| Joined: May 2012 Posts: 3 "OCF across the pond" Member | OP "OCF across the pond" Member Joined: May 2012 Posts: 3 | Its been 6 years now that i had a malignant tumour removed from my jaw and receieved chemo to the left hand side of my face and yet my facial stubble has not grown back at this side.
My friends joke with me and say 'well at least it dont take you as long to shave' and we laugh, although this is true, but because it doesnt grow, i have to shave the right side every day so i do not have just 1 side of stubble.
Do any of you guys have any idea when it possibly would grow back, if ever? | | | | Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 188 Likes: 1 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 188 Likes: 1 | Craig, I'm eight years four months from my last radiation treatment, and there are still areas of my face and neck that are hairless. I'm pretty sure at this point that it's not coming back. I had IMRT radiation, concentrated on the right side, and the hair on the right side of my face is pretty sparse, and it hasn't changed in years. There is virtually no growth below the jaw line, so the good news is that I don't have to shave my neck any more, just the left side of my face. You are right, it is a hassle to just shave one fourth of your face to keep from showing stubble on just one side. I switched to using an electric razor, so it goes much faster in the mornings. The new normal isn't so bad...
Good Health, Chuck
SCC Stage IV right tonsil T3N3M0. Dx 08/03. Clinical Trial:8 weeks Taxol, Carboplatin then Hydrea, 5FU, IMRT x's 48, SND, Iressa x 2yrs. Now 20 years out and thriving. Dealing with a Prostate cancer diagnosis now. Add a Bladder cancer diagnosis to all the fun. It's always something "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Craig
You did not mention whether you also had radiation. That is what usually does the trick on nuking the stubble. I don't know about chemo doing it, it certainly could, but I just blamed the radiation for making my neck a shave free zone.
If it has been six years, IMO it's permanent but I could be wrong Charm 65 yr Old Frack Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+ 2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG 2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery 25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Apaghia /G button 2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa 40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 151 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 151 | My husband is just 8 1/2 weeks out of treatment. It looked like he would not be shaving except for his mustache and sideburns that look like pork chop side burns if he doesn't shave (which I do not like). I was suprised this week that something is coming back on his chin, it definitely did not feel smooth like usual. He also does not need to shave his neck in back.
Husband diagnosed Oct '11 Cancer of the vocal cord Nov '11 removed right vocal cord. Neck Dissection, cancer in one node, .2, very small & contained) Jan '12 Radiation and Cisplatin, 6 doses. June '12 & Dec '12 clear Pet scan. April '13 Celebrating 1 year cancer free since treatment ended.
| | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 31 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 31 | I finished radiation on the left side of my neck April 28, 2011 and there is very little hair growth there. It's just as well since the second neck dissection and removal of a muscle left a bit of a divot that makes it tough to shave there even with an electric razor. For awhile the entire left side of my face didn't need much shaving, and it took 2 or 3 months for my goatee and moustache area to grow out.
Tim D., 43, married (Maurine), San Antonio, TX. Two-time OC survivor, first diagnosis May 2010 - partial glossectomy + neck dissection (17 nodes), recurrence Jan. 2011 - chemo + 2nd neck dissection (18 nodes) + radiation, completed treatments 4/28/11, PET/CT 12/23/11 - clear, scans 6/29/12 - clear
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