Hair loss can be caused by chemotherapy treatment, chronic conditions such as alopecia, or other illnesses or diseases.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy as part of your treatment. It is one of the most common treatments for cancer.
The big 3 questions
Am I going to lose my hair?
Chemotherapy (chemo) is a systemic cancer treatment that uses one or a mixture of powerful anti-cancer drugs to destroy quickly dividing cancer cells. The type, dosage, and frequency of drug treatment are determined by the patient’s oncology team and are unique to each person.
Each chemo drug has different side effects, including possible hair loss, thinning, or dulling. Some anti-cancer drugs cause hair loss only on the head, others cause complete hair loss over the entire body, and still others cause minimal loss, thinning, or hair dulling. For more information on specific chemo drugs and hair loss, click here.
Chemo is given in various forms such as pills, shots, and intravenously. The medication travels via the bloodstream throughout the body, destroying any cancer cells that may have travelled away from the primary tumor site.
Why does it fall out?
Along the way, the anti-cancer drugs not only destroy cancer cells, but they also destroy or weaken healthy cells, including hair cells that make hair grow.
Some patients experience hair loss 2 to 3 weeks after the start of chemo treatment. Some experience a gradual hair thinning while others experience clumps falling out. This can be an emotional time, and you may need lots of support from family and friends. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support Services Manager if you want to talk or surround yourself with others who have experienced it directly and understand.
Will it grow back?
Yes, hair loss from chemo treatment is almost always temporary! Everyone is different, but you should start to see hair growth 3 – 6 months after your last treatment.
Once your physician determines your treatment regimen, ask lots of questions, including about treatment side effects and hair loss. If you anticipate losing some or all of your hair, you may wish to make an appointment with the wig stylist at To Life! before treatment starts so she can meet you and more closely match your hair style and look with an appropriate wig and/or other headwear. An in-person fitting offers you the opportunity to see a variety of wig options, styles, and colors, including human hair and synthetic wigs, toppers, scarves, and hats, and with our fitter’s assistance you’ll find the right one and fit for you!
Hair Loss and Alopecia
Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disease that can cause hair to fall out in patches on a person’s head. People of all ages, genders, and ethnicities can be diagnosed with this disease. Other types of alopecia cause complete hair loss over the entire body or hair thinning. To Life! is able to meet your hair loss needs too. Please call to make an appointment with our stylist today.