Painful scalp while losing hair

My hair has not started falling out yet but I have only had 1 treatment, I go for #2 in 3 days. I had made up my mind I was going to cut my hair very short if it started falling out just so I wouldn't have to deal with the long hair all over the place. I do know if you wear a hat or cap it will stain green. A friend of mine had hers do that.

Hi sky. 

In everything I have gone through I think loosing my hair was the hardest. I did prior to starting chemo at the advice of my nurse and consultant had at least 10 inches cut off my hair. That was hard enough I was not prepared for the rapid hair loss so quickly. Just after the 2nd round. My only advice is if you are going to have a wig get a real hair one. They are expensive but worth every penny even my doctor didn't realise it was a wig. It does take some getting used to not having any hair and I do cry regularly when I catch a glimpse of myself. But hey it will grow back. 

Good luck hunni on your journey. Surround yourself with love and positivity. 

Mandy. Xxxx

I shaved my hair off after it started coming out in clumps. I found it more upsetting seeing it fall out than cutting it. Being bald sucks but my hair grew back nice after 8 weeks smooth. I'm going for a bone marrow transplant so my hairs gonna fall out again. 

I'd already read about hair falling in food (yuk), so decided that wasn't for me. My hairdresser shaved my head privately but already had my NHS wig (which looked great), but I read loads of MacMillan forum posts about side effects so was well prepared as regards keeping out of the sun because of skin burn, also keeping head warm - I went through winter and the wig didn't keep the wind or cold out, so I had to buy thick scarves, and don't forget a hat for bedtime. I never thought I'd wear it, but did....... Never heard of anything turning green, isn't that dye in the material ?

Good luck to all - I'm lucky to have got through to my 2 year mammogram successfully. Please try and make sure your partners are looking after themselves, mine ended up having a stroke which I put down to the stress of my condition while keeping our business going, selling it and moving. BUT there's light at the end of the tunnel, everything is "rosy" and relaxed while I now look after him.

Hi Sky.

I had my head shaved by my lovely hairdresser last week. She left just a stubble which actually looks great. I think it's much nicer than just waiting till it's all gone, it's horrible when in the shower, it all wraps round your fingers, it's creepy. I feel much more comfortable now and it's so much cooler in this hot weather. Quicker in the shower too and no blow-drying to bother with. I bought 3 Turbans in advance, nice bright summery colours, they look good with some make-up, some jewelry, especially earrings and I do wear them sometimes but I also go naked a lot, even when out, people tell me it looks great.

My scalp wasn't sore however but I do use a good moisturiser like Aveeno.

Hope that inspires you and gives you confidence to go for it.

Lots of love and good wishes.

Sue

My hair started falling out - leaving me with a bald spot at the front and back of my head.  Where it was still growing I did a Bobby Moore - combing the long bits over the bald spots.  Whenever I went out I wore my wig.  It knocked years off me and it was so easy to do my hair - no fiddling around with hair dryers etc. After all my chemo, my hair didn't seem to grow.  I use Groupons and found a shampoo and conditioner in the Watermans Hair Growth range. I now have fluffy hair growing on my bald spots for the first time in 4 years! When you are on Chemo, as for a wig voucher.  There is a great wig shop in Southend and with the vowcher the wig is only about 65 pounds.  Good luck.

If you were a hat your head will go green ? I wore a hat every day pretty much for 5 months and my head never went green. 

Hi. I had very long locks down to my waist and was dreading the hair loss. I decided to get them cut of and keep my hair boyishly short and as the chemo progressed I did go for the full  shave in the shower. I felt doing it this was gave me a bit of power over the treatment. I then spent loads of cash on hats and scarves according to the occasions

I hope this helps

Anne

Hi Sky

I lost my hair following my second dose.  I had a lot of thick course hair and I wanted to see if i was going to lose it or whether it would be as stubborn as it has always been in terms of styling and would stay firmly put.  Of course it fell out, in great clumps and handfuls.  It fell into the food I was preparing, it fell onto the food as I served up, it went all over the bed and it clogged up the drain in the shower.  I then had my hubby shave the remainder, purely because it was making the house so messy!  Thankfully it grew back, good as new.  Was grey before so no change but it did grow back curly.  Tiny, spiral curls, like pubic hair, but soft as soft could be and soon it straightened itself out.  

I have just undergone a second course of chemotherapy and the moment it started to fall out, I had a pal shave it off.  Much cleaner and tidier - although from my opening you can probably guess itnever was my crowning glory.  It has grown back again, still grey, still soft but no curl this time.

I guess to shave or not to shave all boils down to a. Whether it was your crowning glory or not and b. How much you like housework!

Both times the tenderness has got much better once I got rid.  Hope this helps, as always 'everybody is different'.

Good luck and take care.

Lynny

Hi Sky,  I had a stem cell transplant last year for my MDS I was incarcerated for 4 weeks for my treatment... it all came as a complete shock that I had contracted the big c .. but just before I went into hostpital I got all my hair shaved off ... as a 60yr old man I was starting to go thin anyway.. after the 2nd week of my treatment everything dropped out... or off.. except my eyebrows...after my treatment, and during my time back home recovering, my hair started to grow back...the specialist said it would come back black and curly...nope! it started to come back a little at a time in various places.. I was not to happy about my look... so now I wear my hair as short as possible and with great pride .. its my personal sign of triumph to me and others that I am on the road to recovery... as they say... hair today .. gone tomorrow... PS... iv`e saved a fortune on hair gel.. best wishes from me...ADP.