Hair Question for all and the Doc's

Kristen · Experienced user Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 60

Hi Everybody,
I have a hair question. To tell you all the truth I thought I was pretty much done with hair issues since my chemo ended Sept 03. My hair came back really fast and thick. Different color and different texture at first but it pretty much turned back to normal.
Here is my question. I noticed the other day that I had not needed to shave my legs or my underarms for what seemed a few weeks. Then a week later I still noticed I didn't need to at all. Now I notice my eye lashes and eyebrows really thinning out again. I am starting to freak out about loosing my hair again. Has this happened to anybody? Should I worry about loosing my hair on my head again???
I thought I was done with hair issues now I am really scared. At least the first time was explained by chemo, what could explain this?
Thanks all for your help.
Kristen

Muttsmom

Hi Kristen,
Losing my hair was much more devistating to me then losing my breasts. The hair under my arms didn't ever grow back, with the exception of 2 or 3, just enough to be aggravating... lol The hair on my legs grew back alot faster it seemed then on my head, but after about 6 months, I noticed that I didn't need to shave my legs nearly as often and the hair came back, but not all over my legs like before. I don't remember about my eyelashes and eyebrows. I didn't lose all of them during chemo, but they thinned out A LOT. I didn't wear mascara because I was afraid it will weigh down the lashes I had left. It will be 3 years in June since I had my last chemo, so my memory is fading, thank God!!! My hair seemed to come back slow, but my hair was half way down my back before, so it would probably seem that way to me because I'd never worn it short.

Are you taking Arimidex? I know there is a chance your hair can thin on that, but mine never did. A friend's did, but that didn't last long and then he got back to normal growth. I'm not sure if Tamoxifen can cause hair loss or not.

My guess is that everything will start growing back normal as far as your lashes go and the % of ladies losing their hair on Arimidex or Tamoxefin, is very low.

Hugs
Nancy
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

Kristen · Experienced user Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 60

Hi Nancy,
Thanks for the reply. I am on tamox and have been for 16 months now with no previous hair loss on it. I have been off chemo since 9/2003 and I was not wearing a hat by Dec 2003. So my "new" hair grew in strong and thick and has been ever since. I did notice my leg hair and underarm hair was less, but now it seems to be gone. Almost like no follicles. I have dirty blonde hair and was never hairy to begin with. But this new thinning and lack of shaving got me really scared that something was going to happen to my head hair...I was (am) in a panic.
When I lost my hair during chemo it was horrible, but at least I knew it was going to come back and it did. Maybe because of my cancer experience of loosing all my hair sets me in a panic now like it might happen again with no chemo. Does this make sense?
So I am curious if the doctors here can explain or if they ever heard of anybody loosing their hair again almost two years after chemo.
I hate these things that get your imagination going wild!!!
Thanks and I hope to hear more repsonses.
Kristen

penelopez · Senior User Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 165

Kristen ~ Not to worry about the head hair!

I finished my chemo 14 months ago and have hard VERY LITTLE underarm hair (I'm light and non-hairy, too). I can still go a couple months and have only a tiny bit of underarm hair. Before BC I had to shave here once a week in spite of being light-haired. I have heard ladies on other boards speak of similar experiences. I have also been on Tamoxifen for 13 months.

I still have to shave my legs much less often, too.

THE GOOD NEWS: My head hair is still growing, full and healthy. I just keep thanking my lucky stars the underarm hair loss didn't happen to my head hair! If I'm going to lose hair, I'd rather lose it under the arms. LOL

Hugs and here's to healthy hair, Very Happy

Margie

hhmv73a · Experienced user Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 95

Dear All,
I think your experiences worth much more than my explanation.
As you know hair loss is common for patient underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment (to the head only). Usually alopecia is reversible, completely reversible, after chemotherapy. But patients underwent radiation to the head (like whole brain radiation) are not so lucky.
I don?t think patients need to worry about repeated hair loss once they are re-grown. Usually they don?t get lost just for no reason again.
Regard,
Dr. J. Jay Lu

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