Thinning hair on Ibrance

[TwinniesMum]

After being on Ibrance 125g for 7 months my hair which has always been very fine, has noticeably thinned. Have any of you ladies had this happen? Ibrance and Anastrazole are the only two drugs I’ve been on since starting this journey.

[Red1246]

Oh yes. My hair is not only thinner since I began Ibrance June 2019, but has a strange fluffy texture. It stopped thinning when I was off Ibrance for 5 months at the worst point (so far) in Covid. About a month after I started it again, I could notice the change in my hair. While grateful not to lose it completely as I did with my initial cancer, it’s really hard to manage like this so I’ve splurged and bought a great wig.

[TwinniesMum in reply to Red1246]

Thank you for your reply. Wishing you all the best. ☺️

[Northcarolinafighter]

Oh my yes! I have lost about 75% of my hair! I used to color til about 3 months ago. I would dye it blonde from brunette for 30 years. U can hardly tell anymore. I have lost almost all of it and it’s mostly grey for what little hair I have. My hair was kind of fine anyway since I turned 40. But now if u move a little tuft of hair on top of my head, all u see is scalp. When I did chemo in 2015, I lost all but my white hair, it was strange. But I look on the bright side and have a few wigs and a lot of hair covers. It’s kind of nice not to have to style my hair before going out. And with a wig, I don’t have to style it. I can just put it on, brush it and go out the door without worrying if rain or wind will mess it up, it always goes back to the way it was 😃. Losing my hair, is better than losing my life. I try to look at it a positive way. And I keep hoping for a cure for this horrible disease. And yes, I am taking the same meds as u, since March of this year.

[stardust1965]

Yes, in my case it thinned by about a third but it grew back while I was still on Ibrance for 30 months. I changed treatments in July and hair has remained where it should. 😃

[morty87]

I've been on Ibrance and Letrozole since January 2018 and my hair thinned at first. I noticed it but my stylist did not. Occasionally I can tell a difference in the texture. I try to style my hair once during the day and I keep my hands out of it. I do not use a brush, I use my fingers to style. I'm blessed with thick hair to begin with. It grows fast but the texture has been a little wonky and I'm still trying to figure that out. I no longer color it as well.

[love2golfwell]

Yes, my hair has thinned to about half of what it once was. I did not notice the first few months I was on Ibrance and Letrozole but began noticing it more around month 6. I can see more scalp every time I wash it and it is upsetting. I still get it dyed and keep it very short as it makes me feel more positive about myself. Instead of going every 7 or 8 weeks for a cut and color though, I can push it out to a minimum of 10 weeks, which saves me some money. I bought some good shampoo and conditioner from my stylist at an Aveda salon and have recently purchased an inexpensive wig, which arrives today. I am also meeting with a woman this week to look at a better quality wig. My husband said my hair still looks fine, but I wanted to be prepared for when it really starts to bother me. My doctor gave me a prescription for a "cranial prothesis" (aka wig) and my insurance will cover a decent amount of a more expensive one. This is really the only side effect I have been experiencing from the meds, so I feel blessed for now.

[Totheriver]

Yes I have, I am wearing a wig. It was so thin I shaved it.🙁

[Southside25]

Get used to it. I had thick curly hair which is about 75% gone. Fortunately, I have most of my eyebrows which I fill in with eyebrow pencil, and most of my eyelashes - bless whoever invented mascara! I

[hdhonda]

Hi Twinnies,I have been on Ibrance/Letrozol for four and a half years and mine continues to thin. I had thick fine hair beforehand and now it's fine hair, but not super thick anymore. Was never good at styling hair and am even worse now. Have bought a couple of wigs, which I don't really need which is good because I am worse with wigs than I am with hair. Wishing you the best and no more hair loss. Blessings, Hannah

[TwinniesMum in reply to hdhonda]

Thank you Hannah. I hope my hair will thicken up in time. Glad I’m not the only one. It won’t put me off - I hope to stay on Ibrance as long as oncologist will let me.Many blessings to you too.

[Symone]

Hi, I too had fine straight hair. When on 125 mg of Ibrance + Letrozole my hair thinned out a bit. It was very noticeable to me but not my doctor. Due to low WBC with low neutrophils, my Ibrance dose was decreased. My hair has grown in again and finely I have a bit of curl (plus a bit of frizz). I have not completely been able to manage the the frizz or dryness -- but I still just enjoy finally having a bit of body. I also added more B vitamins to my diet. Good luck.

[TwinniesMum in reply to Symone]

Thank you. Good idea about the B vitamins - will give them a try. I haven’t had trouble with neutrophils so far and still on 125 Ibrance. Good luck 😉

[BaileyJames]

Hi i have been on the same combination of drugs since February 2021. My hair is very dry and thinner. I am blessed with thick curly hair. But i do see a difference in the texture. Try getting it trimmed every 6 weeks..Wash every other day..Use a good conditioning treatment..God Bless Good Luck 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[TwinniesMum in reply to BaileyJames]

Thank you. God bless and good luck to you too. It’s quite a journey we are all on isn’t it? I feel lucky they have kept me going fairly well since diagnosis just after last Christmas. 🤗

[Lynn-in-California]

Over thirty years ago, I had amazing glossy, long hair. In 1977, I even won "Prettiest Hair" in high school. Now, it's quite thin and ratty and it breaks easily. I've been stable on 125 mg. Ibrance + letrozole for over eight years and that's what matters to me. Folks, as long as we get to stay on oral chemo, we get to have SOME hair; That's better than going on infusion chemo and being totally bald. This notion keeps me in touch with gratitude for the hair I do have. (No one should worry that this photo identifies me. I now weigh over twice that weight and I'm now 63 years old; I look nothing like my young self.)

30 years ago.