Has anyone's eyebrows and eyelashes fallen out after regrowth post-chemo?

[SaraL]

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Dear SarahL,

Do you mean your hair grew following chemo and then has started falling out again?

Some chemotherapy drugs make some of your hair fall out, so that your hair is thinner. Other chemotherapy drugs make all the hair on your head and body fall out, including eyebrows and eyelashes. This is temporary and the hair starts to grow back a few weeks after treatment ends.

Hair loss can start any time from after the first few days after chemotherapy to within a few weeks. When the hair starts coming out the scalp can be very itchy. This can even be uncomfortable and even painful. However, your hair will grow back once treatment is complete although to start with your hair will grow back very fine, very like babies’ hair.

Please feel free to e-mail or call us to speak directly with us .

Take care.

[Eleni]

Hi Sarah

Having taken carboplatin only, I was warned that my hair would thin but not fall out. My head hair has thinned but my eyebrows and eyelashes suffered most and I practically have neither. I found it quite distressing being a mascara fanatic! but have readjusted by made up, bought some glueless false eyelashes and a good eyebrow pen. Good luck

[cathysal]

Hi Sarah

Yes, I find my eyelashes and eyebrows continually thinning out and then getting thicker again. I had my last chemo in November 2010 and although my hair has successfuly grown back, even with a bit of curl in it, which I'm delighted with, I find my eyebrows and particularly eyelashes seem to come and go all the time although they've never completely fallen out, even whilst still on chemo.

I did speak to my oncologist and she explained to me why this happens, something to do with the different types of hair but unfortunately I can't remember too much of what she said!!

Cathy XX

[SaraL]

Cathy, this is my experience. I lost the hair during chemo, which I didn't mind until my eyelashes and eyebrows fell out then I found it difficult to look like a human being. This was upsetting. Everything grew back, and now the eyelashes and eyebrows seem to be at it again! My oncologist did not have an answer for this but said it was not the chemo causing it and I need to look for other unrelated underlying problems (like what effect supplements I am taking are having, and having blood tests). Another OC friend of mine is having long-term problems with eyebrow and eyelash regrowth. She is practically bald there now, but her head hair is normal.

Wishing you lots of hair growth!

Sara xx