Hair Loss...

[Fl_Gator]

I start tx this Friday...I was wondering how bad the hair loss is. I have really long hair and I usually donate to Locks of Love. I donated not long ago so my hair is shorter than usual but still long enough to donate. At what point will I know if I will suffer significant hair loss....I'll would rather just cut off the rest and donate it before I let it fall out and get caught in the shower drain.

Gator...

[Deb_c430]

Mine is very fine also and pretty much has followed Jds, I get tender headed when there is going to be another big fall out.  Worse for me is not being able to dye it, at least it would look thicker. I have once.

How awesome you give your hair to locks of love!

Charm is right about the other sides,  but everyone is different.  Everytime I have txed, it has been different.

Some gain weight, some loose, I have lost so much weight i look like a stick woman now!  

Wish you an easy txt, and SVR!

Deb

[charm27]

I had alot of hair but very fine. Going on week 30 I find Ive lost 50% of my hair.
You will find however that this sx will be the least of all your issues once txing.
Believe me I know its  not pleasant, mine is still falling out and Im sure will continue for quite some time. It will grow back.

We all have many issues on tx.
I wish you good luck and easy sx.
Charm

[Fl_Gator]

HEHE....nice to lighten up isn't it....I never even thought about the eyelashes or eyebrows till alagirl mentioned it. I hope I loose weight throught out this adventure or instead of changing my name to Sinead....i will have to chane it to Jaba the Hut...YIKES!

[FlGuy]

One of the funny things that people mention is that eye lashes, for some, grow like crazy.  Some refer to it as 'Llama Lashes'.  If you play your cards right, you may be able to donate your hair AND lashes, the whole ensemble.  Just got to figure out where to get the eyebrows.  Hey, I got an idea!

[Fl_Gator]

Suz - My hair is thick...I will wait before I get it cut but I don't want to wait till it's too thin...they have to put up with the gray, I don't want it to be thin as well.  

I will be participating in a clinical trial. I don't really know how long I'll be on the meds. I'm 1b...There is a possibility that I could stop at 24 weeks...but if I get the placebo....could be 48. The program lasts 72 weeks...and then there is no telling if I will respond. If I don't, could be longer. So much is up in the air for me right now. I'm praying for the trial meds.

This will be round 1 for me. Would you mind if I add you to my friends list? I will be keeping a journal and using the tracker....I will be happy to share all my info with whoever will benefit from it. I know I can't get enough info...that's why I'm here.

Alagirl...Lost your eyelashes? eeeek...will they grow back? you're finished? are you clear?

N49 -  Was it that bad? My husband told me to quit my job so I can concentrate on treatment. I will see how I feel at the end of the month.  New drugs aren't far away...hold out for them.

JD...if you go Sinead...please post your photo...I will too...with a face drawn on the back of my head...My daughter has reminded me that since I'm heavy now I won't look good bald...I don't really care. I understand that I'll loose weight with the treatment too...guess that could be the bonus from this.

[suzeeeq]

I start tx this Friday also.  I just got back from a session with the nurse going over all the things I need to do.  They gave me a great starter kit with ice packs and alcohol wipes, water bottle and tons of information on Hep C.  I worry about my long hair too.  I have also donated to Locks of Love in Lake Worth, FL.  My nurse said to wait and see what happens before I go to any extreme with my hair.  I have very thin hair so it won't take much to appear that it is thinning.  

Good luck on Friday and let me know how it goes.  I am so nervous but ready to get started and get it over with.  I am on 24 weeks of tx how about you.

SuzeeeQ

[alagirl]

Its so funny but I didn't start to lose hair until the point at which they took me off of tx which was around 27 weeks.  And I lost a MESS of hair.  I have a ton of hair anyway so I didn't have to wear a wig or a scarf but it fell out in clumps and it was all in my bed and on my clothes and on my floor in clumps.  Every time I tried to eat there was hair in my food.  

And where it is the most obvious, since I had massive quantities of hair on my head, is on my body.  My eyelashes used to be really lush and now they are nonexistent.  The nice thing is that shaving and plucking my eyebrows is really easy nowadays lol  -- hey, you've got to find a bright side and keep looking at it sometimes or things will make you nuts...

My hair continued to fall out for a good two months or so after I finished treatment but has stopped now.  Had it been necessary for me to continue tx for 48 weeks I am fairly certain that I would have lost all of my hair.

[n49]

I just pulled my hair back in a small pony tail. I lost about 2/3's of my hair but it grew back super fast. I cut it ..about 3 inchs ( it's always been a little past my shoulders) and it grew back within 2 months back to were it was before. I dealt  pretty good with the hair loss..it was the itching that drove me mad..but that was after 5 or so months of treatment. I now wish I would have finished it. :(  My VL was undetectable after 6 months but came back after one month of me quitting. So keep it up as long as possible. I"m gonna have to start ALL OVER again.. one day...

[jdwithhcv]

If I lose any more I plan to go the Sinead route.  I already cut it short and that's not getting it done any longer.

[nersayner]

yea my husband scowled at the bob ;) and then grew facial hair to get back at me! oh and i too have unruly hair...thank God for flat irons!!

[Fl_Gator]

There's no debate here. The cat's he pulls out of our drain are unmistakenly mine.
I don't know if I can pull off a short bob...my hair curls when it's short...curls in a bad way...cow licks and all...perminant bed head....I'll try the bob first...but if hubby laughs...he's getting Sinead.

[nersayner]

yea my husband shows me the hair and we debate over whos it is...the old man retiree or the middle aged menopausal heppie...lol

seriously...i have lost some but i cut my hair into a short bob before tx so i dont notice it as much probly as if it were still long. but i have really thin, fine hair anyway so its looking pretty skimpy!

[Fl_Gator]

Tks for the input...I have a lot of hair and I already loose alot...without tx. My dear Husband gets frustrated cause I clog the shower drain every couple of months....I can't imagine what he would have to pull out of the drain during tx. I will probably just donate it....buy a hat...or some bandanas...or shave my head and draw funny faces on the back of my head so no one knows if I'm coming or going...change my name to Sinead.

I like Locks of Love and what they do for children. I like to think donating makes a difference...even if it's just a small contribution.

I use Pantene now...Love the smell...I'll be sure to look for the restoritive shampoo. I guess there is no way around the hair loss.

Thank you!

[rita863]

i started thinning out about two 1/2 months into TX, my hair was too my shoulder.  It was starting to look really unhealthy, like it was over colored and burnt on ends, so i just cut really short.    it actually looks fuller and healthier.  and when i dont want to wash it (because the scalp gets reallly dry) i put on hats.

good luck with TX
peace
rita

[FloridaMouse]

I thinned out pretty good the last time I treated and am again going through it.  I also have long hair.   I started shedding this time around about 4 months in and had to chop 3 inches off (went from just above waist length to in between shoulder and mid back length).  Just the 3 inch trim helped my hair look neater.   It's highly unlikely that you will lose it all.  I probably thinned out by about 2/3 of what I started with.   If you do wind up cutting it all off it's probably going to be because you are tired of it getting into EVERYTHING (it's all over my house, the floor, the furniture, the a/c filter).  Between me, the cat and the dog, I have to vacuum every day and I am certainly leading the race in the shedding department.

The hair and scalp get really dry so breakage is a big problem too.  I now only wash my hair twice a week to keep it from drying out anymore.   I use Pantene Restorative Shampoo for damaged hair and it gives the appearance of more fullness.  It comes in tube and runs about $6.00 each for the shampoo and conditioner.   I used Nioxin during the first round of tx and didn't see much difference between it and the Pantene Restorative other than the price tag.  (Nioxin is very expensive).


Mouse
P.S.  I wear a lot of "newsboy" and "painters" caps to catch the falling and breaking hair

[jdwithhcv]

My hair started falling out after 4 months of tx.  It fell out a lot for about 6 weeks then stopped.  About 2 months later it began to fall out again, this lasted about 6 weeks again and then slacked off again.  I figure I am due for another hair loss cycle in late July (I'll finish tx in early August).

I could tell something was up about a week before it started falling out, both times my scalp had a funny feeling, almost like my hair hurt.  Then after a week or so I'd get the shower drain effect.

I think most on this tx lose a lot of hair.  Maybe its less for the 24 week tx (not sure) but if you tx 48 weeks, epect to lose hair.

BTW, its great that you have enough for Locks of Love.  They do a great thing.

Good luck with your tx.
jd