Lost Brow

[Rosebud41]

During my lastest attempt at tx I lost (1) eyebrow.

Do you think it might return? The right brow is growing like crazy, but the left has the beginning part then a large gap

and the pointed end. I have to fill it in.

As some of you know my tx experiences have been challengingt.


The most recent tx issues I can't even talk about yet. I wasn't depressed during treatment. But, given the sloppy

ending of treatment I have had to deal with some disappointment.

However, I would like to know if I may possibly have another chance at two eyebrows and

facial balance.

I have not spoken to my doctor since he went out sick during my treatment.

Again, I was left to deal with Nurse Dont Know.

Thanks,

Rosebud

[annieCinMD]

Sephora is a good suggestion for the eyebrow stuff. I got a sample from there, and it was a powder, not a pencil. I thought it worked pretty well. My lashes did the sudden disappearing act, too.

[justme53]

newleaf,
My llama lashes simply disappeared too. One day friends were commenting on my 'gorgeous' lashes, then they were gone.

I've never used an eyebrow pencil before tx and feel so clumsy at it and self conscious when I do wear it. I guess like anything, it takes practice and experimentation. Right now it looks like I gave one of my grandsons a go at it.

[GreatBird]

I never got llama lashes and didn't loose my eyebrows. They've always been so faint it's hard to see them anyway.

What's really strange is that during TX the curly hair on my head fell out, leaving a sparse collection of baby-fine straight hairs. The hair that's growing back (I'm about 14 weeks EOT) is all straight. I haven't had straight hair in almost 50 years. WUWT?

As to leg and armpit hair, I never had much to begin with (never needed to shave) and still don't.

As for estrogen . . . I've been on the patch for several years now and they didn't take me off it for TX. This means I had a stable and constant (unless I forgot to change it) level of estrogen and progesterone the whole time. I keep wondering if that didn't help me, especially when it came to depression, since I didn't have trouble with that. Maybe there were other benefits.

[newleaf09]

Did anyone notice the llama lashes going?  They were just suddenly not there, no extra lashes on pillow or cheeks, just not there anymore.  They were kind of a nuisance, anyway.

I found something on the net related to another thread: alopecia areata, autiimmune hairloss, common in chemo patients.   Hair loos in patches, general on head or all over body (meki, I have not bothered to shave the 12 hairs on each leg or armpit).  Supposed to straighten out in a year.  The autoimmune bit would fit with IFN therapy.  TX hair loss takes a good many months to get started, probably about the same time some of the other autoimmune type side effects start to kick in, and does not stop until several mos. post-TX.

Not that I want body hair, but I'd like all my eyebrows and to stop being allergic to myself.  Go to Sephora if you have one and let the experts match you up.  There are whole cosmetic lines aimed at eyebrows.

[GSDgirl]

Mine are so bushy even after 2 years EOT.  If I lost one I would shave the other and use an eyebrow pencil.  Only when I have to go out, that is

Denise

[meakea]

Ladies...is seems it's this issue is another case of "anything goes" when it comes to treatment effects.  

My eyelashes and eyebrows sprouted during the early parts of my TX but then they gave up and fell out.  I was without eyelashes and eyebrows during the last half of my TX.  My head hair...well, I ended up wigging it.  My body hair fell out and I didn't miss it at all...didn't need to shave pits or legs...lol.  

6.5 mos post treatment...as I mentioned above my eyebrows are missing the center third, my eyelashes are pretty much normal but fall out easier if I rub my eye area too much cleaning mascara off, my head hair is 70% back but the fringe area falls out when it reaches 1 to 1.5".  My body hair is so sparse that I only have to shave legs and arm pits once a month...only a few hairs here and there.

All in all, I'm not concerned about it...for me it's just another one of those things that it's very interesting to compare notes on with all of you.

By the way...those of you that fill in your eyebrows...what is your favorite product?  I have yet to find a favorite because I'm not satisfied with any of them yet.

[justme53]

My brows are still there and toned down a bit from earlier in tx, but they have absolutely NO color, so it looks like they're missing. I try to pencil them in for work, but it feels weird to me. Miss the llama lashes though.........

[newleaf09]

I think it's complicated.  I was developing a skip in center of brows before TX, but then all grew in along with the crazy long eyelashes.  At the same time, I lost all the rest of my body hair and about a third of my head hair disappeared.  It's all hair, why does one (brows and lashes) add and the other diminish?  Now (9 mos. post-Tx) I am needing to pencil the middle in again.  Sorry the meds took out the whole brow!

I feel sure there is an estrogen connection to hair loss, I just don't have it figured out, yet.  I was positive that my estrogen production stopped on TX and am pretty sure it has not restarted.  Going to an endocrinologist on Friday.

[annieCinMD]

I have a friend who lost her eyebrows and eyelashes along with her hair. My eyebrows got bushy and my eyelashes were camel lashes, and my hair fell out for 15 weeks after eot. I'm just seeing the regrowth now and I just had my 6 month eot check up. Anything is possible with this stuff.  Give it time, I don't believe it is entirely over at 6 months because I have a few nagging sides still hanging around. Nothing earth shattering but annoying all the same.

[meakea]

OMGosh, Rosebud, I have the same eyebrow issue post treatment.  I'm 6 months post treatment and BOTH of my eyebrows are still messed up.  I am missing the middle part (the arch) of both eyebrows and I have to fill them in but it still looks odd.  I thought it was just me.  My doc's NP said my hair should return to normal within 6 months but it's been over 6 months and that middle part doesn't show any sign of growth.