HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Hair growing slowly: Herceptin or Imagination!

Becky · 01-30-2007, 08:05 PM

My hair grew back very slowly. I have been done with Herceptin for several months now and it is growing at the rate I remember it. I didn't start Herceptin until 4 months after my last chemo so I can absolutely say that my hair grew more slowly due to Herceptin since the chemo doesn't stay in your body that long.

However, you could also think about it in another way and blame chemo as chemo affects the fast growing cells (which is the reason you lose your hair). Since the follicles are affected and possibly damaged, it may take them some time to get back to work properly. This may be why so many of us get curls (or super straight) hair - damaged follicles (the normal shape of your hair follicles determines if your hair is straight, wavy or very curly (and even the direction the curl is (clockwise or counter clockwise). So the shape of the follicle may change while it is repairing itself - and whala! - curls (and grey maybe due to the damage of the pigmented molecules as mine was very, very grey at first and is now the normal 10-15% as it was before (Miss Clairol).

You know me, always thinking.

Love to you all

01-30-2007, 08:05 PM	#9
Becky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockton, NJ Posts: 4,179	My hair grew back very slowly. I have been done with Herceptin for several months now and it is growing at the rate I remember it. I didn't start Herceptin until 4 months after my last chemo so I can absolutely say that my hair grew more slowly due to Herceptin since the chemo doesn't stay in your body that long. However, you could also think about it in another way and blame chemo as chemo affects the fast growing cells (which is the reason you lose your hair). Since the follicles are affected and possibly damaged, it may take them some time to get back to work properly. This may be why so many of us get curls (or super straight) hair - damaged follicles (the normal shape of your hair follicles determines if your hair is straight, wavy or very curly (and even the direction the curl is (clockwise or counter clockwise). So the shape of the follicle may change while it is repairing itself - and whala! - curls (and grey maybe due to the damage of the pigmented molecules as mine was very, very grey at first and is now the normal 10-15% as it was before (Miss Clairol). You know me, always thinking. Love to you all __________________ Kind regards Becky Found lump via BSE Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45 1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side) 2 micromets to sentinel node Stage 2A left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg lumpectomies 9/7/04 4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol Used Leukine instead of Neulasta 35 rads on right side only 4/05 started Tamoxifen Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations Oophorectomy 8/05 Started Arimidex 9/05 Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06 Arimidex Only Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia NED 18 years! Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"