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Post-chemo hair "fairy dust" (aka dandruff)
I'm almost ready to go without my wig and expose my unruly curly mane, but before doing so, I'd like to take care of the white stuff that is flaking off my scalp.
Yesterday, for example, after washing my hair in the morning I noticed that my dark t-shirt was sprinkled with the white stuff. My scalp is also itchy at times, and when I was itching it a bit yesterday while playing Pictionary with my kids, quite a bit came out of it into the table (yuck!) I told my kids it was "fairy dust" 
I searched online for chemo and dandruff, but didn't find much except hints that it may caused by hormonal imbalance. I'm on Tamoxifen and now wonder whether there's any relation. I always had tons of hair and had ovarian polycystic syndrome when young and was put on birth control pills (Diane) at an early age - 16? 17? However, I never had dandruff before so I don't know why I'm getting it now.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with it?
Thanks!!!
Marcia
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ER+ (30%)/PR-/HER-2+, stage 3
Diagnosed on 02/18/09 at 38 with a huge 12x10 cm tumor, after a 6 month delay. Told I was too young and had no risk factors. Found swollen node during breastfeeding.
March-August 09: neo-adjuvant chemo, part of a trial at Stanford (4 DD A/C, 4 Taxotere with daily Tykerb), loading dose of Herceptin
08/12/09 - bye bye boobies (bilateral mastectomy)
08/24/09 - path report shows 100 % success in breast tissue (no cancer there, yay!), 98 % success in lymphatic invasion, and even though 11/13 nodes were still positive, > 95 % of the tumor in them was killed. Hoping for the best!
September-October 09: rads with daily Xeloda
02/25/10 - Cholecystectomy
05/27/10 - Bone scan clear
06/14/10 - CT scan clear, ovarian cyst found
07/27/10 - Done with Herceptin!
02/15/11 - MVA-BN HER-2 vaccine trial
03/15/11 - First CA 15-3: 12.7 and normal, yay!
10/01/11 - Bone scan and CT scan clear, fatty liver found
now on Tamoxifen and Aspirin
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