Herceptin & hair growth?

Chelee · 07-31-2006, 12:25 AM

I am SURE this has been covered before...but I am curious how long before your hair starts growing back in after your LAST chemo? I am still on weekly herceptin...but its been since June 12th since my lasts full cycle chemo and my hair doesn't seem to be growing in much if at all? (Just the same peach fuss that was there.)

I thought the peach fuss would of at least gotten thicker by now? Plus I noticed my eyebrows are still thin to almost not there.

And worse of all...my eye lashes are strange. The right side is ok...but the lashes are thin...hard to get mascara on. But the left side is MISSING lashes towards the inside of my eye. So when I TRY to put mascara on...it looks like ONE eye has it ...and the other one has near none. lol I wonder what people think when they see me up close.

Shouldn't my hair be growing in better by now with JUST hercepin? Or does herceptin cause problems with hair growth too?

Chelee

mts · 07-31-2006, 05:30 AM

Hi Chelee,
Don't fret! It will come in little by little. I really do not think the Herceptin is the cause of your hair coming in at what you may feel is a slow pace. I had AC+T which ended in March '05 and I finally had a thicker fuzz by the middle of June '05.
My eyelashes and brows seemed to keep falling out even after my head hair was growing back in. I did not realize how important nose hairs were until they fell out also.
Now that I am 1 year out of chemo, I notice my eyebrows and lashes are not as thick and luscious as they used to be. In fact, some spots on the bottom lashes are down right skimpy.
Just keep in mind, if the chemo did a number on your hair follicles -imagine what it did to your cancer!
Stay well!
Maria (MTS)

tousled1 · 07-31-2006, 05:30 AM

Chelee,

I had my last chemo treatment May 17th and right now my hair is about 1/8" long or shall I say short. My eyebrows are just about back but my eyelashes are not. I lost all my eyelashes and eyebrows. I believe that 3 to 4 months after your last chemo is when your hair comes back. To my knowledge Herceptin does not cause hair loss.

astrid · 07-31-2006, 05:35 AM

I finished Chemo in mid March. Four Months ago and I just now have pixie hair. I would say that hair takes about two months to grow back to where you have more than peach fuzz on you head. I am also on Herceptin and though the hair on my head is really growing slow or so it seems. The hair on my legs and other places really grows fast. I guess the hair on my head is perception because people tell me wow your hair is growing fast.

I did not mind losing my hair as much as the loss of my eyelashes. I kept most of my eyelashesthrough my 6 rounds of taxol and when I was done and I thought the hair loss was over, the eyelashes all came out. I discovered falseeyelashes. They were great. I had really long eyelashesso thefalse ones I found looked like my own. 2 months out of chemo I had short eyelashes and enough really short hair to almost go out in public without a bandanna.

I used salon perfect number 53 false eyelashes. I bought them at Wal-Mart for $2.80. A starter kit with glue is only $4.00 and the glue is plenty for lots of applications. One set of lashes will last about a week to 10 days if you do not get them wet. Water makes them droop. I tried Revlon and other more expense brands but they are too thick and long to look and feel natural. If you normally use eyeliner, but that on first and then you have a guide to line up the lash. But the glue on one lash and then place it on eye and then you can position it in place. The instructions say to wait 30 seconds for the glue to get tacky, but then you can not push it around and most of the times you can not get it exactly right on the first try. The glue will get tacky while you are positioning it. Believe me after three days of application you will be an expert. Most people had to look twice when I told them the lashes were not mine. It was easier to put on eyelashes then to put on mascara. Do not apply mascara to the false eyelashes

tricia keegan · 07-31-2006, 07:54 AM

Hi I finished chemo Feb 6th and am convinced the herceptin does slow hair growth.I only ditched my wig a month ago and have "Pixie" hair too.My friend and other's I know who finished with me have a lot more by now.My lashes and brows grew back and fell out again twice and still have'nt recovered!It's been almost 6 months now and maybe I just have slow growing hair but I don't think so.I just began trying Nioxin hair products on the recommendation of friend's from another message board who swear by it so what have I got to lose? Hope your's takes off soon
Tricia

suzan w · 07-31-2006, 08:05 AM

I fiinished chemo (A/C) in Nov. 2005. By Feb.2006 I had very short fuzz. Now, I have thick, curly hair...several inches long-in fact have had 2 trims. My hair used to be thin and straight! It came back the same color as before. Lashes are back to 'normal' too, although I didn't really notice their progress as much as the hair! Be patient!!! I also used nioxin shampoo and conditioner (from a hairdresser) which is supposed to stimulate hair growth.

Sherryg683 · 07-31-2006, 09:01 AM

I did my last Taxotere at the end of April. My hair looks like a crew cut now, you can still see my scalp in places....4 months later. Still not close to me going "topless" or so I call it. I use to be a hairstylist and was taught that hair grows normally 1/2" a month....not so here. Just seems like forever. My eyelashes fell out after I had finished chemo and are still short and thin although they are growing. My friend was on Herceptin and her hair seemed to grow back very fast, maybe it just seemed that way..sherryg683

Becky · 07-31-2006, 09:55 AM

Because I started Herceptin 4 months after my last chemo, I really do feel that Herceptin contributes to slower hair growth. My hair grows so slowly in comparison to before bc and in the time between my last taxol, rads then starting Herceptin. I can tell because of the amount of time I can wait until I absolutely have to do my roots. It used to be every 6-8 weeks. Now its 10 weeks. Also, my lashes do fall out in the middle of the uppers. They are scimpy but then grow long and fall out (but don't grow long uniformly). I believe this is from Herceptin. I will know for sure for myself by the end of the year (last Herceptin Sept29 after 16 months of it).

Others who only did one yr are finishing up and should have more to say.

Kind regards

Becky

Andi · 07-31-2006, 10:11 AM

I finished chemo in mid December and at that time had the peach fuzz on top. By the end of January I had a nice crew cut so I stopped wearing my wig in public. I have had 3 hair cuts and am due for another - my hair grows extremely fast. I have lots of curls and I believe it is thicker than before. It is also darker. I was told by a nurse that usually if your hair grew fast (or slow) before chemo it will grow the same after, in my case that is so. My eyebrows and lashes both fell out but have grown back. I never had much for eyelashes but I would say they are about the same now. My eyebrows came back bushy but blonde so I still need to put some color on them and I had them waxed once. I have 3 more herceptin treatments.

Chelee · 07-31-2006, 11:17 PM

From reading all your replies...sounds like I need to be a bit more patient, darn it. I was hoping it would of all grown back in a WEEK. lol Its been so hot here in CA...that I hate putting on a hot old wig...I want my hair back.

I didn't even have "AC" like all of you...so I thought my hair *might* come in faster. HA. I had the TCH and it must of been that darned taxotere that did it...that can be harsh. I am very disappointed in my lashes the most. I feel like I look awful with no mascara. I think I might look into the false eyelashes temporaily like Astrid suggested. (ASTRID...thanks for all the tips on what kind to buy...and how to get them on...glue and everything.) I have never used them in my life...so this ought to be fun. lol I will do almost anything to have lashes again.

My husband seems to think my peach fuss is much thicker...not longer though...but I will take what I can get? He said its coverning my scalp alot more.

Andi, your hair seems to of grew back in quickly. I am JEALOUS! Lucky you...whats your secret...you must have one.

I think I will also try some of that *nioxin shampoo* that two of you mentioned. Might be worth a try.

I think what makes my hair look more so like its not growing is I have always had really fine blonde hair. So even with the peach fuss you see so much scalp because its blonde fuss up there. It doesn't hide much. I will just have to wait this out darn it. But off to Walmart I go..at least I can get me some REAL lashes.

Thanks...

Chelee

Bev · 08-01-2006, 09:01 PM

Ac did in most of my hair but there was a few survivors. Taxol took out the brows and lashes. While on taxol hair started to grow back but it look like I had pattern baldness. 2 months after taxol the bald areas started filling in. 11 months after starting chemo I have patches of hair 1" long and most patches 3" long. Overall hair is thicker and curlier, but I think I have too much of a curly good thing going. Think Larry King. But a bad hair day is better than a no hair day. I've made an appointment to get the mess cut and colored in 2 weeks. It'll come eventually. BB

Lee · 08-02-2006, 08:49 AM

I finished up chemo on April 6th and my hair is only about 3/4 inch long. I continued to wear hats for a good 2 months following my last chemo, and probably would have gone longer if it wasn't summer here! I don't think it is the herceptin, I have a friend here at work who ended chemo about a month before I did, and no herceptin, and her hair is only ever so slightly longer than mine.

Be patient, it takes a while! My eyelashes & eyebrows are now good, thankfully!

Hang in there, it *will* happen!

janet/FL · 08-02-2006, 09:42 AM

While at Walmart you might consider buying Clairol Nice'n Easy Root Touch-Up. It really is easy to cover up the gray that was coming in. Made my hair look much longer much faster as the gray was on the front and sides of my forehead.
I finished weekly Taxotere/Herceptin the middle of November of 2005. Now, 9 months later, finished my last Herceptin two weeks ago, I have thicker, curly hair that is just a little over two inches long. I have always had slow growing hair and would settle for the slow growth if I could keep what appears to be MORE hair! Since all of my hair didn't fall out--the top and front was the worst, of course, some of my hair is a little longer but kept it trimmed so it didn't out of place. I hated wigs. If I ever lose my hair again I will have to find better ones. The ones I had were just too uncomforatable.

Thanks, Astrid, for the false eyelash tip. I will try them as mine are thin. Most have grown back, just missing a couple on the lash and brows.
Janet

Val Pfeiffer · 08-06-2006, 10:23 AM

The hair on my head grew back fairly well after I was off the three chemo drugs, but I had that same weird problem with my eyelashes. It's been about a year on Herceptin, and they are fine again. Be patient--you'll get them back.

koolbreeze · 08-07-2006, 05:04 AM

I finished up my chemo on the 9th of December. I have now had one haircuts and feel that my hair is almost back to normal. My hair came back in a little more wavy than it was before but my hairdresser says that the next cut the extra wave will be gone and I will be back to my regular hair. It seems to be coming back in as thick as it was before. I used to have very thick and coarse hair. It is softer than it was before.

It took about 2 months after chemo before I started seeing noticeable and encouraging hair growth. I was on herceptin during and after the chemo so the herceptin did not seem to affect my regrowth of hair. My eyebrows, lashes and all other bodily hair has returned.

Hang in there, you will not have to wear wigs for too much longer.

All the best, Kool

astrid · 08-10-2006, 08:02 AM

I have a new related question? I finished chemo in mid March. Hair growing back all over. Recently i noticed my eyelashes are falling out AGAIN. Has this happened to anyone??

Becky · 08-10-2006, 06:45 PM

Astrid

My eyelashes fell out again. Mostly in small sections (like the middle ones that fell out last and grew back last). They did not all fall out completely at once but seemed to do a "do over" in little areas (a bit at a time).

Becky

Val Pfeiffer · 08-10-2006, 07:14 PM

Same here--lost mine a second time too.

astrid · 08-12-2006, 05:50 AM

So did your eyelashes grow back right away the seond time???

koolbreeze · 08-12-2006, 06:08 AM

Chelee, I finished up chemo on Dec 12, 2006. I had only peach fuzz and experienced the same impatience that you are feeling around Feb/Mar timeframe. It seems very slow at first but then before you know it, there it comes. I had my first trim in the back of my head in Jun. Today my hair is almost totally back to normal. I had a regular hair cut two weeks ago. I still have a little more wave in my hair than I used to but my hairdresser said that will all be gone in my next cut.

Patience and it will come. Take care Kool