r/Ovariancancer • u/Team-Unicorn-502 • Jun 03 '25
Ovarian Cancer patient Hair loss question…
My first chemo round was two weeks ago, next one in one week. It’s the carbo/taxol/avastin combo. I’ve noticed in the last two or three days my scalp has been more tender and today it’s really tender all over. How long after it hits this stage have people noticed their hair really starting to fall out? I’m trying to prepare myself the best I can.
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u/Professional-Owl483 Jun 03 '25
That's the sign that it's about to start. It feels like you've left a pony tail in for too long. It is much less painful if you cut it short now, but not shave off completely. Shaving can increase the chances of developing folliculitis, which I've had for the last three rounds - it's really not fun.
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u/Team-Unicorn-502 Jun 03 '25
Thank you! How short do you recommend? Like buzz cut?
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u/Professional-Owl483 Jun 03 '25
I had mid-back length hair and did a No 4 cut after dyeing it teal the previous month (ovarian cancer ribbon colour) and then spending a week having fun doing Brad Mondo tutorial cuts on myself! It's sooo easy to care for short hair and just wear a wig when I want length - I might keep it this way.
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u/Chacha1506 Jul 29 '25
What do you have to do for the folliculitis?
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u/Professional-Owl483 Jul 29 '25
I went on a course of antibiotics when there were signs of infection. I used a topical steroid cream for the itching. I tried a lot of home remedies (there's a folliculitis sub with loads of suggestions). Best thing I used is a face toner from a local herbalist. Witch hazel and apple cider vinegar are key ingredients.
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u/Woodland999 Jun 03 '25
My partners hair is going almost exactly three weeks after- her next treatment is Wednesday (tomorrow is three weeks). She’s been slowly shedding but half an hour ago her head got really itchy and it’s coming out a LOT. It was wild it came out of nowhere. We’re shaving it in the morning.
Wishing you the best. We got a wig/hats the week after chemo and glad the doctor encouraged us to figure that out before her hair fell out. At first she was very anti-wig but now she says she wants to wear it all the time. There’s no way to tell how you’ll feel until it happens, even then I expect it might change for her
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u/Bashira42 Jun 03 '25
Yep, same. Just had one night could not sleep as it just pulled out easily. Toupee look in the trash can of all the fallen hair. Got it shaved the next morning. Find it funny how many straggling hairs there still are! Would look ridiculous if they were long, as not many overall, but still quite a few.
I've stuck with my hats/scarves & no wigs that I was pretty sure would be my choice from the beginning & am getting more comfortable bald sometimes.
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u/SonRod-8a Jun 03 '25
My scalp hurt so much, I had the hair shaved off. Prior to that, my granddaughter vacuumed my head before I showered as the loss was increasing everyday. Also, shortly after the first round of carbo/taxol/avastin. Every stitch of hair on my body fell out. See if you can get a prescription for a wig. I never used mine. Preferred the head covers. I found out that you can also purchase eyebrows made from real hair. After being hairless for months, the fake eyebrows looked strange on me. After about 10 weeks post chemo, my hair was short but thick enough to go without wearing a cover. I’ve been channeling Rapunzel for ten months now, and my hair is reaching my collar!
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u/thisisscorpion Jun 03 '25
I did 6 rounds of the same chemo you’re taking. My hair started to thin right before my 2nd round and then really started to fall out a week or two after my 2nd round. My scalp was really itchy and tender around this time. I still had a bit of stubble but went bald bald after my 4th round. I’m about 8 months since my last round of chemo and I have a full head of hair. I was surprised how fast it grew back. Hang in there! <3
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u/supercali888 Jun 03 '25
I had super long thick hair. Before I began chemo, I went to my hairstylist and asked her to cut it short in whatever way she wanted, to just have fun with it. I would say around day 17 or 18 my hair began to fall out in chunks. It was super unnerving.
As a result, I completely shaved my head. It helped not having to deal with hair, clogging the sink or the shower. It also felt less traumatic just seeing stubble fall out But I did have a little pieces of hair all over my pillow.
It was so sore in the beginning, but tolerable. And that did go away. I only wore hats, except once wore a wig once at an event. No one could tell it wasn't my real hair!
Every hair on my body fell out. Weirdly, my under arm hair, barely grew back. But everything else came back fine.
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u/Team-Unicorn-502 Jun 03 '25
Thank you! My hair was super thick and long too. I cut it short too right before my first chemo round. I keep joking that if I’m going to get alopecia I had better lose my leg and underarm hair as well or I’m going to be really unhappy! 😆
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u/Blueheron54240 Jun 03 '25
So I am day 13 first treatment with carbo/taxol and started to lose hair. They told me by the second treatment I will be bald. Wonder if the ice gel caps would help you with scalp tenderness?
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u/drazil17 Jun 03 '25
I got my thick, waist length hair cut the day after my first chemo appointment. Despite using a cold cap, it started coming out at 2 weeks and pretty heavily by 3. I ended up losing about 80%, but managed to keep a patch in the front and a bit along the sides and back and was mostly bald on the top.
I lucked out in that if I wore a beanie type hat, it almost looked like I just had really thin hair. I lost most of the hair on my body.I kept a few eyebrow hairs and a couple lashes.
Pits and pubes came back darker (less gray) and a bit heavier. Head hair also seems to be less gray, but it's baby fine so far. It's just over 5 months now and the new hair is an inch and a half long and mostly sticks straight up. It causes the little hair I kept to look a bit fuller, though it can barely hold a bobby pin in place. I think I could use one of those baby Velcro bows to hold the small bits of hair that made it through chemo.😆
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u/Team-Unicorn-502 Jun 04 '25
Thank you for your insight. I like the less gray aspect!! Something to look forward to! LOL
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u/General-Analysis7779 Jul 29 '25
I cut mine in a cute short and sassy cut right after my first treatment. As I lost more hair it was so thin I looked like smiegle on lord of the rings. Then I had a Mohawk as I am a side sleeper and lost all the hair on the side of my head. So I have now shaved it all off. After 3 treatments I have not lost all my hair. I am not paying for a wig so I wear cute head scarfs and hats. Or nothing on my head if it’s warm enough. It’s amazing how much heat is held in
from hair.
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u/Noctula Jun 19 '25
I got six chemo's each 3 weeks a whole day. After two treatments my hair fell out. Feeling hair pain (like you had your hear to tight into a tail or knot) is the start of it. Good luck with your treatment.
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u/RaketaGirl Jun 03 '25
Mine fell out at exactly 18 days post first treatment! And for what it’s worth, I had a terrible “head” time during chemo - these weird pustules, constant tenderness and soreness, folliculitis. Don’t be afraid to ask your doc for treatment for it, I started using clindamycin after the second treatment and it made a huge difference in my poor bald head!