Post-Chemo Hair Diary

How can I control my life when I can't control my hair?

Author Unknown

It's heartbreaking and something I never want to experience again but hair loss comes with chemotherapy treatment. Not all chemo drugs induce hair loss but the ones most commonly used for treating breast cancer do. In my case it was "the red devil" Adriamycin, Cytoxen and Taxotere. I thought "maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones you hear about who won't lose their hair." I wasn't. It started to fall out three days after my second treatment. I watched it whirl around in the canister of my Dyson Animal vacuum. I cried.

But I've got good news: it comes back! I was inspired by several friends and other similar blogs to post a hair diary of sorts. I don't have many pictures because I refused to take any of my naked head but I have a couple to share along with some personal tips.

This was taken on Thanksgiving day 2008. I had my first chemo seven days earlier.

Christmas Eve and the ever-present beanie I bought at Nordstrom.

It was cashmere and I adored it...until I wore it every moment of the day.

I had three treatments by Christmas and was totally bald on top but my lashes and eyebrows were holding strong.

Opening gifts on my 34th birthday - March 2009.

The weather was warming up here in California so I started wearing scarves like the one pictured here. I bought a few from "Transitions for Women" - a wonderful boutique that sells products for oncology patients.

At this point I had finished with the Adriamycin and Cytoxen was onto Taxotere.

My lashes and brows were still there albeit thinning.

My last chemo treatment was April 2, 2009.

I officially started to go without anything the weekend of Easter.

My hair had started coming in before my last treatment but I had lost most of my brows and lashes at this point.

I used Brow Tech by Smashbox on my brows and a couple of different things to help boost my lashes: RevitaLash, and two mascaras, Double Extend Beauty Tubes from Loreal Paris and Maybelline's Lash Discovery for it's mini-brush.

This picture above was taken about a month later on Mother's Day - May 11, 2009.

We went out for a lovely dinner that evening and one of the waiters called me "sir." A cringe-worthy moment to say the least!

I started using a hair stimulator product from

Enjoy. It would make my scalp all tingly and red but it seemed to work!

June 20, 2009.

You can see my hair is much thicker and a little longer.

I had my hairdresser darken the color quite a bit as the lighter color was washing me out and made my hair look thinner than it really was. I had colored my hair before I lost it but now it was more than necessary as it was coming in all salt and pepper - a la George Clooney. Not a good look on me!

August 19, 2009

These are my chemo curls.

My hair was a little curly before but not nearly as curly as it is now. I had Bryan take this picture before I left for an appointment to get all those curls cut off!

August 23, 2009

Almost five months post chemo.

I'll keep updating this as my hair comes back! If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email!