Finally losing hair

I'm coming up on five months of Tx this Wednesday, and I'm finally seeing significant hair loss, starting a week ago. On Friday night I washed my hair and somehow didn't flip out at the sight of dozens of hairs coming off each time I ran my fingers through. And when I gently brushed it out afterward, at least five hundred of them ended up in my brush. Just sitting here, gently running my fingers through my hair, one or two come out each time. So I try to tell myself, "don't worry, it will all come back."

And then I read on a thread below that one woman has been off Tx for a year with no significant regrowth. My hair is the *only* thing I have consistently liked about myself since I was a teenager, and that was a long time ago. Somebody please offer me some hope. And if somebody tells me how "fun" it is shopping for hats, that will likely start a crying jag that could last all day.

Christine

[meandhepc]

You will be ok. My hair was very thick before tx, I had two episodes during tx when it fell out so much that I felt like I had spiderwebs on me all the time. That eventually stops. I even had it highlighted twice during tx. Each of us are different of course, but it will come back. My hair got so thinned out that I couldnt wear a ponytail but I sure can now.... I freaked too when my hair was thinning, no one else could tell it was thinning, but I sure did! I washed it only when I really needed to and combed it once a day.

[lackalustre]

theres a good post below on hair loss from 11/05 with lots of great comments as well.

[glamazon]

Saw the 11/5 thread, but didn't really see the kinds of answers I was looking for. I already know that if I continue to have significant hair loss I will have to accept it, but the thought of that is devastating to me. I do not have a loving husband or a boyfriend, I'm 45, and my looks are not what they used to be. Forgive me if I'm a trifle upset.

Christine

[oldhippiechick67]

I am at week 19 and have noticed an increasing hair loss...the feeling of loose hairs on my arms and clothing, so on...ugh.  Plus I quit coloring it cuz my hubby thinks dye isnt good for the liver.  So I have 3 inches of ugly salt and pepper growth.  I want to put a bag on my head before I go outside!!  I use bandanas but the roots show.  I too hope it comes back after tx. Glamazon/Christie I can surely relate to your sadness.  My scalp and skin have practically quit secreting any oil so I try not to shampoo but once or twice a week.  And as vain as I am about my hair, the weakness, short of breath, dizziness etc is a bigger worry.  There are so many natural looking wigs/wiglets that if I were to go almost bald I think that could help a lot.
Dolly Parton and Tina Turner have worn wigs forever.  I know that wont cheer you up much but at least you arent alone here.

[BethUK]

I must say the hair thing was what worried me most about going on tx - strange really.  Although it thinned  considerably, it didn't look that bad. (well not compared to how my face looked in general over that time!).  I washed it every day and got it coloured and highlighted the whole year, so I don't think that makes a difference.  A year on, it's completely back to normal and I think that's the case with most people.

[britgirl]

I am the woman whose hair did not grow back! And I am an exception, so please don't worry.
However, I must say that I think "devastated" is a very strong word to use. One day you will start losing your hair through old age. Will you feel devastated then? I think people get too hung up on cosmetic stuff. I am amazed at the number of people on this forum who have gone to nail salons and the like. Your self-worth should not come from externals like this, but through personality and character.....just my thoughts on this.

[berlynn]

Hi, I understand exactly how you feel. At 46, I'm allready battling the ravages of age. I think that our hair is important to many men and women. I don't where alot of make-up but I do like to feel that I look femminine. I do enjoy treating myself to a pedicure and a manicure occasionally. When my husband married me, 6 yrs ago, I had long, mid-back blonde hair. A couple of weeks before treatment, I had my hair cut very short cause I figured that it would be less noticeable if I started losing my hair. My husband hates when I go to the salon, He married a sexy 40 yr old mom of 3, and 6 yrs later he has ended up with a 46 yr old grandmother with short, pixie like hair who is now batteling a major disease. Poor guy, no wonder, he avoids me these days.         Try Nioxin, I think it helps and I've heard others say it helps them.  Good luck,   berlynn

[Tallblonde]

Although I certainly admire the fact that you seem to have your priorities straight (character is indeed infinitely more important than external beauty).  But I think you take an unfair leap by implying that people who "go to nail salons" are seeking self-esteem in superficial ways.  Would you say the same thing about people who have their hair done at a beauty salon?  Or for that matter, what about women (nearly everyone I know) who apply make-up each morning?  Does that mean their self-esteem is low?  It's natural for people to want to put their best foot forward and look as good as they can.  To suggest there's something abnormal or shallow about that is way off the mark, IMHO.

Susan  

[britgirl]

Yeah, I guess I am a bit weird. I don't go to hair salons either.  I was brought up in the years when feminism and hippiedom held sway, and I still hold those values to a large extent.
But, yes, sorry if I sounded a bit harsh this morning . 7am on a Monday is not my most mellow time and to see someone say they would be "devastated" to have stringy hair like mine just pushed me over the edge!

[Tallblonde]

Awwww, no need to apologize.  I'll be in your shoes in the not-too-distant future with my own stringy hair.  Then everyone can call me Tallstringy, instead of Tallblonde.

Susan

[DH Bill]

Hey girls! For what it's worth do you think a salon would help my new Don King look the tx seems to be doing to me with my dry hair or just get out the razor and get rid of it:)

[Tallblonde]

Don King look?  Now I'm really scared!

Susan

[new-sojourn]

Now this is a true story.  I lost hair, more like a dog sheding a winter coat.  It was ayear ago last summer, so the dogs were losing their hair too, also the cat.

But, a yr after tx, (2b, cl@wks, post tx SVR 1yr), I was just complaining that my hair was growing way too fast and it was time to get another hair cut.  Now here's the kicker, when my hair grew back, almost all the grey didn't.  I'm 56.  I just have a few strands in the front-like a reverse Jay Leno-in fact, I quit highlighting to hide the grey.  Also, the texture is finer, softer and very thick again.

Hope this helps.  I did get a shorter, layered cut last summer, b/its very hot here in the summer and I was having the ichy, fever thing and didn't care to fuss too much.  Now its shoulder lenght, dark and glossy-and the grey went away!

[FLtxwife]

Just a head's up with regard to coloring.  There's a relatively new company - Chi - whose products don't contain peroxide - they're completely natural so there's no issue with hurting your liver.  (Yes, these are the same people who created the straightening system of the same name.)  I've been utilizing it now for 6 months and it's no different "looks-wise" than the peroxide-based color I used to years to this point.  Another benefit is that it makes your hair silky-soft - nice benefit.  Stylist are few and far between, so you have to do a search in your area, but numbers are rising every day.  Well worth it....