi @katieT
I am so sorry I typed the reply  but some reason it didnt send (?????) here was my reply from months ago :( So so@KatieT

I have had the same problem
Im nearly 5 years out of chemo. 
I tried alot of the above. Nioxon shampoo etc. Nak shampoo etc. Kernaquie (spelling)hair follical stimulateor. The things i have had most experience with is adding good quality essential oil (rosemary - just a couple of drops in ur shampoo conditioner) and also if u want to spend funds... go to ashley and martin. I have had great success with using a laser cap at home. 

I understood everything u said. 

I also got my eyebrows tattoed this yr. These little things make a difference.  We were stripped away. And everyday we wear our hair or face. Look at ot as in investment of u and ur happiness. Yes we r alive today hip hip horay... but i think it shows we are healthy again if this is what we are complaining about. Hope that came out right. 

Sillysam  

I get the feeling just from this site that docetaxel isn't used as much as before.  It is a viscous drug, but my hair did return, took about 7 months before I took the caps off.  (And it looked like I had a short buzz cut).  A friend who I met through treatment has not had much luck though, her hair didn't return well.  I was never warned pre chemo either, I don't think they had it listed as a possible side effect.  It seems to take a long time for them to list things.   I so hope you all find something that will help.  

I'll try tagging her again so she may be able to provide you with more information. @sillysam83
Could you let me know if she doesn't contact you. I might be able to locate her details from the forum.

I haven't heard from her.  I went to one - I forget the name and it was somewhere in the region of $5,000 for a year of treatment with no guarantees.  I was hoping they'd seen other people like me and could offer me some hope.  I wonder what Ashley and Martin did for that lady.  I have used Minoxidil and it might have gained me a little.  I also have just read a study that was done on men that concluded that microneedling in conjunction with minoxidil might work better so I'm going to give that a go.  If I knew there was a real benefit to be gained, I'd spend a lot more than $5,000 to have a normal head of hair again.  I didn't want to go into debt if it was going to be useless.   I would like to get microblading of my eyebrows done.  That would be good.  I might suggest to my family that they don't buy me any Christmas pressies and all chip in a few dollars.  Last time I checked it was about $500 to get eyebrows.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746236/

I met a lovely lady at the bcna forum who had the same problems as yourself following chemo. She stated she did invest a lot of money at Ashley and Martin and it definetly helped her. She hasn't got a thick full head of hair but she states it's thickened enough for her to live with now. She also had her eyebrows tattooed as they didn't return.

I know the treatments are expensive but if you add up the money you would spend on hair care normally and the money of the various products and wigs, you might be able to justify spending this on yourself.  They may be able to provide payment options and money back guarantees if there is no improvement..

Just thought I'd let you know. I tagged her in some time back (Feb) but no response here unless she messaged you privately. Kath x

I will keep trying.

It was never recognised at the hospital that this result is a problem.  I asked my oncologist what I should do.  I was really at a loss.  He said consult a hair clinic like it was not even a medical issue.  Nobody told me what to try or how to manage this life-changing disaster.  I went to a hair clinic.  It was thousands and thousands of dollars of treatment which has no research to back up probable results.  I can't afford it.  So I hunt through internet sources and google scholar in the hope I stumble upon something helpful and that my hair isn't so far gone that I may still see some further improvement.  

@KatieT
You haven't failed at chemo! No one warned you this could happen and unfortunately you are not the only one who has exprienced hair "changes". I wish you all the best with lotions and potions, I am currently trying marrocan oil which is supposed to help hair growth and am also concentrating on a healthy diet to support hair growth. Let us know how you go. Xx

I went in to Starkles in Brisbane to see if I can get a topper but the lady there said my hair was too fine and thin on top to hold a topper without getting damaged further.  That really sucked.  I desperately wanted to not be wearing a full wig. She sold me another full wig.  

My insurance company covers a wig each year as my oncologist wrote a letter saying I needed a 'prosthetic' due to the results of cancer treatment. '

I feel like I've failed at chemotherapy.  Other people recover and get to look like they were before but I won't. Nobody at my support group has the same problem.  They all have hair.  Nobody else in my family that has had chemotherapy had their hair damaged permanently.  Just me.  

I really hope your hair grows back.  Three months is very short a time.  Mine didn't even start growing for about a year.  Then it came firstly at the back then sides.  The top was a problem all the way through.  I still have no eyebrows and a very high forehead with the widow's peak of a balding man and whisps on top.  I haven't worked out a hair style that works yet.  I'm still desperately trying all the potions and remedies I can.

Sorry to hear that things have not worked out the way you thought they would. I was wondering if perhaps contacting an alopecia support group might help. Even though your hair loss is from chemo, you might be able to connect with people who understand the implications of long term hair loss, and the effect it might have on self image and self esteem. Good luck.

Hi @KatieT, 
I am almost 3 months post chemo. Like you, I too had Docetaxel without being warned that I may experience permanent hair loss. Others that have finished chemo at the same time as me now have what looks like a buzz cut but did not have Docetaxel. I have some hair growth, most of it white (I coloured my hair prior to chemo and it was never white) but it is so thin and fine you can see my scalp so I still look bald. I also have quite a few bald patches amongst it. My eyebrows and lashes have not made an appearance either. I am worried that I will be left with permanent hair loss but am hoping that I am worrying prematurely. I totally understand how you are feeling. It is "ok" to be bald during treatment but you cling to the thought that when your hair returns after treatment you might just resemble yourself once again. This disease takes so much from us so to take your hair permanently is a shit! It's just a constant reminder. I can't believe your psych said it's only hair. It's what makes you feel "normal"! I also get that you want to hide. As some of the other girls have mentioned tattooed eyebrows work well. Have you considered a hair topper rather than a full wig? If you have male patterned baldness a topper may give you the look of a fuller head of hair. I've had a bit of a look online as it may just be the road I will have to take. I must say though I am extremely pissed off that we weren't warned about permanent hair loss to begin with! Sending you a virtual head massage to encourage those hair follicles. Sophie