How likely is it that I will lose my hair on docetaxol?

@rubysue welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect's lung cancer group! Hi. I'm the mentor for this group and it sounds as if you have had other chemo treatments prior to this. Will you tell me what kind of cancer you have and other chemos treatments when you have the chance?

It's so difficult to tell if someone will lose their hair during chemo. Everyone is so different and reacts so differently. But (yes the big But) from what I've read this is one of those chemos that probably will increase your chances of doing just that. Unfortunately, chemo drugs do a great job in killing cancer cells but they seem to lose track of their job and kill off good cells too.

I didn't lose all of my hair from cisplatin and navelbine. It did thin out some. I paid very close attention to moisturizing my skin, had my nails done and my hair trimmed regularly. I dressed as if I was going to meet friends for coffee or drinks and put makeup on every single day, even when I was home. A friend of mine lost all of her hair and had an artist friend paint her scalp!

I don't know how soon you begin your new regime but you could ask one of the nurses about self-care workshops that teach make-up and other great hacks.

In preparation for my chemo, my hairdresser volunteered to come to my house to shave my head. Just before she was about to make the first cut with her always sharp scissors, (towel around my shoulders, hair wet and chair out on the back deck) she suddenly asked, "Do you know if the chemo will cause hair loss?" WHAT? they all don't? She advised me to call my infusion nurse and speak to her. I got right through to her and she said, "Not always!" So I got a free blow-dry and we had a glass of wine to celebrate. lol

I was definitely scared and apprehensive but I knew that the Cancer Society had an array of wigs and I believe headscarves. Have you spoken with anyone about free workshops to help with this?

Hi Rubysue. I believe today you begin the Docetaxol? I hope everything goes well for you and all of your fears lessen over time. This is all doable! And as you’ve found out, you’re not alone on Connect. You’re in good company. ☺️

I had to jump in with the hair loss! That always worried me too, after all, our hair is our crowing glory around our heads! But I have to say, after losing my hair 3 times during my journey, it was so liberating!! The first time, I actually preemptively had my head buzz cut to avoid the shock of losing my long hair. I took control from the beginning!

It was almost more upsetting when it grew back and became long enough to require styling! I only wore a wig once or twice. It was gorgeous, fit well, and looked natural. But I rocked that bald and “bad-ass” look. Giggle. I found some cute caps I wore that are more like gators with the way they change from a full sockhat to a stretchy headband. Now that I have hair again, I still use them as a cool, broad headband to protect my sensitive ears on a windy day. Bringing the 80s back!

Merry had great ideas for wigs and headscarves with the Cancer Society. Often your local cancer center has an outlet too. I bought a lot of things from Headcovers.com and the cute, “slouchy Beanie’ caps from Amazon. You may not need any but have you looked at options?

Sorry I took so long to respond. I do have a wig and slouchy caps. My hair started falling out last week and I have been playing with my wig. It looks surprisingly close to my own hair! I'm going to shave my head because the hair all over the place is maddening.

Your post really helped. Thank you so much 💖 I know I have to accept it and I am, slowly but surely.
Thank you again.

Hi Merry. I started treatment 3 weeks ago and am definitely losing my hair. I have a really cute wig that is very close to my own hair. Been playing with it and styling it. I guess losing my hair just made it hit home that I have cancer. Sounds silly because I was diagnosed in June 2020 with stage 3 lung cancer which has progressed to stage 4. I basically skated through cisplatnin and immunotherapy, but this treatment is a whole other ball game. I guess I wasn't ready for the side effects. I also am very sensitive to the steroids, the Devil's drug as I call them. It's not been fun for sure.

Thank you for being so encouraging... you give me hope when I had lost it along with my faith.

@rubysue- I agree that once you shave off the rest of your hair it might be easier to play with. I think that I accepted my cancer more when I had chemo. It's hard not to with everyone in the infusion room talking about their own. I actually had the best time when I was in chemo.
Are you tolerating the meds well?

Our chemo suite is all individual cubicles, so we don't have the opportunity to bond. I'm in northern Michigan and services are somewhat limited as far as support groups go, and COVID certainly doesn't help.

I'm struggling with the chemo this time around and I felt horrible for about 5 days after treatment. I don't tolerate the Decadron very well that they give me prophylactically....I feel like I want to jump out of my skin.!!

You give me a lot of hope though and I will get through this. Than you and God bless.

Good morning Ruby. It is always an honor for me to walk alongside anyone who reaches out for help. And if I can be a beacon of hope, then I join a wonderful class of all cancer survivors.

I actually asked not to be given any steroids and I absolutely despise Decadron. I change into a species not yet recognized by the medical or psychiatric field when I have to take anything like it. I'm not sure that I could get away with that request now.

I wish that I had a magic piece of wisdom that could help you with the side effects of steroids. As you probably know it's very important to be very strict with taking it at the same time every day. Don't take over-the-counter NSAIDS and keep your doctor apprised of any change that you think needs some medical attention.

Do anything and everything that helps make you feel comfortable. Eat what you want, when you want unless there are medical restrictions. If you have someone close to you ask for massages if you can handle being touched. I don't really know much about acupuncture but that might help! And if you can, walk every day. I drank 8 glasses of water every single day to help flush out the toxins. I timed myself at 1 1/2 hr intervals. I rested every day. And I also had a glass of wine every night. But check with your doctor on this one, teehee.

It's my feeling that when you have cancer and are under treatment, you are the #1 person in the world and should be treated as such.

Have you asked if they can give you another type of steroid? Or ask for help with side effects?

Amen! Decadron is the devil drug and there must be other options. He increased my dose to 10 mg when I started this new regimen, I was on 6 mg iv previously. I'm definitely going to discuss this with him today.

This group has been invaluable to me. I live by myself and my daughter is 3 hours away. My big fear is not being able to take care of myself. So far, so good but I'm afraid for that day if I can't take care of my basic needs. I'm probably getting ahead of myself but it is a concern.

Than you again.

With your history of lung cancer, I don't think that it's too early to consider your concerns. How are you getting by now if you need help?

So far I've been fine. Able to fend for myself. I know my limitations. If worse comes to worse I can call a neighbor. I don't know what my insurance would cover for home care.