One of the most common and unwanted side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss or alopecia. For many it is the hardest thing to talk about – another taboo area of the entire cancer treatment process that many people are unsure of how to bring up.
But alopecia needn’t be a hushed secret.
Alopecia can occur for many reasons from stress to your diet, however the most common cause of hair loss is through chemotherapy treatment for cancer. If you are about to begin chemotherapy, or have already started the treatment you’ll likely be aware of the chance that you could lose your hair – however knowing what is coming doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to handle.
If you are about to or have just begun your chemotherapy treatment you probably have a thousand questions. This article will explore, ask and answer as many questions as possible about chemotherapy related hair loss to attempt to make the process easier for you.
Why does chemotherapy cause hair loss?
Hair loss occurs because the chemotherapy treatment weakens the hair follicles causing your hair to fall out at an increased rate to normal. This can occur on your head, eyebrows, eyelashes and other places on your body.
When will my hair fall out?
With chemotherapy everyone has a different rate of hair loss, however the hair most commonly begins to fall out after the second treatment. You should not be alarmed, however, if your hair falls out after the first session – it is completely normal to lose hair as soon as seven days after the first treatment.
Will my hair definitely fall out?
No, hair loss completely varies from person to person. The type of drugs used, the dosage and the duration can all have effects on how much or how little hair you lose during the process. You could be taking the exact same course of drugs for the same cancer as someone else and one of you could lose a little hair, whilst the other loses it all.
How will it fall out?
A few weeks after your first treatment your hair will begin to fall out. It can fall out slowly and gradually or in large chunks. You will probably first notice it on your pillow, in your brush or comb or in the shower drain. You may also experience a mild discomfort of your scalp.
This hair loss will continue throughout the treatment and for a few weeks afterwards – however no one can predict just how much hair you will actually lose. Your hair will begin growing again a couple of months after treatment is stopped.
Will my hair grow back?
Yes, your hair will grow back – however it might come back different to how it was before. It is not uncommon for people who lose their hair through chemotherapy to grow hair that is a different colour or style (curly or straight) to what they had before. Your hair could also grow back grey – but don’t worry this won’t last forever, the cells that control pigment just need a couple of weeks to get up and running again.
Can I prevent hair loss?
No. There are many tools that can be used to help aid prevention, however there is nothing that guarantees no hair loss. Talk to your doctor about exploring “scalp hypothermia” or “minoxidil” which may help to delay the process.
Things to think about before treatment
If you know you will have complete chemotherapy treatment there are a few steps you can take to ensure your hair is at its strongest and healthiest. Do not dye, bleach or perm your hair and avoid using heated styling products such as hairdryers, straighteners and curling tongs – they will weaken the hair making hair loss occur much quicker.
Cut your hair – the shorter it is the fuller it will look. If you lose all of your hair, having it cut shorter beforehand can make the process a lot easier.
Think about wigs. Ladies wigs and scarves are your best friend during the challenge of hair loss. They help to keep your scalp and neck warm in winter months. Wigs can be a great tool to disguise yourself when you head out too – whilst there is nothing wrong with being bald sometimes you want a break from the pitying looks and to feel normal again.
During treatment…
Look after the hair that is left. It can be easy to neglect the hair you have, especially if it is hiding under a wig or scarf – use a soft brush and wash only when you really need to, with a baby shampoo. Remember to always cover your head in sunscreen if you’re not wearing a wig or scarf and take a warm hat if it’s winter time – you scalp is very sensitive right now.
If you’re losing your hair your scalp could be irritated, uncomfortable and you can feel paranoid about sheading hair in public – an easy way to feel comfortable and to prevent sheading is just shaving off your remaining hair (it can feel quite liberating too).
And after treatment…
Your hair will grow back, but when it happens it could be a slightly different colour, thickness or, even texture. However tempting it may be to pull your hair into different styles, to use heated styling products again and to experiment with different dyes as soon as it starts to grow, it is best to wait until your regrown hair is longer and stronger and your scalp has fully recovered.
