This is a question that just crossed my mind: did anyone else had hair loss after embolization?
I had an embolization in August.. two weeks later my hair started to fall out on the right side (where my AVM and CM are located). My doctor said it's from the radiation during the procedure. And that it's not something that he have seen a lot.
I cut off my hair till my shoulders because it was uneven. > and my hair looked terrible from the medicine, and lying in bed so long. Lucky for me it's on the back of my head, so I have some bald spots, but it's still covered by my other hair.
My question for those who experienced the same: how long did the hair-loss continue?
Greetings Melissa
Hi Melissa. I did a search for you…http://www.avmsurvivors.org/main/search/search?q=Hair+loss
I would say that hair loss is quite common after a procedure. How long will it last? Sorry I cannot answer that question.
I didn’t have an embolization. I had GK in June for my AVM & craniotomy in July for my aneurysms. I asked several times if I would lose my hair & was reassured that I would only lose the strip that had to be shaved fro the crani.
I have an area adjacent to the shaved area that has thinned out to very little hair.
My hair had been waist length. Last weekend, I went in & had it cut to a jawline length bob. (I have a 17" ponytail to donate to Locks of Love.) I also started taking a vitamin supplement with Biotin (recommended by my hairdresser) a couple of weeks ago. My hair loss seems to have slowed down–don’t know if it the haphazard taking of the vitamins, less weight with the shorter hair, or it has just slowed down on its own.
Luckily, my hair is very thick and grows quickly. The area that was shaved has grown out enough to cover the scar & what had been bare skin. It is about 3/4-1" long now. Switching to a side part & pulling hair over from the non-affected side has covered up the super short & thin spots.
I have GK again in December, so we’ll see how my hair is acting in about March…
It’ll stop falling out soon, and it will all grow back. Spots of temporary baldness was also my husband’s experience; you don’t have to worry about losing it all!
HI!
I had an embolization but my hair didn’t fall out. I be getting radiation and neurologist said that my hair will fall out in the spot of the avm located. Wish you the best my friend!!
Thank you all so much for the reactions. My doctor already said it would grow back, so I’m not so worried. But my hair is a lot thinner to… when it’s windy my hair blows forward and I have the feeling that everyone can see. That’s the only moment I feel uncomfortable. I was just very curious if there are a lot othet people who experienced the same, since my doctor didn’t mentioned this before the procedure.
Greetings Melissa
My daughter Erin has had 2 embolizations and has lost her hair at the sight of the avm both times, but it will come back. Wear it proudly, as you may teach someone else something about being brave! Good Luck with everything!
My hair still falls out, I `have some pictures of my head on my page. I want to now what more I can expect.. but nobody can seem to give me the answers. If it's getting worse I will shave everything of, it looks like a complete mess!
And Lisa, when was your daughters last treatment? Do you still remember how long the hair-loss continued?
Hi Mel, I had surgery for my embo. vs. radiation, and unfortunately they had to shave my head - great look...not - I was hospitalized and I might have had a severe case???, but either way, hair grows back, and there are wigs. My hair is naturally medium-long now, and I'm over 40. Julie
Melissa, My daughters hair was just below her shoulders in length. She has always had very thin hair to begin with. She went completly bald in the area of her avm.Probably about a 5 inch circle Lucky for her in was underneath and unless the wind blew or she wanted to put it up you really couldnt tell. It came back fairly quickly though. I will tell you what I told her, "Wear it proudly" It is not permanent and is just one small way God is letting you know that the embolization is working and doing its job! God bless you!
I'm actually thinking about shaving it all off and having a wig now. But it's such a difficult thing to do. When you see me, you don't see that I'm bald. But I know that the whole back of my head is bald, en the hair that's still there looks bad. I'ts still falling out, and I have another embo to go, maybe radiation to. I'm pretty sure that it will get worse after antoher embo. If I shave everything off, my hair can grow back even again. It's a real mess right now. I'm having a hard time with this.. I had long hair last year, but it's not the same anymore. I already cut it off till my shoulders in August, but the size off the bald spot is a lot bigger now.
Thanks for the reactions everyone, it really helps if people think with me. Hugs Melissa.
yes i did have same thing but it's because that your head was in a still position for a long period
it willl grown back....
jeff
montreal