Greetings. Dad is now 5 weeks out from surgery and recovering well from the ND and mandibulectomy. We are scheduled for CT simulation for upcoming IMRT next week. He has had a full beard forever and the RO has given us an option to shave or trim it. Any experiences or advice? Does the hair length have to be exact during the radiation process? Thanks.
My husband had a full beard before his neck disection. He didn't want them shaving or trimming it so he shaved it off and went down to a gotee before surgery. He was fitted for the mask with the gotee. A few weeks into radiation, all his facial hair fell out. His gotee was clipped pretty close to start with so there really wasn't a "fit issue" once the whiskers fell out.
I had the opposite issue: I was clean shaven but the radiation and erbitux together made my skin erupt and just peel off so I could not shave. Instead I grew a beard during the first part of radiation, then patches of it died and just stuck there. It wasn't until a month after TX that i could shave again
So my vote is for the trim as shaving may well be out during the radiation.
Charm
Heck, I just kept shaving as usual just not much on the sides but my chin never let up it's sprouting.
I had a short beard, but now all I can grow is a mustache and goatee, plus a few hairs on my Adam's apple.
Part if not all of it will fall out anyway. Why not make life simple and shave now. That way the mask fits better and it will be less traumatic when the radiation effects set in.
During radiation I would do a little as you can get away with, shave or trim if you can/need .... that was the least of my worries
M
Do get an electric Razor as my Dr suggested to my daughter. Needless to say she bought me a good one. I nver could use electic before but am convined of their abilities for sure now.
All of my facial hair fell out like little specks of black sand during rad. Only the whiskers above my chin returned so I don't have to shave down there which is THE ONLY GOOD THING to come from my Tx.
Greetings. Dad is very thankful for your responses. He felt better just trimming his beard real close and had his simulation earlier this week. Radiation starts next. Thanks and have a nice weekend.
Martin was told he had to shave as well so he did. For the first week or so, his hair still grew, but then it all fell out. His skin was as smooth as a baby's, but it has grown back now, just not so much on the neck.
He also had a very weird and high hairline at the back of his head. I didn't tell him, what he didn't know couldn't bother him. It's just when he wanted a hair cut I advised him to tell the hairdresser to keep the back a bit long. He asked why so i just said the tx had made his hairline a bit funny but it didn't notice if his hair was bit longuer at the back. Now the hairline is normal except for a little dent in it.
EZ,
Which model electric razor did you buy? I start chemorads to both sides of the neck and right oral cav. next week. I shave every day and want to stay clean shaven. the info sheet said do not use a blade.
Mike
t2n2b rt tongue part gloss 12/08, repeat part gloss + ND 04/09, start 30 rts + weekly ciplatin next wk.
My daughter bought me a Norelco 7110x. It is nice and smooth after I learned how to use an electric. Yiu can even wash out the head compartment with hot water.
Mike, you won't have as many whiskers after they start working on you with the rads and chemo so they say, I still had to shave my chin and part of the side and lower neck area. Good luck as you go thru those treatments.