Hair loss expectations

[Yoda]

Hi,

I am beginning my 4th week of chemo and for the last week I have been dealing with hair loss. The first sign was nose hair coming out when I blew my nose. A few days later my beard started to go. It didn't go completely, but I had to shave it off yesterday because hairs kept ending up on my plate while eating. Yuck. My head hair had been pretty intact until this morning. Taking a shower today, most of it ended up in the drain.

I usually wear my hair short anyway and especially short (crew cut) in the summer. I have no issues with losing my hair, but right now it is at a weird, patchy stage that is very unbecoming.

So, the question is, what did you do at this weird stage? Wait for the rest to fall out? Shave it all off? Cover it up? Just curious.

Yoda

[nciungan]

Just buzz it. Get it over with. I was in hair loss denial for a few weeks, and it was pretty traumatizing when it made a huge mess in the shower one day. If you don't it's gonna end up everywhere (couch, bed, etc). I had mine buzzed short for a while then rubbed the rest of it off in the shower until I was pretty much bald. Amazingly, a few little sprouts never fell out.

[Yoda]

Thanks.
I guess that's my issue. Already buzzed from a couple weeks ago, so what I have now are those remaining patchy bits that haven't fallen out. I suppose I can get another buzz but I feel like the little patchy bits will still be noticeable. Guess this is just the weird transitional stage. Hopefully it ALL falls out or I suppose I should consider shaving it.

[nciungan]

Once I noticed the stubble falling out I was able to give my head a nice few scrubs in the shower and for the most part get rid of them. I never had to completely shave mine.

[Davepet]

My hair was a few inches long when it started to fall out in the shower. By the next day I shaved it, It just looked ridiculous being all patchy. Might as well embrace being bald for the next month or so.

Dave

[Yoda]

I'm with you Dave.
Never shaved my head before so just need to work out the best way to go about it.

[Davepet]

I'm with you Dave.
Never shaved my head before so just need to work out the best way to go about it.

It was my first time too. I just soaped it up & shaved in the shower, no big deal, just a bit tricky to not miss any areas.

[Yoda]

works for me. looking forward to being bald tomorrow.

[dracph]

My husband´s hair starting falling during week 3 of the first BEP cycle. First it was the beard, then the head hair. He opted for shaving it.
During the second cycle, lost most of the hair on his arms and legs. He kept the eyebrows and eyelashes though (they never fell, just thinned out a bit).

[Yoda]

Shaved/buzzed it off with a beard trimmer. Not too bad. I did discover I have an odd shaped skull however. Oh well.

A hairdresser friend mentioned that some of her clients come in after chemo when their hair is growing back and it is ALWAYS curly, no matter what the hair was like previously. Is this common? Never had curly hair before.

[Davepet]

A hairdresser friend mentioned that some of her clients come in after chemo when their hair is growing back and it is ALWAYS curly, no matter what the hair was like previously. Is this common? Never had curly hair before.

Mine was super curly, looked like an afro from the 70's for a while. It gradually relaxed but it took most of two years before it was what I'd call normal.

Dave

[zbot]

yeah it'll come out in the shower at about week two. Mine came out the the second monday after treatment, and it come out FAST. I'd shave it or scrub it off in the shower. I kinda just wiped it all off on the towel after i took a shower with about 6 rounds of shampoo. better to get it all off at once than look all patchy.
mine came back thin and looks like male pattern baldness, which sucks cause i had no signs of it at all before chemo, figuring that i was 18 when i started and am now 19 with a 40 year old man's hairline. Cancer took one of my nuts and my hair
cancers a doushebag

[hbr777]

My husband had stick straight hair and then after chemo it came in curly. He kept cutting it short - after about 3 cuts, it came back in straight, but thinner, and a bit grayer.

[Ismail]

Well, I'm starting my 2nd chemo out of 4XBEP on the 11th of this month. I had very strong hair but noticed it falling just a week after my 1st chemo. My beard was the first to go strangely. So I shaved my beard and cut my hair very very short. This did help a lot. Had no problems after that.


Diagnosis:- Admixture of embryonal carcinoma, seminoma and teratoma.(Testis)
Both testis removed, right at age 6, left, recently.

[kujan]

First hair I noticed to go were the ones downstairs if ya know what I mean. Next was facial hair and then the hair on my head. Luckily I am retaining most of the hair on my arms and legs and I just started cycle 3. Hopefully when it all grows back I'll be able to sport a nice fro.