Chemotherapy and hair loss:
What to expect during treatment
Find out what to expect when it comes to chemotherapy and hair loss. Plan to use your energy staying healthy rather than worrying about how you look. By Mayo Clinic Staff
You might not think about how important your hair is until you face
losing it. And if you have cancer and are about to undergo chemotherapy,
the chance of hair loss is very real. Both men and women report hair
loss as one of the side effects they fear most after being diagnosed
with cancer.
Whether or not you have hair loss from your chemotherapy depends mostly
on the type and dose of medication you receive. But whether you can
maintain a healthy body image after hair loss depends a lot on your
attitude and the support of your friends and family.
Chemotherapy and hair loss: Why does it occur?
Chemotherapy drugs are powerful medications that attack rapidly growing
cancer cells. Unfortunately, these drugs also attack other rapidly
growing cells in your body — including those in your hair roots.
Chemotherapy may cause hair loss all over your body — not just on your
scalp. Sometimes your eyelash, eyebrow, armpit, pubic and other body
hair also falls out. Some chemotherapy drugs are more likely than others
to cause hair loss, and different doses can cause anything from a mere
thinning to complete baldness. Talk to your doctor or nurse about the
medication you'll be taking. Your doctor or nurse can tell you what to
expect.
Fortunately, most of the time hair loss from chemotherapy is temporary.
You can expect to regrow your hair three to 10 months after your
treatment ends, though your hair may temporarily be a different shade or
texture.
Chemotherapy and hair loss: What should you expect?
Hair usually begins falling out one to three weeks after you start
treatment. It could fall out very quickly in clumps or gradually. You'll
likely notice accumulations of loose hair on your pillow, in your
hairbrush or comb, or in your sink or shower drain. Your scalp may feel
tender.
Your hair loss will continue throughout your treatment and up to a few
weeks afterward. Whether your hair thins or you become completely bald
will depend on your treatment.
It may take several weeks after treatment for your hair to recover and
begin growing again. When your hair starts to grow back, it will
probably be slightly different from the hair you lost. But the
difference is usually temporary. Your new hair might have a different
texture or color. It might be curlier than it was before, or it could be
gray until the cells that control the pigment in your hair begin
functioning again.
Chemotherapy and hair loss: Can hair loss be prevented?
No treatment exists that can guarantee your hair won't fall out during
or after chemotherapy. The best way for you to deal with impending hair
loss is to plan ahead and focus on making yourself comfortable with your
appearance before, during and after your cancer treatment.
Several treatments have been investigated as possible ways to prevent
hair loss, but none has been absolutely effective, including:
- Scalp hypothermia (cryotherapy). During your chemotherapy, ice packs or similar devices are placed on your head to slow blood flow to your scalp. This way, chemotherapy drugs are less likely to have an effect on your scalp. Studies of scalp hypothermia have found it works somewhat in the majority of people who have tried it. However, the procedure also causes a small risk of cancer recurring in your scalp, as this area doesn't receive the same dose of chemotherapy as the rest of your body. People undergoing scalp hypothermia report feeling uncomfortably cold and having headaches.
- Minoxidil (Rogaine). Applying minoxidil — a drug approved for pattern hair loss in men and women — to your scalp before and during chemotherapy isn't likely to prevent your hair loss, although some research shows it may speed up your hair regrowth. More research is needed to understand whether minoxidil is effective in regrowing hair after cancer treatment.
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