Hair Loss

[jennnnz7]

I know I'm  trying to cover it all. lol I have read in your previous responses Nioxin shampoo. I am not familiar with it what it is it esp for?
I know hair loss is somethin that can happen or will happen?How many people experienced this and to what degree and for the ladies especially what was a solution or somethings that helped? I am so clueless. Am I going to need a wig my Goodness they are like $300.00. Suggestions please.

[Dee1956]

Thank you all so much for your comments.  It really helps to hear of others experiences.  My head looks like someone went over it with a lawn mower.  I am like ID and Ce with excessive hair loss, losing chunks of hair.
The first time I treated my hair loss was very diffuse and I do not think anyone noticed.  The worst part was in the winter when the hair loss became more noticeable in the cold so I bought lots of hats.  This time I had much more hair loss and I am trying to just leave it alone, using wide tooth comb as suggested above.  Thank goodness it is warm out.  The good part is that my head is now covered with baby hairs anywhere from 1/4 inch to 3 so I am hoping in 6 months or so to have it evened out.
If I had known then what I know now I would have donated my hair to "locks of love" instead of throwing it away.
Thank you again

[ceanothus]

I'm on my third tx (and I'm 58 and cirrhotic) and have experienced much more hair loss this time around. I used Nioxin products religiously for the first five months and lost huge amounts of hair anyway, plus the products were really irritating to my scalp. I finally gave up on them and am just using Aveeno shampoo for volumizing, and my hair looks better (although it is still falling out) and my scalp feels way better. I cut my mid-back hair to chin-length early in tx, but by the 4th month I had to cut it much shorter, like a pixie cut. Now I'm on week 38 of 48 and my hair is so very thin that I generally don't leave the house without either a hat or a scarf. Hats are usually easier and they do cover enough - the top is where the loss shows the most. Just get a good selection of hats and scarves and try to have fun with them but realize you most likely won't lose enough to actually feel they are necessary. Best wishes!

[BoceprevirGal]

Oh, I have to agree with JasmineT, the Tx did start making my scalp dry and itchy, so I do use a product on it, called "waxalene", which has soy oil in it, vitamin e oil, and bees wax, which stops the itching and dryness, but coconut oil works well also.

[Naya888]

Jen i have been using Nioxin big bottle cost me 30 dolars lasts forever as recomended by stylist Inoticed my hair was falling less after about month and my hair look thicker You can try it.
I had this problem during menopause already.For Bad day I discovered smal clipon hair pieces for extra volume in beauty supply stores,they give you nice volume

[JasmineT]

I don't have the links but some hair loss is common.  Both interferon dn ribaviron include hair loss on their sx.  I seem to recall that many lose 25 to 30% of their hair.  Very few lose all. Sorry could not find links but someone else may.

I was stressed by this too.

For the month prior to tx I took the nioxin supplement and started using nioxin shampoo and conditioner.

My scalp dried out and iced like crazy during tx.  I was worried this would make my hair fall out faster so I started co nut oil treatments a couple times a week which added moisture to my scalp and stopped the itch.

I reduced how often I shampooed and just used conditioner in my shower on other days.

When I ran out of Nixon vitamins I switched to biotin.

I used a round brush with short soft bristles to comb through my hair.  Wide tooth combs never did well for me.

My hair loss was not too bad.  Can't say if these things helped but I did not use the coconut oil for two weeks once and I started having clumps fall out.  They stopped when I went back to coconut oil.

After tx I switched to olive oil treatments for a while when my scalp stopped itching as much.

You can't help but stress the hair.  It's unlikely anyone but you will notice your hair loss but some people have had it better or worse so do what you can and don't worry to much on it.  It will come back and you will get through it.

Wishing you the best.

[Dawn703]

I switched to all natural mild shampoo and conditioner, used a wide tooth comb, and leave the conditioner on during my shower. I had very little hair loss until recently (I'm in week twenty). I just cut it short figured I'm going to be done with treatment soon and so far it is not noticeable to anyone.

[jennnnz7]

Thanks so much for everyone's post. I am hoping for the best. I have been so obsessed with all of this for the last six months I think I am driving everyone crazy. LOL Glad you all are here!

Have a good evening :~)
Jenn

[pooh55811]

You may not lose your hair. I did not lose mine. I think the percentage who lose hair is around 23-28 %.

I will start week 42 tomorrow.  I did notice a few extra hairs falling out daily (although not recently for some reason). When I look in the mirror, it appears slightly thinner to me. More of my scalp seems to show at the part line. But that could just be a false perception.  My hair has always been thin and very fine, so it never had a lot of body or thickness anyway. However, I do not think anyone else can tell that I lost a little extra hair.

Before I started Tx, I looked online for hats, scarves, caps that were specifically made for chemotherapy hair loss. As it turns out, there was a store near me and I went there to see what they had. I picked one out and got the data on it. I did not buy it because I did not want a hair covering if I did not need one. But I felt very relieved that I could call them and get the head covering in less than a week if I needed it.

http://www.headcovers.com/

http://www.hatsscarvesandmore.com/

http://www.4women.com/about.php/

http://www.fittingwithdignity.com/chemotherapy-headcoverings.aspx

I also cut my hair quite short, a little below the ear line (not a crew cut, LOL). I read that the weight of long hair can sometimes hasten it to fall out. Plus, long hair gets tangled and one has to comb it out. The more combing one does and the more pulling or stress on the hair, potentially leads to more hair loss. So I cut my hair to try to help it stay on my head. I also use an organic hypoallergenic shampoo and a very wide toothed comb.

If your hair is going to fall out in clumps, I don't think there is much one can do about that. And some people will lose much of their hair.  I think the helpful hints like shampoo, wide toothed comb, and short hair help the people who may loose some hair, but not all hair. If a person can keep as much hair as possible on the head (as opposed to in the drain) , by not hastening the hair loss, then the partial hair loss may not be noticeable.

I definitely recommend scoping out the possibilities before Tx. There is no need to buy anything before Tx. However, knowing where you will go and what you will buy if you need a head covering is reassuring and relieves stress and fear. The reason I suggest scoping it out and having a plan before Tx is that you may not feel like looking all over the place for a head covering after you start Tx. Plus, if the hair starts coming out in clumps, you don't want to have to look all over to try to figure out where to get a head covering. You need something already set up so that you can  get it fast and easy.

But, this may all be moot because you have a better chance of keeping your hair than of losing it.  

[BoceprevirGal]

  Hmmm, well, I will be on week 22, on tuesday, on Triple Tx with Victrelis, and I havent experienced any visible hair-loss yet.
   At week 20, I did notice my hair coming out in 2's and 3's, very long strands, etc. But it has stopped, now.
    The only special thing I do is: I use an organic and mild shampoo and conditioner, by Desert Essence, made with Tea Tree oil and peppermint.
   And I only wash my hair, once a week. Oh, I stopped dying it, also. And Inever comb it with a comb or brush, I just shake it out with my fingers. And I stopped blow-drying it, I just air-dry it.
   I cant believe how soft and luscious it is, now that I have stopped dying it!  The silver hair at the temples is becoming , with my coloring, much less harsh looking, then all the colors I dyed i,t for all those years. And the hiar that is not dyed (I have about two inches grown out) is so much thicker than dyed hair.  I feel very strong and beautiful, just like I feel like all the ladies here, going thru Tx are strong and beautiful, hair or no hair. We are strong and brave, to be fighting this virus, and beautiful, for taking such good cae of our-selves. Soon, when we are better, we will be better equiped, to take care of the other loved ones, in our lives!
   Get all your beauty supplies lined up, for Tx:  I use a couple favorite mouth-washes, non-alcoholic, and gum with xylitol, for mouth health. Very mild and natural moisturizers for my skin, natural sun-screen,  frangrance free, to avoid skin rash,and fragrance free laundy detergent.
   The clothes I wear are commfortble and cotton. The main thing is to keep yourself feeling as comfortable and healthy as possible, considering the meds are gonna make you feel uncomfortable at times.
   Also, I always wear a hat, in the sun. Fun hats, ones that can be worn inside or out, stylish ones, can work better for thinning hair, then a wig.

[Idyllic]

You might not lose that much hair. Everyone responds differently. I am on week 26 and no amount of the right brand of shampoo was going to stop medicine-related hair loss from Interferon (or whatever med causes it).

Even just slight thinning or receding of your hair line (the baby hair) can cause a profound change in your appearance even though it is not really all that much hair. You will be able to work around it.

90% of my hair is gone and I am freaked,. On the other hand I know many people at various stages of treatment and many only had slight thinning of hair. There is no way to know how this will be for you.

I hate to see you so freaked out given that your hair will probably be OK. Still, I am glad you are mentally prepared for the fact that you could lose hair.  Synthetic hair  or some kind of lace front wig costs no where near $300 but you can cross that bridge when you come to it , as it were♫

[orphanedhawk]

Not everyone has hair loss or to the same extent but it does grow back.
First time I did tx, I loss less than this last time. I finished at the end of March, got a shorter cut, and now, my hair is thick again and definitely growing.

If you do start to lose some during tx, use a large tooth comb, and don't use it excessively. Use gentle shampoo and wash less often.

Good luck

[Dee1956]

Hi Nioxin is a hair care program which I believe was created for people going through chemo.
It is sold in many stores, salons and on line.  Amazon has it as well.  The starter kits are good in that you can try it to see if it works for you.
It is possible you will not lose much hair or will have some minor thinning
I lost a lot however I have cirrhosis so had more trouble than someone with less damage
My best to you