While undergoing chemotherapy can be lifesaving for a cancer patient, it can also be very traumatic due to the effect it can have on the body. One of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is the loss of hair, both for men and women. Even though hair loss caused by chemotherapy is an emotionally painful experience, understanding why it occurs may bring some comfort to those who endure it.
The Medication
Chemotherapy medications are designed to attack cancer cells that grow quickly in the body. Accordingly, they are extremely potent and can attack other healthy cells in the body, such as those that produce hair. While most people think of hair loss during chemotherapy as mainly occurring on the scalp, it can happen anywhere on the body, including eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic areas and anywhere else hair grows. While some chemotherapy treatments cause widespread hair loss, others may only cause the hair to thin.
Hair loss typically begins to occur 10 to 14 days starts. Hair may fall out slowly or in clumps and is most noticeable on pillows, in hairbrushes and in the shower drain. The patient will continue to lose hair until treatment ends, though it could continue for up to a month longer.
Happily, this hair loss is not permanent, as regrowth typically begins four to six weeks after treatment ends and progresses to complete regrowth within six months to a year. However, the new hair may be a different color or texture than it was before chemotherapy.
Planning Ahead
Those who know they will be undergoing chemotherapy may want to take steps beforehand to minimize the impact of their hair loss. For instance, hair treatments such as bleaching, coloring and perming should be avoided at this time because they are very harsh and can further weaken hair. You should also avoid blow-drying it, curling it and using hot rollers on it. Strong, healthy hair will not fall out as quickly as hair that is weakened.
Patients may also want to cut their hair short before treatment begins, as a head of short hair gives a fuller appearance than a head of long hair, and it will take longer for hair loss to become noticeable.
Lastly, a patient should consider the type of head covering, such as wigs or scarves, they would like to use once their hair loss is noticeable and complete.
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