Hi All,

I am now 8 wks post IMRT. The entire left side of my face is as smooth as a baby's bottom.. Unfortunately, I have really dark hair and the right side of my face did not receive rad. therefore my facial hair remains intact on that side. I sort of feel like two face from Batman.

Anyways, my question is: When, if at all, did your facial hair begin to grow again once Tx was finished. I have never really been body/image conscious until now. The stares, glances, and comments are starting to get to me. If it seems like my facial hair will never return then I am going to get the remaining hair lasered off. Of course I am going to give it a lot of time before I move forward with that procedure. With my luck, I will have the right side lasered and the left will begin to grow again.

Any info./help will be greatly appreciated.

Gary

If you didn't have chemo most of the hair in the radiation field will be gone for good. My follicles actually fell out on my neck. I have a moustache and goatee and it recovered pretty good but the hair on my neck is toast- except for a few survivors here and there.

I am 3 years post and still have little hair on my right (rad) side along my jaw. It will never come back.

I have dark hair as well. unless you are planning on growing a beard, it's not a big deal considering.

Gary S;
I'm sure it was a combination of rad/chemo but I lost all my facial hair through treatment. I didn't shave at all after about a month into treatment and even after treatment the only hair growing back was up by my ears. Now, about three months out I have my moustache back, almost as thick as it was, but my goatee is gone. I do have some whiskers starting to pop out around my chin though. Like you, my entire neck area is totally smooth. Folks staring and commenting don't have a clue to the path you have walked and that is their issue. My thought is if it grows back that's nice. If not it sure doesn't affect my breathing!

Best of Luck,

Steve

I'm a little over 3 months out of Tx. I lost all hair on my neck, face (except for half a moustache) and on the back of my head. The hair on my face grows enough now that I have to shave again, to include my moustache. The hair on the back of my head is coming back slowly. Still no hair on my neck.

Tim

Gary S - I was so glad to see your post and have thought of you often, ever since that day in the Rad waiting room when my son and I talked with you. You are the reason we found the OCF site and have benefited so much from it and from your caring concern for us as my son was going thru Rad tx. You are such a handsome young man but your beautiful soul and your compassion for others are way more important. Try not to worry about the stares and comments - that's their problem. The lost hair is your badge of courage. My son, Paul - is 4 wks post treatment and he is also concerned about the spaces at the back of his neck. He shaves his whole head almost every day. But as Steve says, it doesn't affect his breathing. Paul is making great progress! And I hope you continue to do so as well. I love your attitude and as you say, there is always laser surgery.

I lost the hair on my neck and back of the head. The back of the head grew back almost normal about 6-9 mos because that radiation beams were from the front. The front of my neck the direct area of the beams never grew back. It makes shaving quick now!

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses. I suppose I had just reached a boiling point the day I posted. Three dumb-ass comments from complete strangers in one day was a little too much. Thanks for helping me readjust my perspective. There are so many other things to be happy about that I do not need to worry about this.

Annette - I am glad to hear that Paul is progressing well. I think of you two often. Please know that I will always be here for the both of you if you need me. I look forward to more progress updates.

Gary

Gary S,

I lost the hair on my neck below my chin and on the back of my neck where the rad exited. I am now 4 months post Tx. The hair follicles also fell out as Gary posted. My remaining wiskers also darkened up for a while but they now seem back to normal. I would shave at 8am and by 10am I had a shadow which was wierd but as I said that is back to normal now. The hair on the back of my neck is returning but not the wiskers on my neck under my chin EXCEPT 3 or 4 that grow to 1 inch before I see them.

Razors and a can of shaving cream lasts a lot longer now, but that was some price I had to pay for that benefit!!

I have worn a full beard all my life....no more. Hair on left side of my face is gone, right side still grows. Being self-employed outta home, sometimes I don't need to shave for 3 or 4 days - then I'll go by the mirror & see 1/2 beard & realise I've been going out to places like that. Guess if people see me from right side I have a beard, from left I don't....lol.