Now it's starting to grow back in again and I'm getting ready for another 8 cycles of VRD. Guess I'll be shaving it again. But this time, I won't wait so long and let the stress build up so badly.
Forums
Re: Should I shave my head?
For me, my hair fell out slowly. Every time I sat down I would have hair falling down my back (felt like spiders crawling on me) or in my dinner plate. I finally shaved it. It felt so much better afterwards. It was so stressful having it fall out slowly and it was really starting to make me sick. Once I did it and it was over, it felt great and I didn't have to worry about it.
Now it's starting to grow back in again and I'm getting ready for another 8 cycles of VRD. Guess I'll be shaving it again. But this time, I won't wait so long and let the stress build up so badly.
Now it's starting to grow back in again and I'm getting ready for another 8 cycles of VRD. Guess I'll be shaving it again. But this time, I won't wait so long and let the stress build up so badly.
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Obayan
Re: Should I shave my head?
I had my hair styled in a short cut - but not shaved - right before I went in to the hospital. After the melphalan and the transplant, when I was in the hospital, my hair started falling out and I got it cut in a buzz cut while in the hospital bed.
When I got out, I wore scarves and hats and wigs. My 4 year old grandson asked if he could see my bald head about a month after the SCT. I took off my wig and he said it looked nice and smooth
When my hair first came in, it looked like white whispy feathers! I heard that the color producing part of my hair follicles must have gotten killed. Then my hair came in flat on my head like a seal - then it came in super curly and gradually loosened a bit until I looked like Little Orphan Annie. It was more than a year after I lost my hair before the super curly (almost looked permed) hair got cut off. It is finally fairly straight again.
Interestingly, it is very thick - thicker than it was before!
When I got out, I wore scarves and hats and wigs. My 4 year old grandson asked if he could see my bald head about a month after the SCT. I took off my wig and he said it looked nice and smooth
When my hair first came in, it looked like white whispy feathers! I heard that the color producing part of my hair follicles must have gotten killed. Then my hair came in flat on my head like a seal - then it came in super curly and gradually loosened a bit until I looked like Little Orphan Annie. It was more than a year after I lost my hair before the super curly (almost looked permed) hair got cut off. It is finally fairly straight again.
Interestingly, it is very thick - thicker than it was before!
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antelope1225 - Name: Cathy1225
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 25 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Should I shave my head?
We just returned home from having my husband's head shaved when I saw your post. This is the third time he has lost his hair. It doesn't fall out evenly - rather it comes out in patches. He found it annoying to find it on a dark shirt or on the seat in the car. He just has it shaved as soon as the first hairs began to fall. He wears a beard, so that goes as well.
Each time it has returned, it has been thicker and darker than before. This time, however, he has experienced scalp soreness. No marks or obvious irritation - his scalp just felt like he "had slept on his hair wrong". Now that his head is shaved, the soreness is gone.
Celebrate your head as a badge of courage!
Each time it has returned, it has been thicker and darker than before. This time, however, he has experienced scalp soreness. No marks or obvious irritation - his scalp just felt like he "had slept on his hair wrong". Now that his head is shaved, the soreness is gone.
Celebrate your head as a badge of courage!
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rav4fan - Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 1/1/2012
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Should I shave my head?
My hair is also super curly ... and very thick. I hope it stays that way. People keep telling me that it won't, that it will 'go back to normal and don't worry."
But I love it. I wanna keep it. If cutting it off will make it go away, I'll just keep growing it until I look like an elderly version of Marida in "Brave."
Or not ...
But I love it. I wanna keep it. If cutting it off will make it go away, I'll just keep growing it until I look like an elderly version of Marida in "Brave."
Or not ...
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dianaiad - Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Officially...March 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 63
Re: Should I shave my head?
I love seeing your picture, Kim! I decided I had better put a face to my posts after realizing how nice it was to see you!
You and I have corresponded before - on the post about mortality. I just forget names without a face to go with them.
My picture was taken 6-27-14 at the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding.
You and I have corresponded before - on the post about mortality. I just forget names without a face to go with them.
My picture was taken 6-27-14 at the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding.
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antelope1225 - Name: Cathy1225
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 25 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Should I shave my head?
You are all very wonderful to share your stories!
I do sort of wish that my hair would start to come out during the harvesting (and maybe it will!), even though I was told it won't. Because that would be confirmation that it is really going to happen. Like I mentioned, I have this fear of shaving my head and then finding out that my hair was going to stay after all! But they are using melphalan, so I'm pretty sure there is a 100% chance it's going to come out.
The current plan is to shave it in front of my friends on Aug 3rd. I am really set on my friends being parts of this. It has been my plan all along. Since it will not have started falling out yet, I can touch up the job the night before I am admitted on the 8th. Today I met with the social worker who said they can also shave it in the hospital, so we can touch it up again. That way I won't have little prickly pieces all over.
Please tell me I will lose my leg hair too. I hate shaving my legs every day. Now that would be a bonus.
I do sort of wish that my hair would start to come out during the harvesting (and maybe it will!), even though I was told it won't. Because that would be confirmation that it is really going to happen. Like I mentioned, I have this fear of shaving my head and then finding out that my hair was going to stay after all! But they are using melphalan, so I'm pretty sure there is a 100% chance it's going to come out.
The current plan is to shave it in front of my friends on Aug 3rd. I am really set on my friends being parts of this. It has been my plan all along. Since it will not have started falling out yet, I can touch up the job the night before I am admitted on the 8th. Today I met with the social worker who said they can also shave it in the hospital, so we can touch it up again. That way I won't have little prickly pieces all over.
Please tell me I will lose my leg hair too. I hate shaving my legs every day. Now that would be a bonus.
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KimT - Name: Kim Tank
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Should I shave my head?
Hey, Cathy, great to see you too!
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KimT - Name: Kim Tank
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Should I shave my head?
Hi KimT,
I was first treated with an older style chemo (VAD), so I lost my hair pretty much 3 weeks after I was diagnosed. It came out in handfuls in patches - twas a really special look. I got my husband to give me a buzz cut while my children stood around to collect the hair to give it to the birds (my daughter was 6 and my son 10). That treatment kept me hairless for ~5 months (if it had started growing between cycles it would come back out again).
It grew back same as before, not curly, just the same. I had about 7 months growth before I harvested my stem cells, maybe a bit of my hair came out with the cyclophosphamide, but not much. It certainly dropped out with the melphalan (I lost half my eyebrows too). Just prior to losing my hair, my scalp would be very sore, its as if I had slept on my hair the wrong way.
If I was to go through the hair loss procedure again I would probably wait until it started falling out (those little bits of hair really gave me the irrates) and then use a wrap around "sticky" towel (don't know what the name is - they gave it to me in hospital) to leave on my head to catch the hair. 3 days of wearing one of the towels day & night - changing the towel each day - then I would get someone to cut the hair that was left. Sounds a bit of a pain, but those tiny hairs really gave me the irrates.
All the best,
Libby
I was first treated with an older style chemo (VAD), so I lost my hair pretty much 3 weeks after I was diagnosed. It came out in handfuls in patches - twas a really special look. I got my husband to give me a buzz cut while my children stood around to collect the hair to give it to the birds (my daughter was 6 and my son 10). That treatment kept me hairless for ~5 months (if it had started growing between cycles it would come back out again).
It grew back same as before, not curly, just the same. I had about 7 months growth before I harvested my stem cells, maybe a bit of my hair came out with the cyclophosphamide, but not much. It certainly dropped out with the melphalan (I lost half my eyebrows too). Just prior to losing my hair, my scalp would be very sore, its as if I had slept on my hair the wrong way.
If I was to go through the hair loss procedure again I would probably wait until it started falling out (those little bits of hair really gave me the irrates) and then use a wrap around "sticky" towel (don't know what the name is - they gave it to me in hospital) to leave on my head to catch the hair. 3 days of wearing one of the towels day & night - changing the towel each day - then I would get someone to cut the hair that was left. Sounds a bit of a pain, but those tiny hairs really gave me the irrates.
All the best,
Libby
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LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Should I shave my head?
I lost my hair when they gave me Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) to harvest my stem cells. Having your head shaved before hand may be a lot less shocking than putting your hands in your hair to pull it back and have it come out in chunks.
Loved having the bald head in the summer and I've kept my hair very short ever since.
Good luck.
Becky
Loved having the bald head in the summer and I've kept my hair very short ever since.
Good luck.
Becky
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lattecat - When were you/they diagnosed?: 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Should I shave my head?
Hi Kim
As my wife regularly reminds me, I really cannot grasp what the loss of hair represents for a woman. So I won't even comment on that front. However, my short answer is that you definitely should get your head shaved pre-transplant.
I didn't do it that way because I was sure I was going to be that 1 in 10,000 who didn't lose his hair. I could not have been more wrong! As someone else mentioned, dealing with clumps of hair falling out all over everything at the same time as you're dealing with the effects of the transplant itself just is not any fun at all.
I consoled myself with the fact that I didn't have to shave for a good 6-8 weeks post transplant. Additionally, although it was not permanent, I had hair grow back in my bald spot. Today, 13 months post transplant, I'm just back to more or less normal hair with that bald spot in the back.
I wish you the best
Daniel
As my wife regularly reminds me, I really cannot grasp what the loss of hair represents for a woman. So I won't even comment on that front. However, my short answer is that you definitely should get your head shaved pre-transplant.
I didn't do it that way because I was sure I was going to be that 1 in 10,000 who didn't lose his hair. I could not have been more wrong! As someone else mentioned, dealing with clumps of hair falling out all over everything at the same time as you're dealing with the effects of the transplant itself just is not any fun at all.
I consoled myself with the fact that I didn't have to shave for a good 6-8 weeks post transplant. Additionally, although it was not permanent, I had hair grow back in my bald spot. Today, 13 months post transplant, I'm just back to more or less normal hair with that bald spot in the back.
I wish you the best
Daniel
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DanielR - Name: Daniel Riebow
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 12/2012
- Age at diagnosis: 59
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