Life during hair loss

I embraced my situation and clipped off all of my hair and bought wigs.  I was originally a brunette who started turning white at the age of 16 so have colored my hair most of my life- usually various shades of red.  When I clipped off my hair, all of the growth underneath was blonde.  So bizarre!  Since taking my hair off, my scalp has improved so much and itching has decreased tremendously.  I hope this keeps up because I am feeling pretty good other than having zero appetite and with seven more weeks to go, I'm on the home stretch.  So my advice is when you see that hair in your sink, on your pillowcase, just everywhere - don't bother fighting it.  Just decide how to meet the challenge.  I'm happy to have three new hairstyles in different colors that I can plop on my head for work.  And shaving my head was liberating - I'm sure it is not for everyone but it worked for me.  Carpe Diem, all.
Debra

[researchmonkey326]

Probably should have posted this on the Social/Living forum.  Sorry.

[willbb]

Debra...great attitude !...hair grows back....but you are getting rid of this virus ...for good  :)

Hang in...Will

[screaming48]

Hey Debra, excellent attitude and thank you for posting your thoughts on hair loss. I have yet to treat sometime end of the month and yesterday I went ahead and had my hair cut very short above the ears a boy cut. Hair will grow back. Better to get rid of the disease!    Bet the wigs are great, plan on getting one as well. hugs anne

[CaughtOffGuard]

I love your attitude!  Thanks for sharing.

hugs,
christina

[elpasolady]

Great Debra...that is really good info about less itching with less hair.  I don't think i would have come up with that on my own. You're a pioneer, girlfriend.
I've always wondered how my hair would grow back if I ever cut it all off.  I may just find out.
( it's too bizarre to think about it right now)

Haha,,,how  ironic that as I write this, the advertisement on the left side of  this page is for igrow, a hair rejuvenation system.  Underneath is a picture of a man going bald ( before) and with more hair ( after).

[flcyclist]

No irony in the advertisements.  Many of the forums can now recognize keywords in the title of the thread and will place an ad related to the thread topic.  On a recent "Gastro Issue" thread, they post a Prilosec ad.  These for profit forums are getting very slick.  

Debra - you have a great attitude :-)

[meakea]

Good for you for taking control of the situation!!  I did the same thing and your words "and shaving my head was liberating" are exactly how I felt.  Keep up the great progress.

[sandysf]

Debra,  Can I ask how soon you started losing your hair?  I am in week 6 of Gilead too and not much loss yet at all.   Just wondering what may be in store.  

[curiouslady1]

I think we are not all alike so not everybody has to have alopecia as a result of treatment.  But I would think many more will be under the weather in some fashion.  So why have to bother with fixing one's hair? My question is, did you feel you had to keep up with shaving your head to stay comfortable?  How often does one have to do that, if so?  What length seemed to feel the best?  How often does one need to go to the hairdresser to keep it looking neat? etc.

[researchmonkey326]

Everyone is different so you may not even lose your hair or lose just a little.  Mine was pretty thin to begin with.  I lost very little up until about week 14 or15 when it happened pretty quickly- within a week or so, I knew that it was noticeable.  Good luck, Sandy - I hope the best for you.

[researchmonkey326]

I don't know if I will have any upkeep with this- I suppose I'll keep it trimmed short until it looks like it's coming back.  I plan on wearing the wigs to work and hats at other times so I don't care what it looks like - especially since the stuff is blonde and looks awfully strange on me.  I'm playing this one by ear since it is a brand new experience.  I cut it myself with clippers but if I was going to have it show, I would definitely have it done professionally (I called my hairdresser and she was not too pleased that I did it myself).  Coincidentally, the same day that I did mine, the wife of a dear friend of mine shaved hers because of chemo treatment for breast cancer.  It was a good reminder that as bad as it might get for me, someone else is having a more difficult time.

[beeblessed]

Way to go Debra!  You are meeting this on your own terms and kicking butt!  I know people who lost their hair during chemo, and they said each time that it grew back with a slightly different texture.  One even went from straight to curly.  Good to know it helped with the itching.  And I agree with you when you say someone else is having a more difficult time, because at least with treatment -- there's an end.  Counting our blessings..... Stay strong.  I have enjoyed reading your other posts and find them helpful.

[Mary4now]

great attitude Debra, your are going to do it......
I have been off treatment for 12 days and I just started noticing a slowing of the hair loss... so it should be coming back.... a small price to pay to get rid of those teensy eensy weensy virons.  
The virons had their day, now its time to leave and never return.

[streamline569]

I don't know about anyone else but my hair was always very thick and  wavy. Over the years it has thins especially the last few years and not so wavy. I wonder how much of that was caused by the cirrhosis. That's about when it started when my liver started to go down hill. So tx is a small price to pay at least there is a chance I may get my thick wavy hair back.Wouldn't that be nice, but if not It will do.
PS wigs sound like fun tx or not.....

[curiouslady1]

Well I just bought my first wig.  There is a sale of the entire site at wigs.com 25% off.  

[streamline569]

Cool I have to look again. I found one just like my hair style. Which is odd if you were to ever see my hair. Although I haven't lost any hair yet hoping not to.

Sizing: They only seem to have average size. When you get your wig will you let us know how they run and if you like it. My head is small. I guess I should measure. So darn lazy on these drugs.....LOL

[curiouslady1]

I didn't even read the directions and so didn't order any accessories or anything and just did average (I think).  I started drooling over the human hair lace wigs but had to restrain myself.  I haven't even started treatment yet and am still in the screening phase.  The sale is only for today until midnight BTW for anyone who is interested.  

[streamline569]

The one I've been looking at isn't on sale, but I'm loving it more and more every time I see it.

Good luck on your wig search. Hope we don't get hooked on wigs buying. Love to shop online.

Wishing you the best on treatment as well. It's more then doable. Much easier then I imagined.

[curiouslady1]

I don't know how it couldn't be on sale since the entire site is supposed to be 25% off.  Are you sure?  It doesn't show up until check out.  

[researchmonkey326]

The wigs have little sizing things inside so if they are too big, you can tighten them up.  I bought both human hair and synthetic- the synthetic is just as nice and lighter and so much cheaper. I'm going to have to take the human hair one to get styled so it is turning into too much work. I've also bought a few caps and hats that I wear a kind of headband under that goes around the hairline. It looks kind of hip actually

[nygirl7]

I tell you people complimented my 'hair' 100x more with the wigs on then in real life...and dont worry your hair will grow back like crazy when you are done with treatment, really. I still have my whole bag of wigs this many years later they were fun (matching them to clothes and makeup ;)

deb

[curiouslady1]

Way cool.  Well I bit the bullet and went for "Cameo" but I still wonder if I should have also gotten some kind of under-sleeve or other accessory like a special comb or shampoo or how to booklet on wig care.

[nygirl7]

The little stocking cap things work very well but I got tired of using them and just put my hair back with bobby pins, it worked fine (well enough anyways).  I figured especially for the summer I didn't want to put more on my head to keep the heat in...

If I could do it so can you - piece of cake.

[crossroadsec]

This is GOOD news. I've had hair loss for years before dx last summer. It's getting worse. I thought about Nioxin.... try to prolong the need for wigs. Any experience w/ that? Karen

[curiouslady1]

I said this on another thread re the same issue.  I think this is a cultural issue.  There are several cultures in which wigs are not only accepted but expected.  In othodox Judaism and with Afro-Americans, wigs and hairpieces are a part of wardrobe and either for religious and privacy reasons or adornment or a bit of both, are quite an ordinary part of life.  In the caucasian European culture wigs have come to suggest either that you are on chemo or are an entertainer.  Either way there is a negative, almost pejorative connotation.  Too bad.  Well, I guess aging will propel me to consider other forms of adornment than I am currently using and, if for no other reasons, a wig will save me from having to put in the energy of blow drying or arranging my hair, will spare me the agony of a "bad hair day" and will allow me to exercise without having to worry about getting all sweaty and mussed.  

[researchmonkey326]

Nioxin did me no good once I started treatment. Tonight I am going to a business type dinner and the theme is 1920's Speakeasy. I've got my wig in those little finger waves and it will probably look better than anyone's real hair. Believe me, this is not too bad. Plus since I shaved my hair and it is starting to groow a little, until this is over, I am giving my hair a break from all of the coloring and hairspray,etc

[streamline569]

No I called. No sale online for my wig anyway. Actually they have a no return policy, exchange only. I think I'll wait and see if I start to loss my hair where if to noticeably then I'll find a place here where I live. I think I might want to try them on as It's all new to me and would want it to look like my own. Good luck on you purchase or soon to be. Let me know how it works out for you.

[Gerbils]

I decided to wait and see if it gets noticeable too. On one of the other posts fretboard provides a link to a lady who did a video every week of her 24 week treatment and fretboard commented that the lady looked pretty good. I agree (she looks great actually) and I don't see anything bad about her hair although she comment about it being a bit dry. BTW she was SVR after her 24 wk tx. I didn't watch all of the videos but got alot out of it. I hope to be so lucky on all counts.
G

[curiouslady1]

Gerbils,  how old was this lady?

[crossroadsec]

Yeah, the color thing is gonna be a bugger. I did my roots the night before my tx began. I actually grew up fixing my mom's "wiglets" and hair pieces. Falls, wigs. She had a line up of white styrofoam heads on her dresser! I can fall into that pretty ez. I'm sure you'll be the cat's meow tonight! Have fun! I'd love to see pics! Karen