I have been on the Folfox routine for 3 months now, in the beginning I didn't notice much difference but as of late my hair is REALLY thinning. (Lucky for me I started with a lot of curly thick hair, but now other people are even noticing. Anybody have any suggestions to help hair growth, thickness, etc so I can look like my normal self again. I have 6 more treatments to go and I wonder if by the end I'll have any hair left.

We've heard that Nioxin helps. It's a shampoo & conditioner. It's expensive. (I think I paid $34 for a small bottle of shampoo & conditioner.) It's supposed to make the hair shaft thicker so it's less likely to come out. I don't know if it really works. My husband has only had 1.5 months of treatment. So far, we haven't noticed any change. If it works, the $34 is well spent.
Good luck!

Thank you for the reply; I will try it and see what happens

sammypt,

I use the nioxin and I think it has made a difference. I went to a holiday party last night and all the people at work were saying how good I look.....adn that I had not lost any hair. The nioxin does have a horrible smell to it though...at least in my opinion. There are two bottles you have to get...the "clenaser" and then the conditioner.

Maybe it's just mental....or maybe it's working. I do get less strands of hair when I run my hands through my head after a shower.

Good luck,
Gary

I have heard that it's better to sleep on a satin pillowcase if you can--- it puts less stress on you hair when you sleep than a cotton pillocase.

I noticed yesterday that my hair is starting to fall out a bit after my first treatment (LOTS more strands when I run my fingers through my hair in the shower). I am wondering if it will get worse or even out?? I have a thick head of hair, so hopefully it will not be too noticeable. Maybe I'll get some shampoo just in case...

Cinda - I have been wondering how you are doing? How are you healing from your surgery? Are you doing any post-op chemo? Wishing you the best and hope that you are doing well.

Take care,
Cats :)

My hair thinned while on oxal., but I did not go bald. It was sort of nice not having a 5 o'clock shadow. I wasn't sure if some of the thin areas on my head were from the drugs or just a man thing. Since they haven't filled in, they must not have been from the chemo. My onc and the chemo nurses assured me that you don't go bald on this chemo.

I'm doing pretty well, thanks gocats! Where they had to open up my incision is still healing, but it's gotten much better! I started my post-op chemo about a month ago- I'm on Xeloda pills this time, which is different... So far I'm reacting quite well to it, but I don't trust that that will last forever. It's on two weeks, off one week, and I'm halfway through my second cycle. The only thing that has happened so far is my palms got a little itchy towards the end of the second week, which might have been a symptom of hand/foot syndrome, so I'm trying to be careful and moisturize. And this goes on for six months- until June. But on the bright side, hopefully I'll be able to get my port out early. I hope you're doing well. /hijack