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Friday, December 4, 2009

Life with Cancer: Those funky follicles...

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[Ed. note: Welcome to one of our favorite Healthy Living features, Life With Cancer. Here we join Erin, a writer and mother who also is living with leukemia. Erin blogs about the very real and sweet and funny and challenging moments she encounters everyday and we are so glad she's sharing the journey with us here on Shine. Today, Lea, a friend who was recently deemed cancer-free (woohoo!) guest blogs while Erin's on some deserved vacay.]

I have been bald since December 12th when I received my transplant in Seattle. I never opted to get a wig- it just seemed like a hot and itchy idea. Plus, I am the type that would wear it sideways by mistake! I know it's a good plan for a lot of women, and I'm not passing judgment by not wearing one. It just hasn't been my thing. I am not allowed to be in public crowds for another year, am not allowed to go back to work for a good year, and don't really have a full social calendar to keep up with. Comfy fleece hats from family and friends have been what I have lived in over the past 4 months.

But now I am in California (it is hot here) and my hair is actually growing a little. Granted, to everyone else I still look like the "bald chick" but my mom, husband and I can see those random fuzzy follicles standing straight up on my head. This is my new REAL hair. I heard post high doses of chemo your hair can come back like your donor's hair or real dark, thick and curly. Bring it on, because I was the girl who has used "Sun In" and other gross highlighting products since the age of 14 and I have no idea what color my old, baby, fine, limp hair truly is.

In the meantime, I am in a "growing phase" where my hair looks a tad wild (like I stuck my finger in an electric socket) and I have some patchy bald spots that I need to do something with. Do I shave it again so it grows in more evenly? Should I be patient and see how it really is growing in? Any ideas for fun spring hats (that are not fleece) now that I am back in 80-degree weather? I also have to wear 50SPF all over my body since my chance of getting skin cancer is about 10 times greater than the average person post transplant- so sun coverage is also important. Scarves SOUND great but I am not so talented with tying those either- we need basic cute head coverage for this chick. Any ideas? Do I shave all the hair now? Will it grow faster? Does one part of your head grow faster than another part?

Thanks for the advice!

Yours,

Lea


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Related: wigs, recovery, mind and mood, life with cancer, lea, hats, hair, cancer, bald

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Comments 1-3 of 3
  • odaat's Avatar
    Posted by odaat Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:05pm PDT

    I (thankfully) haven't had your problem, so maybe someone will come along with personal experience in growing hair back after chemo. I can tell you that the several people I have known who have been in your shoes have definitely had their hair grow back darker, or at least as dark as before, and usually curlier, too.

    If it were me, I wouldn't shave my new hair off. There is no guarantee that it will grow in more evenly the next time, and I wouldn't want to go back to square one for no reason. I'd just nurture what I had -- get enough sleep and eat well and all those healthy things -- and hope it fills in with time. I don't know about head covers -- I'm not good with scarves either, plus I think that they just scream CANCER PATIENT and I personally wouldn't want to do that, though I'm not trying to diss people who do wear scarves. I think I'd just try on a bunch of different hats until I found a style that I liked, and then try to find them in different colors.

    Congrats on your successful transplant, and I hope you enjoy many years of good health.

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  • brtrahan's Avatar
    Posted by brtrahan Wed May 7, 2008 1:30pm PDT

    I had Breast Cancer, had chemo and lost my hair also. After chemo when it started to grow back I started taking Biotin supplement by mouth for my hair (This you can get even at WalMart). It came back fuller and curly at first but soon return to its normal texture. But when I went to have my hair shaped the hairdresser could tell when I had ran out of it or tried stopping. The Biotin is in all the salon products for hair.

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  • brtrahan's Avatar
    Posted by brtrahan Wed May 7, 2008 1:33pm PDT

    I had Breast Cancer, had chemo and lost my hair also. After chemo when it started to grow back I started taking Biotin supplement by mouth for my hair (This you can get even at WalMart). It came back fuller and curly at first but soon return to its normal texture. But when I went to have my hair shaped the hairdresser could tell when I had ran out of it or tried stopping. The Biotin is in all the salon products for hair.

    Report Abuse
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