is it possible to not lose ones hair due to chemo?

my mom just started chemo yesterday.
in no way is she a vain woman, she hasn't mentioned anything about it.
yet, is there any remedies anyone can recommend that might help her keep her hair?
links are appreciated, even to other posts this may have been discussed.
nothing came up during a search.
this is one of those things where i hope people post any possibilities no matter how silly they may sound.
for instance, one thing i came up with on google, was bentonite clay, literally spreading mud on your head.

There are certain types of chemo therapy which don't make you loose any hair at all. (my partner had it about 8 years ago) I'm not sure if it works on all cancers though. Might be worth checking with the doctor just in case. I hope your mother can recover from her illness with all the dignity she requires. But if all else fails and she looses her hair, try and make it into something positive. She can try loads of different hair styles, and change them at will. That's something that most people can't do.

I'm sorry that you're all going through this, be strong.

reply to post by Acidtastic


appreciate the kind words, it's tough.
not sure the name of the chems used, but the doc did say she'll most likely loose her hair.
i bought her a couple really nice scarves.
i used to have a store here in n.m. there was a cancer clinic near by and i used to give scarves for free to patients that came by the store.
not to bitch, but once word got out i lost alot of money on this.
would do it again in a heartbeat.

i would try every alternative to chemo first and only do it as a last resort.

you'd be surprised the amount of success that the media and big pharm wont admit to. i know many success stories, one lives right across the street, i remember when they told him he only had 6 months, that was years ago.

check out prop. 215 in California, and related research.

and this site.

www.phoenixtears.ca...

::edit:: she wont lose her hair.

So sorry your Mom is going thru this. I do home nursing for Cancer patients from time to time and have found even tho hair is lost from chemo, after treatment it comes back healthier than ever (almost like baby hair). There are some really cute hats, scarves, (as you have talked about) and wigs that will get her thru the rough part. Peace to you and your Mom

Hi

I send my best wishes to you Mom.

Theres a page here about which types of therapy and drugs are most likely to cause hair loss and which ones aren't, basically hair loss is not certain and depends on which drugs she is having to take.

Hope this helps

reply to post by rubbertramp


If you don't mind me asking, what type of cancer did your mom contract ?

I get treatment at a cancer center every Tuesday. I don't have cancer but the center gives the injections, Procret, I need to make my bone marrow produce red blood cells.

I see many cancer patients and in a period of a year I have seen only two females that have lost hair.

One of the patients is also a nurse at the center. She is as bald as a baby's but and wears it proudly. I think she must use oil on her noggin as it is shinny. Her attitude is great.

I've been waiting for years for it to become popular for women to shave their heads. I would shave mine in a New York minute.

I have heard that keeping the head cool with ice packs during radiation and chemo therapy does help slow hair loss.

Just keep loving your mom and be there for her. My best to you and your family.

Originally posted by RelentlessLurker
i would try every alternative to chemo first and only do it as a last resort.

This is good advice...asuming you want to increase the severity of your cancer and decrease your 5-year survival prognosis.

Cancer is not something to joke around about or "experiment" with. It is a very serious disease with very serious consequences which requires IMMEDIATE treatment. You have no idea how absolutely sickening it is to me to see people on here using cancer patients as their little propaganda tools, even at the risk of harming or killing those patients.

Absolutely heartless.

Originally posted by VneZonyDostupa

Originally posted by RelentlessLurker
i would try every alternative to chemo first and only do it as a last resort.

This is good advice...asuming you want to increase the severity of your cancer and decrease your 5-year survival prognosis.

Cancer is not something to joke around about or "experiment" with. It is a very serious disease with very serious consequences which requires IMMEDIATE treatment. You have no idea how absolutely sickening it is to me to see people on here using cancer patients as their little propaganda tools, even at the risk of harming or killing those patients.

Absolutely heartless.

edit on 9/25/2010 by VneZonyDostupa because: Typo

interesting opinion. im sure the hundreads of patients i deal with everyday (that beat cancer without ever starting chemo) would agree.

saving lives is completely and utterly heartless.

/end * -sarcasm

Originally posted by rubbertramp
my mom just started chemo yesterday.
in no way is she a vain woman, she hasn't mentioned anything about it.
yet, is there any remedies anyone can recommend that might help her keep her hair?
links are appreciated, even to other posts this may have been discussed.
nothing came up during a search.
this is one of those things where i hope people post any possibilities no matter how silly they may sound.
for instance, one thing i came up with on google, was bentonite clay, literally spreading mud on your head.

Chemo will weaken her even worst, I sugest she go's on something else. It will weaken the tummor but the whole body with it. Once that happens the tummor will regain strengh but your mom's body will not. It will be an easy prade for cancer to gain control and superiority.

It's what chemo does, it reduces everything in an equal amount, tummor but also defence. The tummor regains strengh and whithout a defence your mom is a victim for cancer to spread even faster.

once you've started chemo its (from what i understand) really dangerous and tricky stopping for any reason.

more complications can arise than simply completing the treatment. thats why i try to encourage people to explore their options *first*.

My Mum received Chemo when she was diagnosed in 2006, it was a little late to have much of an effect, they even gave her some intense radiotherapy.

She did not lose her hair at all, even though they gave her a wig expecting her hair to fall out, even though my Mum lost the fight, I have Family who have won the battle and are still here 20 years later.

My Mum had Lung cancer which had spread to her brain, which is what ended it, she should have been diagnosed in 2001 but the Doctor failed to spot anything, when she was diagnosed they gave her a max of 3 months without treatment, she went on for almost a year.

Its a battle which can be won, and treatment is getting better all the time.

There are a lot of threads here on ATS about alternative treatments that Doctors wont talk about, believe me they are well worth having a look at.

Possible Cancer cure

Another

Cancer Cure 2

Cancer cured in Canada

There are dozens of threads about different treatments, some are snake oil, but some are really outstanding.

I am sorry to hear your news and hope everything goes well, it can be a very scary time for everyone, it can be beaten and will if you all fight it together, ATS has a lot of members who have gone through this, and others who research the hidden cures that big Pharma try and hide, I am sure there will be many who will offer help if you need it, I myself can offer what I experienced with my Family, and what we did to make my Mum strong.

I wish you and your Family all the best for the future, together you will succeed, we found the best way was to treat is as any other infection and treated my Mum as we normally did everyday, this kept her strong, as well as listening to what she wanted and needed, we tried to molly coddle her, but she about tore our heads off, telling us she was sick not daft.

Here are some links I found about preventing hair loss

Scalp cooling

Different forms of chemo to prevent hair loss

Hair loss pevention during chemotherapy

Hair Loss health centre

How to prevent hair loss during chemo

What to expect during chemo

It appears cooling the scalp has merit, if I come across any more I will post them.
Hope it helps.

reply to post by azzllin

Yes it's amazing what these "should I call them people are willing to do" to avoid people finding out things.
In the EU they are looking to ban plants, herbs for treatment and build up the pharma empire for control just like in the US. Europe is the next in line.

Originally posted by rubbertramp
my mom just started chemo yesterday.
in no way is she a vain woman, she hasn't mentioned anything about it.
yet, is there any remedies anyone can recommend that might help her keep her hair?
links are appreciated, even to other posts this may have been discussed.
nothing came up during a search.
this is one of those things where i hope people post any possibilities no matter how silly they may sound.
for instance, one thing i came up with on google, was bentonite clay, literally spreading mud on your head.

There is nothing that can be done. Sometimes the chemo won't make the hair fall out, sometimes it will. Mostly depends on the type of chemo, along with dosage.

My moms hair fell out, but not completely. So she just shaved it (in her words, "I don't want to look like a dog with mange"). My dad was the same way. We just shaved his head for him.

My mom went with a beanie. Kept her head warm. She is nothing close to vain.

I had a lady that worked for me once, she was 25. Had a radical masectomy. She was beautiful, with gorgeous thick black hair. It all fell out, and has yet to grow back (5 years later). She doesn't even wear a wig or anything. She says it is her battle scars, and with all she sacrificed, and how hard she fought (mom of 3), she was proud of her scars.

Be there for mom. U2U me if you want. I can listen if you just want to rant. But be there for your mom. It is very important.

(now you got me crying. remembering. cancer sucks).

Originally posted by VneZonyDostupa

Originally posted by RelentlessLurker
i would try every alternative to chemo first and only do it as a last resort.

This is good advice...asuming you want to increase the severity of your cancer and decrease your 5-year survival prognosis.

Cancer is not something to joke around about or "experiment" with. It is a very serious disease with very serious consequences which requires IMMEDIATE treatment. You have no idea how absolutely sickening it is to me to see people on here using cancer patients as their little propaganda tools, even at the risk of harming or killing those patients.

Absolutely heartless.

edit on 9/25/2010 by VneZonyDostupa because: Typo

This bears repeating.

if you want to play with someones life, play with your own. Not some strangers mother.

reply to post by rubbertramp


I think being realistic, you'd have to pretty much slow the metabolism down of the cells that produce the hair, since chemo targets cells that divide quickly. But I don't think any home method will do.

reply to post by rubbertramp


I have two girlfriends that both went through chemo and did not lose their hair.

Have your mom research Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar "Mother" (cheap)............Both of my friends take two tablespoons in 8 oz water, first thing in morning and last thing at night. (I do too now but I don't have cancer).

Both my girlfriends did get chemo and did not lose their hair, their cancer has gone into remission or is gone.

My one friend had cancer of the liver which is usually a death sentence...............that was one year ago.

Best of luck.

Also, I got a wig by Rachael Welch called "Power" because I don't have much hair anyway........and have had about 200 compliments - people are shocked that it is a wig when I tell them.

Hope this info is helpful and will send healing thoughts for your mom.

At this time, try and be supportive, drive her to chemo if possible, take her out to a really nice dinner, buy her really beautiful expensive flowers if she likes that kind of thing...............

The time to buy someone flowers is while they are alive and can appreciate them.

If your mom doesn't like cut flowers, buy her potted or plant some in her yard for her.

Help her clean her house, vacuum, dust, do the laundry, shopping, etc........she will feel weak after chemo.

Get to really know her.

When she feels up to it and if you can afford it, take her some place she has always wanted to go. The Grand Canyon, the ocean, The Wisconsin Dells, Sadona, Las Vegas. Go with her to a place she has always wanted to see and just quietly be with her. It doesn't have to be the Hilton, any nice little motel.

The reason I say this is I lost my mom to lung cancer when I was ten....................I wish I had gotten to know her better.

I got a gallon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (Mother) on Amazon.com for 14.99 + .99 s&h

My one friend with the liver cancer said she thinks it was the Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar and not the chemo that helped her the most.

Remain hopeful, many many people now live with cancer for years.

But this is a reminder to all of us to treasure each and every moment we have with each other.

Time is precious.

reply to post by dizziedame


Good reply.

I never had much hair and have a few collicks...........in other words my head of hair is cruddy.

Anyway, cut it real short and got a wig for around 100.00...........For me it was the Rachael Welch wig called "Power" and it's a little funky thing.

Well I have had about 200 compliments on this wig and I gladly tell people when they say I have a beautiful head of hair, "it's a wig".

Now when I garden and am at home I just wear my short hair..........and if our society were not into hair I wouldn't even have a wig.

My hair is short like a soldier's.

One great thing about a wig is, where I live 100% of the women in public have short, medium or long hair. None of them are shaved or bald.........but I live in a very conservative community (Midwest).

Hair is so over rated and unimportant.

I love my wig because when I have to rush out somewhere, I grab it off it's stand, shake it and plop it on...........and I look really good in less than two minutes.

And, I blend in - I am not noticable in a crowd.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


perhaps you should give the subject matter more than 5 seconds of thought and actually research into the myriad of studies available on it.

before your knee jerks again.