Chemotherapy Permanent Hair Loss

[Cal-Gal]

not complete loss-but my hair is much thinner than it used to be-

[StephN]

The link in the post above goes to a legitimate site. It does focus specifically on TAXOTERE and hair loss.

[snolan]

I learn so much from you all. I too was licked by the cow Kind of like the curls, makes it easy to style in the mornings. My eyebrows are still short and thin, my hair came back thicker so I'm hoping it doesn't thin when I finish my Herceptin. I too am glad just to have my hair back.

My mom was on Taxotere for serveral years, the first year she had 54 treatments and now it has been 5 years since this long journey began and she is Cancer Free. She has been off of the chemo for well over a year and her hair is coming back, but it is so thin it looks to be the hair of a 80 year old man and she is only 52. Her chemo office told her she needs to see a specalist because they aren't sure why her hair isn't growing back.

[Blondie]

I had Taxotere. My hair has grown back really curly and so thick. The colour grew back awful- many grey hairs and an awful light brown. So had it all dyed blonde- too short for highlights! Hence, the signature name Blondie. Never thought I would suit the white blonde, pixie cut look. So have some fun, try a few different looks- you may be pleasantly surprised. Most of the people I have spoken to say their hair has grown back thicker.

(I have read that Vit D helps with hair growth- I take 3,000IU per day.)

Blondie

I had breast cancer in 2008 and was given taxotere as part of my chemo treatments. It is now 2012 and my hair has not fully returned. My hair is very very thin, my eyebrows consist of a few hairs, the hair under my arms never grew back (that was a blessing), the rest of any hairs found on my body grow very thinly.

I know I should be thankful to be alive, but having gone through a rough divorce just before the diagnosis, was like icing on a bad cake. I'm tired of wearing wigs and bandanas, I'm tired of having to draw in my eyebrows daily, I'm tired of being afraid of sweating my eyebrows off, I'm tired of having to wear fake eyelashes when going out. It feels like i have a daily constant reminder of the cancer. It kind of wears on your self esteem sometimes.

I'm glad for this blog, because sometimes it's just nice to vent to people who understand what you're going through...thanks : )

[greenacres]

Hi there. I'm writing for whom I consider a friend. When I began my cancer journey she worked at the Cancer Center where I had my treatment. I could always tell she was wearing a wig, but I was never brave enough to ask but she came out and told me one day she too had been through breast cancer. This was well before Herceptin was available. She even took her wig off for me (I am crying as I type this because of her braveness) and showed me her bald head and with only 1-2 strings of lonesome hairs hanging down. From that point on, we had a connection. I found her a cool long, blonde, "harley girl" wig for her to wear when she's out on the bike with her husband and she was so thankful! All these years she's worn one wig, the same wig every day. Anyway, she is one who her hair has never grown back. Yes, that certainly did scare me as I stood there talking with her with my scarf on and bald as well. I can tell you though, I really don't think it bothers her so much but then again, I don't live with her or see her every day. She didn't even tear up when she told me. She has a smile on her face everytime I see her and is always upbeat. I know for some it's extremely hard to deal with. It depends on how you as a person decide to live with it. I don't know, maybe she's here, maybe she's reading this if so "HI WENDY! I wish you the best of luck.

PS, my hair has never grown back under my left arm either, but I don't know if that's from the Taxotere or the radiation.

['lizbeth]

I totally understand about the hair and Taxotere. I wish I had opted for Abraxane instead. Slowly I am adjusting to the new thiness of my hair. I miss the thick thick hair that I had before - so convenient and it made me feel so much prettier.

Some women can adjust, but for others it really affects their self esteem and quality of life.

This is why I am so enthusiastic about clinical trials. We ladies need to join them, so that others in the future don't have to suffer the devasting side effects that we do.

I can't wait to see TDM-1 approved! and some of the breast cancer vaccines.

Hallelujah to the ladies that join clinical trials - to make the change!

[janda]

hi all, i am also unlucky, my hair has not grown back properly, i have what they called male pattern baldness, i finished my chemo last november 2011, i had four epirubicin/ cyclophosfamide and four docetaxol alongside herceptin. I have tried alpacin and minoxidol to no effect. i am going next month to have a biopsy done of my scalp to prevent this happening to others iif possible. I am on tamoxifen and finished herceptin last month, my eyebrows are very sparce and have to draw them on, also i have eye lashes but very thin and short. My leg, underarm and lady garden hair rarely needs shaving not complaning there lol. I hope to god there isnt a lot of ladies in my position, this is devistating after what we have been through, but i can hold my head up and say i am a strong person and i am blessed to still be here xxx love to you all, keep strong xxx

[healing]

I purchased on QVC a Joan Rivers product that you brush on your scalp to fill in those sparce areas. After a good coloring and a few dabs of Joan's hair blush, I'm good to go. I have also started to use the Aveda products that promote hair growth. There is a shampoo, conditioner, and spray that you use twice a day. The package was pretty costly but I felt that I saved a bit of change during my bald ACTH months! I was expiencing some hair loss before my diagnosis - not sure if it was pre-menopause or maybe the start of my bc.
Keep the faith,
Kim

[Rejoyce]

I have permanent hair loss from Taxotere. I have to wear headcoverings. I have no eyebrows and very few eyelashes. My hair is sooo thin there is no way I could ever go with my head uncovered. In Jan. it will be 2 years since my last chemo.

[norkdo]

janda, duga and lori, I am so so sorry about your situations.
I found the hairloss really really hard on me. It really pushed my emotions from the sadness of diagnosis (May 2011) onward into helpless rage (from the time I started chemo July 2011 on til chemo ended in dec). I never realized how fortunate I was to have hair come back til I read lori's post above.

Thank you for the humbling.

[norkdo]

p.s. in my pic, that was how my hair looked a few months before diagnosis.

[Nancy L]

I am one of the unlucky taxotere hair victims. It happened back in 2005 and For years i would ask various oncologists what happened. All they would say is "this is not suppose to happen". I thought for years that I was the only person this had happened to until I had my first appt with Dr. Slamon in 2009. He told me between 1 to 3% of those who get taxotere never get their hair back. I struggled with being bald until I found the hair system I wear today.

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Look at this old thread! Wow, till I realized, I was totally thrown.

Nancy, Did I miss it? What hair system?

My hair is way thinner and I have male pattern baldness (loss of a hairline on top and upper sides). Not attractive. I cover as best I can, w/what I have been fortunate enough to recover from 8 mnths of Taxotere (back in '98). Used to wear a headband and everything back sometimes. Now -- not. Too weird looking.

My oily hair is now super dry. I moisturize w/ev shampoo, use leave in conditioner daily. My curls are back. Cowlicked too.

No eyebrows. Few eyelashes. Draw brows on every day, and say, Thank you for my life! Spend 10 minutes w/mascara primer and various mascaras to plump up what I laughingly call my lashes.

So instead of plucking brows, I must now tend my moustache. What's up with that?! Adding insult to injury I think. (Had to share...) We all need a hug.

Andi

[Pray]

Nancy, My hair is very thin but also the fly away fuzzy kind. (This condition actually helps make my hair look thick unless I put it is a pony tail or bun.) Which started from the taxotere and arimedex didn't help it either. Now I'm on Aromasin and hair loss is the second side effect listed. Still I hope for the best. You mentioned a hair system you use do you mind telling us what it is and where we can find it? Thank you so much for sharing!

[Nancy L]

I have a custom piece that is bonded to my head. So it is like having my own hair. I sleep with it, wash in the shower, etc. i go to the shop once a month. They take it off and rebond. When I am feeling okay I am an outdoor person. I don't ever have to worry about the wind or a wig moving on my head. I have to drive an hour to the shop but Bette, the owner, has been wonderful to come to my home when I have been sick, spends the night and does my hair in my kitchen. She has become a good friend. Here is her website where you can learn more about this option. It is not just for Hollywood celebs. I see all the women coming to her shop. I read somewhere that one out of every one hundred women suffer from some degree of hair loss independent of drug side effects.
http://www.grafftech.com/
If you call her, I am sure she can tell you if anyone near you is in this business. She has been doing this for a long time and knows others in the business all over the US.
Hope this helps. It is not cheap but I decided I would rather do this and cut back on something else.

[Pray]

Nancy, Thanks again for sharing! I will call tomorrow,

[srmink]

Hello everyone-
(sorry I can't get the bold off)
I landed here after doing a Google search on permanent hair loss following chemotherapy. While I am a breast cancer survivor, I am not HER-2 positive. I did, however, have Taxotere (last infusion 9/29/10) and most of my hair did not return. Just enough to look really stupid - male pattern baldness, thin, baby fine and very slow growing. In a word - it's awful. I have permanent makeup for eyebrows and liner. I do have enough lashes glob mascara on, but they're rather puny. I highly recomment permanent makeup (tattoos) for anyone and wonder why I didn't do it years ago.
I wanted to comment about the hair solution mentioned here. I know a woman who also did this (different brand, same concept). She loves it. When we met about a year ago and she told me about it, she also told me how expensive it was. My response was I could sure have a lot of wigs for that price. Now after 2 years of trying just about everything, I'm pretty sick of this and may look into it.
I'm interested to know about others' experiences and solutions. I am ER+ and on Arimidex and may switch to Femara to see if that helps. While they both have the same side effect of hair thinning, it might not happen on a different AI. I am, however, convinced it's the Taxotere because it was obvious my hair was not returning before I started Arimidex.

Thanks for any feedback. Hope you're all doing well.

Suzanne

['lizbeth]

I am curious if anything worked for others. I have the Aveda shampoo, but not the other products. My hair started falling out in gobs at first with it . . . hmmmm. Minoxidil, Rogaine - expensive and not that effective.

Argh . . . I'd like more hair for Christmas.