Hair regrowth beginning...patchy...anyone??

SusanN · 09-19-2013, 11:46 AM

I'm wondering if anyone has had "patchy" hair regrowth after chemo?? My last TCH was July 22nd...I know I probably need to be patient!
I saw my dermatologist due to a follow up (non related to this), then I asked him about my eyebrow thininng, as they have decided to thin more than ever within the last couple of weeks! He recommended "Minoxidil" for them and that I also could use it on my hair...Rogaine!!
I know I can trust him, however, after reading all about Rogaine, I'm not quite sold on applying it to the few "patches" I'm thinking will fill in.
Has anyone had this with their hair coming in...and did you use anything...
I'm feeling rather vain as it's just hair as MOST importantly, it's the cancer I DO NOT WANT "growing" back!!!
Thanks...

tricia keegan · 09-19-2013, 12:55 PM

Mine was patchy too and took ages to grow, a few people recommended Nioxin shampoo and conditioner and although they said it worked for them I didn't notice much of a difference to be honest but it does last ages but is a little pricey and you can order online.

alicem · 09-19-2013, 04:41 PM

My hairdresser recommended Nioxin for me as well. I started using it before my hair started falling out, and I would use it once or twice a week just to clean my bald head during chemo. When my hair started growing in, it wasn't patchy at all. I don't know if it was becaouse of the Nioxin, but it might have been.

Cat · 09-19-2013, 04:55 PM

Susan, I didn't have patchy spots but I had much slower hair growth while still on Herceptin. Once I was done with herceptin My hair grew faster. I have always had thin but abundant hair so I may not have noticed a little less. It did come in curly (mine is stick straight) and reverted to straight probably when the herceptin stopped too. I'm thinking patience is in order, they say your hair doesn't come in "normal" initially and I have a feeling those patches will catch up with time.
Cathy

SusanN · 09-19-2013, 06:00 PM

I appreciate what you gals are sharing...I should've mentioned I've been taking Biotin for nearly a year or more, and just started using Nioxin about a month ago. The back of my head seems to be fine...as in my hair is slowly coming in...it is the sides where it needs to fill in. I had such thick hair...
My husband tells me to think of the way babies hair comes in...it's a "process"...that helped me a bit

caya · 09-19-2013, 06:36 PM

Susan, I had such thick hair before BC. I mean ridiculously thick curly frizzy. It would take hours for my shoulder length locks to dry naturally (and I would have to use tons of gel, moroccan oil etc. to tame it). If I would blow dry it myself - 45 minutes.

It grew back straight, fine, less gray and about 1/2 the thickness. I did not have to colour my hair for almost 2 years after it grew in, the roots finally started to get grey enough that I needed to colour it. Def. grew in quicker after I finished Herceptin. I did not use any special shampoos at the time. I still have to remind myself of my "new" hair and use less product in it - just a bit of moroccan oil to smooth it out before blow drying, which now takes 15 minutes max.

In fact, I noticed it started to grow back more quickly and just a bit fuller after I finished my 5 years of Tamoxifen and Femara, which are known to slow/thin hair growth. Eyelashes and eyebrows too. It is def. a process.

all the best
caya

jaykay · 09-19-2013, 06:43 PM

Hi Susan ,

I definitely feel your angst! I finished chemo on March 14th and my hair is definitely coming in slower than I expected. My eyebrows had started thinning towards the end of chemo, they came back, then started thinning about 6 weeks ago. They did start to grow back again. From reading some older posts, many others have experienced the same thing.

I started taking biotin and am not really sure if that's helping or not. My hair was also very thick and wavy/curly. It's still curly (was kind of hoping it would come in straight - ha ha), is thick, but is very fine in texture - not like my hair at all. The back of my head also came in quicker than my sides. Your husband is right, it is like baby hair. I feel vain, too-

.

I am hoping that herceptin is contributing to the slow growth. I only have 3 more to go! At least we're finished with chemo; the hard part is over.

Kkmom · 09-19-2013, 06:49 PM

Susan,
I finished chemo in May and my hair started growing back in mid July. After I finished chemo, I have been taking biotin. It seems to helped with my hair growing back, but also my fingernails.

jaykay · 09-20-2013, 07:37 AM

Forgot to mention that I got my hair colored about a month ago. If I was going to go wigless, it would be with brown hair! And I have gotten a couple of "clean up" cuts. Just to get rid of the wispy stuff and get my neck shaved.