girlcat36

Has anyone here dealt with radiation related hair loss????

RylandCurl

Hi, GirlCat...

I am afraid that from what I know, hair loss from the area that is irradiated is permanent. I had breast cancer, and my armpit was irradiated. It's almost 3 years later, and I don't have to shave there.

I'm sorry, sweetie.

Rachel

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Suburban DC area.

girlcat36

I completed my radiation 8 weeks ago. I was told that if I had regrowth it wouldn't be for 6 or 7 months. I have new growth just starting to come in, ahead of schedule. Yay!

RylandCurl

BUT WAIT..... I just heard from a friend of mine who had Hodgekins, and she was irradiated on her head, and had a huge round spot on the back of her head that became bald as a result. It was pretty obvious, since her hair is still short. It's been a while, I thought over a year, and IT IS COMING BACK! This is MAJOR good news!

I don't know why her hair is coming back and mine didn't, but here we have 2 true examples... so you have reason to hope for the best!

UPDATE I spoke with my friend, and it took only 5 MONTHS for her hair to come back from the place that was irradiated (they did her throat/head from the front, and the place that went bald was where it hit the back of her head). Anyway, it's at least as thick as the rest of her hair!

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Suburban DC area.

girlcat36

So glad your friends hair is coming in. It must have been difficult to have that bald spot in such an obvious area. Good for her! I have been able to hide my bald area somewhat with my longish hair, but I must wear it uo when I start work again,which will expose my bald area. I have decided that two low pigtails, while juvenile, will do the best job of hiding it.

RylandCurl

I think low pigtails sounds wonderful. It sounds like radiation was recent, since you say that you are going back to work again. I wish you good health and good healing.

Warm hugs!

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Suburban DC area.

girlcat36

Thanks for the good thoughts. I finished chemo and radiation on June 6. It was quite an aggressive treatment, requiring a feeding tube. I haven't worked since Mar.1, but I'm ready to go back now.

RylandCurl

Oh, my. A feeding tube. I am so sorry that you had to go through that, I know that radiation on a working part of the body (like the throat, or organs, as opposed to the breast where I had it done) is really difficult and painful and stops things from working right. I just had a bad burn, or at least that's all I felt, but you obviously had a very difficult time. Big hugs to you!

I congratulate you on coming out on the other side, ready to go to work and worrying about your hair. Welcome back!

Rachel

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Suburban DC area.

Anggi

I guess it depends on th ekind of radiation you have and your bodies own reaction. I had radiation to the head (actually through the front of my forehead and left eye and through the sides of the front of my head. They told me that some of my hair loss would be permanent. The hair on my head grew back quite thick (as I was fine and thin) and curly. However, I don't shave my underarms but about once a week now (I guess we have to look at the few positives). My attitude was that they coudl tell me all the worst case exceptations, but I was going to prove them wrong and just see what my body could do. I actually have to say that if I can't figure out how to take care of this ----- curly hair, I would rather be bald (but don't want to have to shave my head everyday). I loved being bald...No prep time, no hat head, no bad hair day, saved money on hair care products, etc. Anyway, I wish you the best.

girlcat36

Thank you, Anggi----I'm glad your hair came back thicker! I hope you are well. My hair is growing in, but as you said it depends how much radiation one has. My tumor was on the left side, so I got more radiation to the left. My hair is growing in much quicker on the right than the left.

JCRUMP27

most people rgrow their hair