When does this occur - at harvesting or during actual transplant process?
If so, how long did it take you for your hair to come back?
SPECIAL NOTE - He does not have much hair left on his head any way, but I can't tell him that.
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Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
We have heard that my husband may lose his hair during the SCT [stem cell transplant].
When does this occur - at harvesting or during actual transplant process?
If so, how long did it take you for your hair to come back?
SPECIAL NOTE - He does not have much hair left on his head any way, but I can't tell him that.
When does this occur - at harvesting or during actual transplant process?
If so, how long did it take you for your hair to come back?
SPECIAL NOTE - He does not have much hair left on his head any way, but I can't tell him that.
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LadyLib - Name: LadyLib
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Spouse
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 42
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
I lost mine in 2 or 3 days following the Melphalan injection. I don't honestly remember when it grew back, but with all that was going on at the time it didn't carry any importance.
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Wayne K - Name: Wayne
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself, my sister who passed in '95
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 03/09
- Age at diagnosis: 70
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
When I started myeloma treatment, my hair was long, and I wore it braided down my back. Before the SCT, it was already thinning and breaking from the thalidomide treatment. Although I hated feeling my braid getting thinner and thinner, I refused to cut my hair. Keeping it was my part of my anger about having myeloma.
Like Wayne, I started losing it within a day or two of the melphalan. It started growing back in a couple of months, very different from what it had been -- thicker on top and very curly. But, it was also brunette where it had been brunette before and grey where it had been grey before. Now, almost 4 years later, it is pretty much back to what it had been, but thicker and back down on my shoulders. (I won't let it get longer because I can't bear the thought of losing it again when it is very long.)
Keeping a sense of humor is important. When most of my hair was gone, my daughter, who was my caregiver, looked at me and said, "Mommy, you look like the Crypt Keeper" -- the comic book character from the 1950s. She found a picture of the Crypt Keeper, too a photo of me, and sent both to friends and family with a "look familar?" note. It's our quirky sense of humor. Almost everyone laughed over it. Laughing helped when I started vomiting......
Like Wayne, I started losing it within a day or two of the melphalan. It started growing back in a couple of months, very different from what it had been -- thicker on top and very curly. But, it was also brunette where it had been brunette before and grey where it had been grey before. Now, almost 4 years later, it is pretty much back to what it had been, but thicker and back down on my shoulders. (I won't let it get longer because I can't bear the thought of losing it again when it is very long.)
Keeping a sense of humor is important. When most of my hair was gone, my daughter, who was my caregiver, looked at me and said, "Mommy, you look like the Crypt Keeper" -- the comic book character from the 1950s. She found a picture of the Crypt Keeper, too a photo of me, and sent both to friends and family with a "look familar?" note. It's our quirky sense of humor. Almost everyone laughed over it. Laughing helped when I started vomiting......
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darnold - Name: Dana Arnold
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 52
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
My hair started coming out about 10 days after my Cytoxan infusion as part of preparation for stem cell harvesting. The nurse practitioner had warned me that it might start coming out between day 10 and 14. So, as soon as I noticed hair on my pillow, in the shower and on my brush I had my head shaved. I didn't like seeing it coming out the way it was starting to. I was emotionally prepared for being bald and had gotten some brightly colored scarves to wear ahead of time. I don't think that your husband would go for the scarf look, but he might appreciate a good looking hat to wear if his head gets cold.
Nancy in Phila
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
I think men handle this "bald" thing better. He will be fine. I just want to encourage him to shave it off rather than watch it fall. I told him I would paint on his eyebrows...he did not like that idea at all.
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LadyLib - Name: LadyLib
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Spouse
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 42
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
My husband had both Cytoxin and Melphan pre-transplant. He started losing his (rapidly) about 10 days after the Cytoxin. It was messy, and grossing him out (being all over his pillow), so we shaved the rest off. I thought that it wouldn't bother him that much since so many men shave their heads these days. It did. It marked him (to people who knew him and to himself) as having cancer and undergoing chemo. It was winter and his head was cold - even indoors. He wore a stocking cap or baseball cap. He lost all his body hair, but not his eyebrows or eye lashes. It starting growing back in at about 3 months. When it came back it was curly (had been straight), but his receding hairline and thin spot on top was the same. After several months of growth, his normal straight hair came in.
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rumnting - Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 4/9/11
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
Dad started losing his hair about 10 days post-melphalan (and post-cytoxan/-cyclophosphamide during harvest). It started on his pubic hair (gross) and then his hair (messy). Since we have already figured it out from the harvesting period, we shaved his hair pre-transplant.
Thankfully, he did not lose his eyebrows. His mustache, however, did fall off. I hope your husband will not lose (too much of) his eyebrows, too.
But who cares about this? I wish your husband well!
Thankfully, he did not lose his eyebrows. His mustache, however, did fall off. I hope your husband will not lose (too much of) his eyebrows, too.
But who cares about this? I wish your husband well!
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
tpt wrote:
Thankfully, he did not lose his eyebrows. His mustache, however, did fall off.
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This struck me as funny...visualized a whole mustache just falling off someone's lip...like a bad costume mustache. Sorry, my poor ill-timed humor.
It sounds like it would probably be best to pre-shave lots of areas before they get started. Good to know. I am afraid of my head getting cold as someone mentioned. I thought of getting a cool driver's cap for my bald head, but that might not be warm enough. I didn't think about eyebrows ... I have really thick ones and I think that would bother me those going away more than anything. Oh well.
Thankfully, he did not lose his eyebrows. His mustache, however, did fall off.
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This struck me as funny...visualized a whole mustache just falling off someone's lip...like a bad costume mustache. Sorry, my poor ill-timed humor.
It sounds like it would probably be best to pre-shave lots of areas before they get started. Good to know. I am afraid of my head getting cold as someone mentioned. I thought of getting a cool driver's cap for my bald head, but that might not be warm enough. I didn't think about eyebrows ... I have really thick ones and I think that would bother me those going away more than anything. Oh well.
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StandingTall - Who do you know with myeloma?: Me! yay!!
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Sept. 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 39
Re: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
Hi LadyLib,
I have lost my hair 3 times.The first time was with VAD (older style treatment) & that occurred ~17 days after treatment - I didn't lose my eyebrows. At this time I pulled (literally comes out in your hands) about half my hair out; I then shaved the rest. My hair did thin a little with cytoxin and I really truly lost lots of hair (everywhere - eyebrows 1/2) with the melphalan. I had shaved my head in anticipation with melphalan but then when you lose your hair you have all these tiny bits of hair getting everywhere pricking you. Might not seem much of a problem but when you are lying in a hospital bed bed ridden and you have these little things at the back of your neck. They were annoying. If I had to do it again I wouldn't shave my head before hand but would use a head wrap, one that would take the hair with it.
All the best to you & your husband,
Libby
I have lost my hair 3 times.The first time was with VAD (older style treatment) & that occurred ~17 days after treatment - I didn't lose my eyebrows. At this time I pulled (literally comes out in your hands) about half my hair out; I then shaved the rest. My hair did thin a little with cytoxin and I really truly lost lots of hair (everywhere - eyebrows 1/2) with the melphalan. I had shaved my head in anticipation with melphalan but then when you lose your hair you have all these tiny bits of hair getting everywhere pricking you. Might not seem much of a problem but when you are lying in a hospital bed bed ridden and you have these little things at the back of your neck. They were annoying. If I had to do it again I wouldn't shave my head before hand but would use a head wrap, one that would take the hair with it.
All the best to you & your husband,
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: Stem cell transplant (SCT) - hair loss?
We plan on having the whole extended family buy my husband doo-rags for Christmas in anticipation of his stem cell transplant in January. A sense of humor will be a must for this process.
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