Hair Loss

My mom's treatment is 6 rounds of chemo with radiation (6 weeks) in the middle. She has finished the first 3 chemo and the radiation. Now is doing the last 3 with only 1 left. During chemo, she lost her hair but it started to grow back while on radiation. But now that she is on chemo again, she is losing her hair again. The Dr. had told her that the last 3 chemo she would only have thinning hair but she was incorrect. Mom was just getting used to not having to wear a hat everywhere too. I feel bad for her as mine is growing now that my chemo is finished. 

I feel real sadness hearing the stories about women losing their hair. I was devastated in October to learn I would be getting chemo and losing my hair. I looked into Penguin Cold Caps and made a decision to use them. I realize that it isn't for everyone and it is very expensive. I was very fortunate to have been able to use them. There is never any guarantees but there has been a lot of success using the caps, especially with the TC chemo that I had. I did shed a bit and my hair is thinner, but no one else would know. I kept about 75% of my hair. I think a lot of people either don't know about the caps or are told they don't work. I have a lot of compassion for women going through this. 

Hello, Sooty‍ . Welcome to cancerconnection. Glad to hear the cold cap worked for you. Are you ready to explore this site some more?  If you like, have a look at the breast cancer discussions. You can join in any discussion, or start your own topic:   https://cancerconnection.ca/discussions/viewcategory/39
 

Haven't tried it yet but learned about a new shampoo. Garnier Whole Blends Castor Oil. I have this thin spot at my crown that I hope this shampoo will help.

Hi Buffythevampire‍,

I could be wrong, but I suspect that the key to that shampoo is the castor oil.  When I was younger, I sometimes put some cooking oil in a bowl, dipped a cotton ball in it, and used it to put oil all over my head.  Then I split a plastic bag by the seams and tied it around my head to keep the heat in.  Trust me, your head gets hot.  But that is the idea, because you want the oil to soak into your hair and scalp.  After a couple of hours you shampoo (and shampoo, and shampoo) to get the remaining oil off.  It is worth the effort, because your hair will feel silky soft.  And the oil is good for your scalp as well.

My Mom and I used to laugh when we saw what companies were charging for what they called "hot oil treatments".  This is a do it yourselfer that is much cheaper and just as effective.

My hair grew back curly and really soft.  But if that changes, I will give myself the odd oil treatment.  It won't make your hair thicker, but it will make it softer for sure.