How to care for scalp after chemo

[elthia]

I know I haven't posted here in forever, even though I do lurk. My hair was down to ACL, and my routine is Chagrin Valley Shampoo bars, ACV rinse, with Suave cone free conditioner. Henna every 6 weeks. I can't use SLS soap or shampoo because it dries my skin out, and cones give me back acne.

I was recently diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, and I just started chemo this week. I have been told repeatedly that with the type of chemo I am on I WILL lose my hair. I have cut it from ACL to just below shoulder length. I can't have a wig made from my ponytail due to the henna, but a coworker is looking into having a china doll made using my hair as the doll's hair.

I am getting a wig next week, and then I plan to shave my head before that hair loss becomes too great, I just don't think I could stand to see it fall out by the handfull. I have watched family go through that, and I want to lose my hair on my own terms. I have packed away my hair sticks, my hair combs, and my ficcare. DH won't let me get rid of or sell them, he says I will beat this and grow my hair back out to lengths wear my toys can be used again.

Would shampoo bars and ACV rinse, with conditioner still be good for my newly bald scalp? Most healthcare providers recommend baby shampoo, and gentle conditioner to prevent folliculitis (infection of the follicles) because your scalp will still produce oil. However my skin is so sensitive to SLS, and I fear the steroids I am receiving every three weeks will make me more sensitive. I will need to shower daily, and I use coconut oil instead of lotion, but I avoid my face and head due to acne concerns.

Has anyone have any recommendations?

[stachelbeere]

I feel sorry for the fact that you had to cut your hair, it made me very sad. I don't really know what to write so let me just say that I would recommend WO if you have to shower daily and maybe an ACV rinse if you feel that you need to. I could imagine that you'd have to oil your scalp in case it got dry.

I wish you good luck - I hope your hair will grow back and will look wonderful!

[Firefox7275]

I know I haven't posted here in forever, even though I do lurk. My hair was down to ACL, and my routine is Chagrin Valley Shampoo bars, ACV rinse, with Suave cone free conditioner. Henna every 6 weeks. I can't use SLS soap or shampoo because it dries my skin out, and cones give me back acne.

I was recently diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, and I just started chemo this week. I have been told repeatedly that with the type of chemo I am on I WILL lose my hair. I have cut it from ACL to just below shoulder length. I can't have a wig made from my ponytail due to the henna, but a coworker is looking into having a china doll made using my hair as the doll's hair.

I am getting a wig next week, and then I plan to shave my head before that hair loss becomes too great, I just don't think I could stand to see it fall out by the handfull. I have watched family go through that, and I want to lose my hair on my own terms. I have packed away my hair sticks, my hair combs, and my ficcare. DH won't let me get rid of or sell them, he says I will beat this and grow my hair back out to lengths wear my toys can be used again.

Would shampoo bars and ACV rinse, with conditioner still be good for my newly bald scalp? Most healthcare providers recommend baby shampoo, and gentle conditioner to prevent folliculitis (infection of the follicles) because your scalp will still produce oil. However my skin is so sensitive to SLS, and I fear the steroids I am receiving every three weeks will make me more sensitive. I will need to shower daily, and I use coconut oil instead of lotion, but I avoid my face and head due to acne concerns.

Has anyone have any recommendations?

Sorry you had to cut your beautiful hair.

You might consider working with your skin's own barrier properties: products at pH 4.5 to 5.5, gentle but effective modern surfactants like the betaines and/ or glucosides. IMO avoid all anionic surfactants, there are other known irritants in the family aside from the sulphates. The skin barrier keeps water in, keeps bacteria and irritant chemicals out. Traditional soap based products are alkaline, they destroy the protective acid mantle, beneficial skin flora and strip structural lipids from the skin. If you prefer the 'all natural' route you might investigate soap nuts or soap wort extract, these are acidic I believe.

The best natural 'fats' for skin are lanolin (medical grade is hypoallergenic) and lecithin - these supply the lipids naturally found in a healthy skin barrier or their precursors (cholesterol, saturates stearic and palmitic acid, ceramides) and are not comedogenic. Coconut oil is a good barrier agent but the skin does not need the lauric acid it contains and lauric acid can be comedogenic. Avoid or heavily limit the fatty acid oleic acid it is an irritant, penetration enhancer and barrier disruptor.

Skin also contains water based humectants or Natural Moisturising Factors: urea, lactic acid (found in live plain yoghurt), glycosaminoglycans (found in aloe vera inner leaf gel which is hypoallergenic, scientifically proven anti inflammatory, healing and collagen inducing), amino acids. Certain ingredients in skincare can encourage greater ceramide production which strengthens the skin barrier - again lactic acid, also niacinamide (a vitamin derivative) and would potentially be deposited in new hair growth as ceramides are a key component of healthy hair. Don't overwet or soak your skin, this flushes out the NMF.

Products/ brands that come to mind include Komaza Care (they are very helpful and knowledgeable via e-mail, into scalp health and evidence based natural ingredients), CeraVe (may have some silicones tho, I have heard of people using them on the hair not just face), Scientific Essentials, or just a simple shampoo or conditioner 'base' from a cosmetics base company. You might consider a UV Buff if you are likely to get sun exposure, there are loads of pretty patterns.

HTH.

[Gabriel]

I saw your post earlier and wanted to come back and say how sorry I am that you are going through this. I hope your treatment goes well and your health recovers quickly!

I don't have a lot of suggestions, other than agreeing with the coconut oil and gentle products.

And the Buff is a really good idea! Actually, head coverings of any different materials might be worth investigating. I know you said you are going to get a wig but you might not want to wear it all the time or you might want something around your head while you sleep at night. Some people find their heads tend to get really cold until their hair comes back in. Scarves and wraps made of different materials could be handy to have around.

If you know any knitters close to you and feel you would like a few knitted hats, I am sure he or she would be thrilled to let you go through their yarn stash and pick out some soft, squishy yarn so they can knit up a few hats for you.

[restless]

Hi! First of all I want to say that I am sorry to read about your condision and hair troubles.

Second, I would just like to suggest something (youve already gotten great advice from the previous posters and I dont know anything about scalp care but I had to add something else). You wrote that you will lose your hair due to the chemo but have you looked into something called Dignicap? Its an icecold cap that is used on the head and helps to prevent hairloss in chemo patients. Its worth a google search if you havent already seen it and know it wont work.

Please take care, I hope everything goes well :blossom:

[kdaniels8811]

Hello from a fellow breast cancer survivor and chemo patient. I just used the same soap on my scalp as my body and it was terrible to lose my waist length hair but I am alive and healthy so it was a small price to pay. My avatar is after three years of growing from bald but wearing scarves, hats and wigs sucked. Not your own hair. You are in good company, there are several cancer survivors in this forum.

I started making all natural soap because I became paranoid of anything that I ate or used on my skin, are you in the US? If so, PM me and I would be happy to send you a care package. Keep in touch, it will be rough for a while but you will survive it. Karen

[Panth]

I have cut it from ACL to just below shoulder length. I can't have a wig made from my ponytail due to the henna, but a coworker is looking into having a china doll made using my hair as the doll's hair.

I'm curious as to why you can use your hair for a wig. I always thought that the reason wigmakers / hair donations / etc. wouldn't accept henna'd hair is because it cannot be bleached or dyed over using conventional dyes. That wouldn't be a problem for you, as presumably you'd not want the colour of the hair to be changed.

[elthia]

Panth, it takes more than one ponytail to make a wig, I can do a partial/ monks cap to wear under a hat. However, all the companies I looked into to had really bad ratings and refused to show pictures of their work.

[elthia]

Hi! First of all I want to say that I am sorry to read about your condision and hair troubles.

Second, I would just like to suggest something (youve already gotten great advice from the previous posters and I dont know anything about scalp care but I had to add something else). You wrote that you will lose your hair due to the chemo but have you looked into something called Dignicap? Its an icecold cap that is used on the head and helps to prevent hairloss in chemo patients. Its worth a google search if you havent already seen it and know it wont work.

Please take care, I hope everything goes well :blossom:

I cannot afford the dignicap, and for the type of chemo I am on, it does not give good results, so I think I would rather not go through any more pain. I looked into it and heard it can be quite painful.

[elthia]

Hello from a fellow breast cancer survivor and chemo patient. I just used the same soap on my scalp as my body and it was terrible to lose my waist length hair but I am alive and healthy so it was a small price to pay. My avatar is after three years of growing from bald but wearing scarves, hats and wigs sucked. Not your own hair. You are in good company, there are several cancer survivors in this forum.

I started making all natural soap because I became paranoid of anything that I ate or used on my skin, are you in the US? If so, PM me and I would be happy to send you a care package. Keep in touch, it will be rough for a while but you will survive it. Karen
Thank you Karen

[embee]

My friend from work has lost her hair due to chemo and she has various caps, hats, scarves, and two wigs. She said the fake-hair wig was *much* nicer, easier to deal with, just shake it out and put it on; the real-hair wig was a nuisance. Just her experience. Matter of fact, I've only seen her in a wig one time... mostly she uses caps or scarves.

You are in my prayers and good thoughts.

[lapushka]

Would shampoo bars and ACV rinse, with conditioner still be good for my newly bald scalp? Most healthcare providers recommend baby shampoo, and gentle conditioner to prevent folliculitis (infection of the follicles) because your scalp will still produce oil. However my skin is so sensitive to SLS, and I fear the steroids I am receiving every three weeks will make me more sensitive. I will need to shower daily, and I use coconut oil instead of lotion, but I avoid my face and head due to acne concerns.

Has anyone have any recommendations?

If it were up to me, I would treat my bald scalp as if it were regular skin. So face moisturizer and everything - until hair starts to grow back.