eyelashes and eyebrows

[marshbird]

Finished last Taxol 6 weeks ago, now 2/3 the way through radiation. Have Herceptin every 3 wks. for nxt 9 mos.. I know it's vain, but when will I see some eyelashes and eyebrows? P.S. Has anyone had to deal with lanubile eyelashes (very fine and they scratch your eyes; not real eyelashes)? Thanks!

[Emelie]

They will come back. Keep that in mind as you look in the mirror every morning like I did and count them. Only thing is, mine were very coarse, short, and curled in a very weird way. I would gently pull them out and then more natural ones came in. I now have eyebrows and eyelashes that I can curl and it took about 5 months all total.
Since I have never been patient this was very hard for me!
Hang in there,
Emelie

[marshbird]

Thanks Emelie, This is such an minor issue compared to what everyone is dealing with, but after 9 months of surgury/treatments ect. sometimes you just want a little normalcy. Ellen

[hutchibk]

I just finished 8 months of Taxol in April... my eyelashes started coming back in right at 6 weeks. Little stubs at first, but they filled in enough within about 5 weeks to start wearing mascara. Eyebrows came in slower, but I have always been eyebrow challenged, so even though they are there, they are pretty unnoticeable. I will need to dye them eventually.

A hint for protecting your eyelashes when they do come in (or if one is just starting chemo, this helps as they are also on their way out):

I wear waterproof mascara normally (because I rub my eyes a bit and would end up very racoony sometimes). But, when removing it, if it is stubborn, it can sometimes cause me to to pull an eyelash or two out... Knowing now how valuable every single lash is to me these days, I started applying my first coat of mascara with the non-waterproof. I let it dry and put on the coat of waterproof on top of that. I get the best of both worlds, mascara that is easier to remove, but that won't rub or smudge as easy...

[michka]

Finished Taxol+Herceptine last December 30th. Eyebrows came back faster: around 2,5 months. Full eyelashes 5 months.
Michka

[Gerri]

I lost my eyelashes three times during the course of my treatment. The first time was about half way through radiation (after Taxol) and then twice when I was receiving Herceptin only. I think this bothered me more than losing my hair - that I could easily disguise by wearing a wig, but having bald eyes was another matter. I continued to wear my makeup as usual (eyeshadow, eyeliner and eyebrow pencil) and found that it helped to camoflauge the fact that my eyes were bald too. I got pretty good at faking eyebrows! I am now about four months out of treatment and have all my eyelashes back. When they start growing back, they come in very fast. My eyebrows have stayed thin but I just fill in where needed.

[hutchibk]

Gerri - I got pretty good at faking eyelashes too! Not too hard once you get a system...

[Joy]

how much it stinks to lose those features as they really do define a face so much. It isn't even vanity it is, as you said, normalcy. And it is like rubbing salt in a wound to have to deal with these things. I have lost eyebrows and lashes a few times and I have to say that after taxol/carbo my lashes came in so beautifully-I was thrilled they are even better than before and only cost thousands of dollars! It took awhile and my eyebrows are just coming back after 8 months of taxol/carbo followed by about 7 or 8 months of navelbine (all with herceptin). And now on tykerb/xeloda I'm enjoying my hair, lashes, and brows. My point is they all come back and you will so appreciate these little but important things forever.

[marshbird]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to reply to such a simple question. It lifts my spirits to know there are so many caring, beautiful women (with and without eyelashes and eyebrows) out there. God Bless! Ellen

[harrie]

Marshbird,
I lost most of my eyelashes almost a month after chemo and also 80% of my eyebrow.
Smashbox makes a great eyebrow makeup which I use and no one can tell. I also use false eyelashes and find them comfortable, they stay on, and I can put them on quickly.
Both the eyebrows and eyelashes seem to be coming back already and it is prob about a month since I lost them.
harrie (maryanne)

[BonnieR]

Gee, I was so concerned about losing my hair I never even thought about losing lashes and brows!!! The Looking Good (or whatever that makeup program is called) is coming soon to my CCC so I guess I will be paying them a visit!

[rinaina]

i finished chemo last july and i still can't seem to keep lashes or brows. brows are worse and i don't think i will get them back as they were as there are areas where it isn't growing at all. i have them toward the inner part but not at outer parts. my lashes are very weak and fine and sparse. i am currently using a product from sephora that is suppose to stimulate eyelash growth called lipocils. the people there swear by it and i read about it in a magazine. they also carry one for eyebrows so maybe worth a try.

[Melinda]

The Look Good Feel Better program is wonderful. Not to mention the terrific cosmetics thaat they give to you. I am using mine as we speak. All name brands MAC, MErle Norman, Christian Dior even. During my class they focused in on wigs and alternative hair options and did not go extensively over eye lashes and brows, but if you ask I am sure they will help. I still had lashes and brows at that point and shaved my head so I was not concerned. Talk about a surprise when most of my lashes and all of my brows went on vacation AFTER I had completed round 6! I guess it was a last minute reminder that the chemicals are still in your body. Right now I am looking like a tennis ball for hair... as someone's husband said... call me Wilson! Its even white righth now, who knows what color it will endd up?
Keep the faith
MElinda

[BonnieR]

Melinda, maybe it will end up that bright neon yellow/green that is so fashionable in tennis balls!!
P.S. I am originally from Bryn Mawr!

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

I've been STABLE since '99, still on Vitamin H ev 3 wks... The metastatic chemo (Taxotere) made me bald again, and I lost eyebrows and eyelashes, again. BUT, I never got my eyebrows back at all. I have about 16 eyelashes on my upper left eye, 9 on my upper right eye, 6 on my lower left eye, 10 on my lower right eye. No kidding.

I had the longest, fullest lashes that everyone asked if they were mine. No not long and surely not lush. And I actually used to get compliments on the shape of my eyebrows. I have learned to create them, but would love to have them back. I keep telling myself it is a small price to pay for being STABLE, which I am eternally grateful for.

Still, I'm a bit envious of those who got back what they lost. (I also have a poor hairline, no widow's peak anymore, more like a receding hairline, or a high forehead. I'd often wear my hair back with a headband, but hesitate now as it's weird looking.) I used to have such thick hair, every hairdresser in NY and Florida used to complain it took forever to dry. Now my hair around my face is so thin, I can't even make *bangs*, which were Audrey Hepburn lush. Bummer. I AIN'T COMPLAINING, just reporting...
Love to you all. Wishing you ALL hair *AND* NED...! ANDI :)

[harrie]

Bonnie, that was FUNNY about the bright neon color you were mentioning about!!! LOL!!! Mine is looking like a big'ol dark fuzz ball right now! Comfort-wise it is great with this warm humid Hawaiian weather.
Maryanne

[marshbird]

Since I first posted this somewhat vain, desperate request for information about eyelash and eyebrow regrowth less than two weeks ago, mine have sprouted! I now have a nice set of eyebrows and look like a mostly bald man wearing mascara. Watch out world, here I come!

[BonnieR]

That wasn't vain. Sometimes it is just the straw that breaks the camel's back! I was glad for the information. Although it had not occurred to me before, I was so preoccupied with losing the hair on my head. Which has not happened yet but I assume it will, any day.....
A friend suggested I write haiku about it. My first attempt. Please dont laugh
In just a few days
I'm going to loose my hair
May I choose not to? (or: May I refuse to?)


I bought two wigs. They had names when I bought them. Annette and Sally. So I guess I "adopted" them..
Thank God we all have a sense of humor to see us through

[hutchibk]

God loves a good laugh - and you know he/she counts on us for some of the best ones!

[Shad]

My eyebrows came in very thin after chemo. I now have them dyed every 2 mos or so when I get my hair cut. It makes a big difference in the emphasis around my eyes. My hair came back in a little more curly. I used to have it a little longer, but when it was growing back, the shorter length looked better on me than I had expected. Also, my hair came back much darker - I tell people my colorist is my oncologist :)
Shad