thinning hair

[PSL]

Hello
I have been on treatment only 1 week.  I already see my hair thinning.  Can these meds make you lose all your hair...

[NYgirl]

Well they can but it seems a bit too quick for your hair to fall out in one week to me (but of course what do I know).

Mine didn't really start to fall out until later on (and then was amplified when the interferon killed off my thyroid).  I've probably lost 50% and on top it is desperately STRAIGHT where it's grown in.  I have very curly hair though that I attempt to straighten with an iron all of the time so it's something different for sure and completely obvious and bizarre.


Not only do you get hair loss on your head but you might begin to GROW HAIR on eyelashes, eyebrows and entire face. Yeah nice. Also...my hair started having dead, split ends and cracking off in places too. It's lovely.  Juuuust Lovely.

[avidreader]

Well, I'm on week 52 of 52 and the first post I ever put up on this site was about thinning hair. Mine too, started thinning immediately and then from about week 25 to 35 I lost a ton of hair.  But--I still have hair. I wear if very short and use shampoos that make it appear thicker. I'm counting on what everyone seems to experience--that it will come back after I finish treatment. I can't wait. Until recently, when it got really thin and lifeless, nobody noticed it as much as I did and I've heard other people on treatment say that too. Now, though, It's pathetic--I have to be in a wedding tomorrow and my hairdresser and I are clueless--he is suggesting that he weave in a hairpiece! BUT--I've never heard of anyone losing all their hair on treatment. Good luck to you on your treatment journey--it's a long strange trip.

[FlGuy]

That's pretty fast hair.  How have you noticed the thinning, hair on pillow, in drain?  Hair impacts vary by person.  I think hair shafts actually thinned, but didn't fall out.  Post tx hair growing like normal.

[PSL]

thanks.

[PSL]

I haven't really noticed any falling out, just thinning and dull.  I have very fine hair anyway.  Hopefully it won't all go.

[PSL]

What kind of shampoo did you use?

[NYgirl]

Nioxin is a very good shampoo to use during this time.  It was suggested to me (actually the incredible person who suggested it SENT it to me!) and it did a fine job.  Unfortunately because of the thyroid thing....the handfuls in the drain slowed down but didn't stop.

It really hit me big time about weeks 25 - 30 too.  Somewhere around then it REALLY came out, not just the ten strands in the drain...we've talking CLOGGED.  BLAH!

[PSL]

It is ok to use this during treatment?  Where can this be purchased?

[NYgirl]

It's a special shampoo for people with thinning hair so it's fine for use during treatment.  I think you can get it at the pharmacy like CVS or somewhere in the finer hair care products section.

It's not that uncommon a product and comes also in conditioner and stuff like that too.

It's expensive but if you are really losing that much hair already maybe worth a try!

Did you lose like 10 a day or 50?  If it's 50 I'd invest!

:)

[GrandOak]

I don't know, I simply shaved my head with my classic "No Woodtick" style prior to treatment and have kept it that way since.  But then again, as a guy the hair debate is less of an issue for me.

[way]

I have really thin/fine hair too. And I'm pretty sure it was getting worse before TX.

Yes I have had wads of hair in the drain- but I really can't tell by looking that I've experienced any significant hair loss.

I use the generic "salon shampoos" like Suave "biobasics" (generic for Biolage)and the same brand vitamin shampoo. And the generic "humectant"...

It seems to me that the hair comes out MORE when rinsing the shampoo out-- so if you have a real emolient shampoo it rinses easier. When shampooing I try not to disturb hair--Instead of putting it all up on top of head I just leave parted, put shampoo on, and try not to move the hair around very much. It still gets as clean with less wear and tear. Doing it like this after putting on a towel for a few minutes--most of the time my hair is good to go after taking off the towel WITHOUT COMBOUT.

I also use "infusium" which is a leave-in conditioner. I swear my THIN HAIR is WAY THICKER with this stuff, and no residue, go figure.

[NYgirl]

If you can email me I'll send you some better shampoo for your hair (I work at a famous beauty company).  You should never use Suave or any of those type shampoos on your hair...they are junk, detergent and mostly just water and perfume.

But I used them years ago too - before I knew better (and got my hair products here for free I bought anything ON SALE that I thought was "good" ie: Pantene LOL).

I don't have Nioxin but I can get you some other stuff to try out that is sold in high end markets (ie: Biolage by comparison types). i'll try to sneak this in for you weatherpsycho at optonline  dot com.

I hope that you see that.

[avidreader]

I used "LUSH" products. They don't have too many stores in the US, but they are on-line at lush.com  I used the 'new' red shampoo bar which is described as a scalp conditioning shampoo and I used one of their shampoos called "BIG" I alternated. The "BIG" shampoo is like washing your hair with a margarita--it has lime and salt in it. It's very pure stuff and pricey but it lasts a long time and I tried to indulge myself whenever I could during treatment.

[friole]

I think the hair breaks off -- maybe because it thins so much. I lost pretty solid for about 3 months and then it let up - probably lost 40%.  I too use nioxin.  I am almost done with treatment and it is terribly thin now.  Even the Nioxin treatment which is like a mouse, is too heavy and leaves my hair flat.  Oh well, just different, I guess.

And what ny says about the other hairs is the truth.  I have pulled out eyebrow hairs over an inch long.  Finally I cut them (which is hard, by the way).

However, I don't think the hair will thin in 1 week

[painterlady13]

I found Nioxin shampoo, conditioner and hair gel at the wal-mart beauty salon here.  They also happen to carry the Biotene (sp?) mouthwash and toothpaste that I have seen reccomended for mouth sores and dryness.

[susan400]

Some of the hair thinning is also related to age related.  I hate to say it, but...  There are many people in the world that have hair thinning, balding, etc., from age 40 and up.  Look at all the hair replacement ads!  This is not to say that treatment doesn't cause it, so please don't think that's what I'm implying.  But, aren't a lot of us in that age bracket anyway?

Susan

[Drarig]

My hair started falling out in week 17(?).  I'm in wk 21 & it's still falling out.  Bunches fall out in the shower, & then afterwards when I pick it out, & then when I style it.  Oh, yes, throughout the day I always feel a stray hairs tickling my arm.  My only saving grace is that I have thick hair.  Prior tx, it was long, down my back, but right before I started, I got it cut to my shoulders.  Think I need to go a little more shorter.  Got peach fuzz on my face, & my eyebrows thinned out & what's left of them stand at attention.  I don't know what the heck causes that.  We discussed it in an earlier thread over the weekend.  I am currently trying Therapro products since last week - hopefully they'll start working for me.

[Pdilly]

How did all of you handle the thinning of hair and working.  I naturally have very curly (and frizzy in humidity) hair.  I straighten it (love it).  Now I am trying to figure out if I should to cut it to chin length when I start tx.  I have not told anyone at work but my supervisor so I don't want it to be obvious to people.  I work for a major corp and our complex has 18,000 people.

[Pdilly]

Thanks for the tips.  I have never heard of Therapro or Therapak but will check it out with the local beauty supply place.  I typically use Shampoo that has some Melaleuca Oil in it as my skin tends to be dry.  It is a natural product but I could use a good conditioner.
Sure hope you are right that it will be me that notices my hair.  can't imagine cutting my hear to chin length and letting it some fall out and growing in curly...now what a do that will be.  I agree with you Draing...straightening the hair is hard on it but worth it.  I only do it every 8-9 month.  When I did it at 6 months I had breakage something terrible.

[Drarig]

Try the products - maybe they will help.   When I said I straighten my hair, I didn't mean chemical straighten.  I meant I blow it straight & then put use straightening iron on it. I don't do it very often cuz it kills my hair as it is already dry.  I can get about 3 days out of it, unless I teach class & get sweaty, then I have to wash it.

[OnAPrettyPoison]

Draig, I got on the Therapro Mediceuticals when I started massive shedding around week 20.  I can't say enough good stuff about it.  Shedding significantly lessened in about 4 weeks, and now at week 48 I have spikey new growth all over my head, which looks funny with hair to my waist.  I use the antioxidant shampoo and the Therapak conditioner.

Pdilly, no one will probably notice it but you as far as appearance.  You will find it everywhere though.

Now that I am done, I made myself a promise to cut it off for Locks of Love.  I wanted to make sure when I cut off the 10 inches it would still be below my shoulders.

[Drarig]

Pdilly - ditto on everything you said!  My long curly /wavy hair now gets frizzy.   I LOVE to straighten my hair, but it kills it, especially now on this darn tx... so I try to let it go natural, but I still have to put styling products in to keep frizz to minimum.  (I have to admit I'm still doing color rinse every two month which is BAD) I also work in corp position (only 350 employees tho - lol) as right-hand to president, & no one has noticed all my hair loss, except me.  Now, at any time of day, I can backtrack to a file or drawer where I've been & find a long, black, hair (& definitely know it's mine).  I always have someone pulling a hair off the back of my shirt or my butt, etc.  Can't WAIT until my hair is healthy again. I actually heard it gets healthier - hope it's true...

Poison -- I actually think I got the idea of Therapro products  from you, reading one of your threads several weeks back... I called their headquarters & told them I was experiencing hairloss due to medicine similar to "chemo" (I STILL couldn't get myself to tell someone I'm on hep treatment, even by telephone to a complete stranger on the other side of the U.S. - haha).  Anyho, the girl recommended I try "Cellagen" bioactive follicle treatment, "Folligen" Shampoo & "Vitatin" Conditioner.  If it doesn't start working in a 3 or 4 weeks, I will switch to what you're using, antioxidant & therapak...  Kudos to you for doing Locks of Love, what a great gift!