spicysashimi Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 One day, I was cruising along fine. The next, I look like an overgrown newborn. My eyebrows are almost gone. My hair is now just peach fuzz. I never thought it would matter to me, but now that I don't have it, it kinda does. Having hair, I think, would help me feel more normal again, especially eyebrows. I have to go to a wedding this sunday and see a lot of people that i haven't seen since my diagnosis. I am feeling uncomfortable about it. I feel "marked." Does anyone else know what I mean? My last chemo is 1/8/06. How long has it taken for your hair to grow back after you stopped chemo? keep fighting the good fight, aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Oooooh Aaron, I do SO know what you mean. Just a suggestion....maybe just a 'touch' of brow pencil. Hair.....no idea what to do......except go with the 'less' hair look. And yes............it DID matter to me too. Love to you, Kasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharonjo Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, I had my last chemo tx the end of May. My hair is about 2 inches long now. It seems to take forever to grow! But I do have eyebrows now and that is very cool! Hope yours grow back quickly! God Bless, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, look at it this way -- you don't have to shave! My wife's hair went after the second treatment, including her body hair. It took about 6 months to grow back, as I recall. I hope you can enjoy yourself and not be too self-conscious. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 My mom lost 1/2 only and it started to grow back a couple of months after chemo. If you are that worried, you can always go to a makeup shop to have the eyebrows drawn on, but I bet if you go as is, you will still look wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 oh Aaron, It was the no eyebrow thing that really greased my butt. I used a bit of a pencil among the stragglers. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 I had the same chemo that you are taking. Mine came out approx 3 weeks after the first infusion. My last treatment was in early June. By Thanksgiving I had about 1 1/2 inches of hair and went without my wig around the family for the first time. I kept some of my eyebrows but only a few. I have dark hair so they still looked a little like brows. I felt very uncomfortable even around the house, so I know how you feel. Men can get away with the no hair deal better than us women..just get someone to put a line or two of eyebrow pencil on before the wedding...don't over do it and you'll be fine. Heck, you are a nice looking young man with or without hair and eyebrows. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, How are you doing overall (hair nothwithstandng!) It isn't possible for me to identify with the "marked" issue, since I am just the wife of patient, not an actual patient. I see that you have the wedding to go to, and the hair issue is probably kind of important to you. I am sure that it is unimportant to most others, at least compared to the bigger fact of your presence. How are you feeling otherwise since leaving the hospital - hopefully okay? Been rooting for you! MC Have a great time at the wedding:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick C Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, I have a great idea. How about one of those spandex dew rags? Hulk Hogan always wears one with a suit...what about you? Lawrence Taylor would too. You can wear it low enough. I know the only great answer would be to get you your hair back...but just thought I'd try to be as creative as possible. Have fun at the wedding anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchurchi Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, Sorry you are going through all this. Alan lost not only all his hair, but all his finger and toe nails. Alan only had 2 Chemo treatments, the last one in Feb 2005, he had noticable hair growing back by Dec. (his was delayed a bit by WBR),it did come back, differtent color altogether, but it is back. Hang in there and keep fighting the beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanie55 Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Hi Arron, Yea, the eyebrows were definitely worse than the hair loss. You probably look realy cute bald, as opposed to a bald women. (no offense to bald women, they are cute too). I went to my neices wedding with drawn on eyebrows. NOBODY knew. I also used eyeliner which helped with that martian look. Just go, feel good and dance. I'm sure everyone will be so happy to see you they will never notice what you do. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, My dad's hair started growing back within a month, but he also never lost his eyebrows. We joked about Dad's eyebrows, because they are always "bushy" and we teased that he could grow them out and over his head as hair...stupid joke, I know...but at that point you do whatever. When dad had PCI he lost it again, and he still is not fully haired...he ended PCI in August....Doc told us that it would take longer after PCI, and it most certainly has. Good luck! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 You are a cutie! Don't worry so much about your appearance right now. I am sure your friends and family just want to be in your company. Go to the wedding and have a blast! Let us know how much fun you had when you get back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicysashimi Posted December 15, 2006 Author Share Posted December 15, 2006 Thanks to all who responded. I may be in touch with my feminine side, but I am not yet ready for the brow pencil, although I have been known to borrow a smidgen of Julia's makeup to cover up an unsightly pimple on a big day. Mary, I am doing well. Thanks for asking. My window of good days has shrunk to about 5 every three weeks and this is one of those 5. I am ingesting as much good food and good wine as I can handle before i get poisoned on Monday. From all your responses, especially Nina's who was on the same cocktail, it looks like I am looking at April/May at the earliest if my treatment ends January 8. And you're right, its much harder for women. Bald is beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 I just noticed the other day, while watching a movie, that Whoopie Goldberg doesn't have eyebrows. I was shocked that I never noticed before. Hopefully, that is what will happen to you..People will look and not notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marym Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 I found the no eyebrows more of a concern for me than my peachfuzz head. I use a brow product - Lancome creme/powder. It goes on easily and stays put. It is "manly" to add the brow - just do them thick and a little furrowed! Seriuosly, you wouldn't know mine were not real. I have not lost my eyelashes and I do have some eyebrow - but only about 1/2 on each eye. I think the bald is of no consequence - even young guys think that' a look. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Yeah, there are a lot of young guys out there with shaved heads and it's cool. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ry Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Aaron, This how I looked at the whole hair loss thing. Hey no nose hair, ear hair, seldom shave, washing hair easy. The most important is you are in a fight of your life, how you look doing it is really no big deal. People that know you and care about are really proud of you. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursol Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Aaron, I hate the hair loss thing. I feel like I belong in a freak show now. My eyebrows have not fallen yet but I found a website (headcovers.com) they sell eyebrows. I thought I might try those when mine fall out rather than drawing them on. Anyhow, try not to stress too much about the hair, it's only hair it eventually it will grow back..staying alive is more important. Lilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welthy Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Aaron, I liked your comment about a five day window every three weeks. We began to see Tony's life that way too as the cumulative effects of the chemo set in. It is always "what can we do on good days?" around here. Aaahhh, eyebrows... not so much. Tony stopped conventional chemo in May and while his hair grew in sparsely and darker, he still has no discernable eyebrows. A few minor fuzzies. I did notice the other night, by the soft glow of the television, that he was getting some eyelashes coming back. I've often kidded him about penciling in some eyebrows, but he wanted nothing to do with that. I think everyone is so different, there is no rule of thumb to go by for timetables of hair regrowth. I can understand that, because you are so young, the whole bald thing bothers you more than it would an older man. Hell, you probably don't even have old man ear hair yet! Tony takes the same approach to it as Mr. Ry. Take care and glad to see you post during your good days. Welthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Aaron, I personally can live with whatever you do with your hair/brows/whatever....frankly, most women are now a/ok with the baldness thing. Just let us know if you have fun at the wedding!! MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 I have had 2 different chemos, and all I had was hair thinning. I used to have one big thick eyebrow that went all the way across without interruption. After chemo, I now appear to have 2 rather normal eyebrows, although somewhat thinned. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enyaw061032 Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Hello Aaron: I think you might be able to use an eyebrown pencil to draw in some brows where they used to be, and if you can wear a pair of glasses, it might pretty well cover up the area. Otherwise, just go ahead and enjoy yourself, and keep in mind that your friends know what is going on, and they will fully understand your lack of eyebrows. They will grow back once treatment stops. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welthy Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Don M -- you crack me up with the whole unibrow thing! Welthy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 So Aaron, this is a little late as a confidence builder for the wedding you were to attend, but I thought it might help with the hair loss a bit - I ran into it on AOL's home page today: Total hair loss is often an unfortunate and undesirable complication of the agents used to treat and cure cancer. Yet baldness — the hairless look — can for some represent spirituality and religion, or for others may suggest that they are athletic, smart, cool, reeking of testosterone. So - if anyone looks at you twice now, just tell them that you are athletic, smart, cool, and reeking of testosterone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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