Chemotherapy is very effective against cancer because it seeks out rapidly dividing cells within the body. Chemotherapy aims to have an exterminating effect on cancer cells, but due to the nature of the mode of operation, healthy cells such as those in the hair follicles also suffer. This explains the reason why hair loss is the most visible, as well as the most distressing side effect of the treatment. Chemotherapy and Hair loss in cancer patients is regarded as the most profound; a lot of the time, a person requires assistance to cope in the form of a support system.
The good news is that hair loss caused by chemotherapy is usually temporary, and hair often begins to grow back after treatment ends. In this blog, we will explain hair loss during chemotherapy and chemo hair loss stages, what to expect during and after therapy, tips for coping with the changes and how to support healthy hair growth after chemo with the right care and guidance.
Why Does Chemotherapy Cause Hair Loss?
Chemotherapy targets dividing cells, most importantly cancer and some normal cells. Hair follicle cells divide quickly and are therefore susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy. This means that loss of hair can also happen to eyebrows, eyelashes, facial hair and body hair in addition to the scalp.
Not every chemotherapy drug causes hair loss, and the degree of loss varies based on:
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The kind and amount of chemotherapy administered
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Integration with other therapies such as radiation or targeted therapy
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The patient’s particular reaction to the therapy.
Chemo Hair Loss Stages
Hair loss during chemotherapy usually happens in a sequence. Understanding these chemo hair loss stages helps patients prepare both physically and emotionally.
Stage 1- Initial Thinning
It can be the first stage of the hair loss process when the hair strands start feeling weak and thinner. Some of the patients may notice some strands on their pillow or falling in the shower.
Stage 2: Noticeable Shedding
The hair can fall in bigger lumps, and the scalp will start showing. Some of the patients may choose to get their hair cut shorter to ease the transition.
Stage 3: Partial or Complete Baldness
In some patients, significant loss of hair on the scalp is observed. The skin underneath may also show signs of thinning. In some cases, there is also loss of eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair.
Stage 4: Stabilization
There is a possibility of loss of hair stabilizing after the first cycle of chemotherapy. In most cases, there is a loss of hair, but after that there is no major loss till the end of the treatment.
Hair Growth After Chemo
Most of the time, most patients who undergo chemotherapy are quite relieved to find out that the hair loss linked to chemotherapy is practically always reversible. During chemotherapy recovery, patients typically find that hair starts to grow about two to three months after treatment has been completed. Regrowth of hair is, however, not guaranteed.
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The first stage of hair regrowth is often referred to as soft, fine, and fuzzy.
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The new hair after treatment often differs in color and texture.
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Most people will find that after a period ranging from six to twelve months, hair regrowth will be at an expected level.
Ways to Help Promote Healthy Hair Growth:
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Use moisturizing shampoos and non-drying hair products.
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Diets with chemical treatments and smoothing irons should be hard to avoid.
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Try hats or sunscreen to shield the scalp and hair from the sun.
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Eat a well-balanced, protein and vitamin-rich diet.
Coping with Hair Loss During Treatment
In the modern world, how a person looks or what image the person carries plays a huge role in one’s professional life, wearing a wig or a scarf or a hat serves in a much delightful sense in the popularization of the emergence of self along self can be called imagery self-esteem.
In patients undergoing chemotherapy, cooling caps have been shown to decrease the amount of hair lost.
Counseling can assist in guiding a person’s emotional response to hair loss. while group support can counter a person’s sense of isolation.
Hats, wigs, or scarves help with self-image while working to diminish social shame.
Maintain the scalp clean to promote the regrowth of hair and decrease irritation. So that hair loss doesn't result in social shame, wigs, hats or scarves can be worn.
When to Consult a Doctor or Oncologist
Along with the rational treatment of any kind of cancer, learning to contain the side effects of the chemotherapy procedure is integral. A medical oncologist would not only implement the chemotherapy plan but would also focus on giving palliative care to ease the side effects. Hair loss is one of the evident side effects of having chemotherapy and monitoring side effects at this level is usually done by non-oncologist physicians.
Dr. Pooja Babbar is the Best Medical Oncologist in Gurgaon and provides treatment plans that offer complete and personalized treatment to every cancer patient. She is proficient in modern techniques to treat advanced cancer. Dr. Babbar also immensely cares for her patients. She supports them throughout the treatment and recovery phases of cancer, helping them manage side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions for Chemotherapy and Hair Loss
1. Can medicine help regrow hair after chemotherapy?
Most regrowth medicine won’t help, but hair almost always comes back on its own after a few months once treatment stops.
2. Can chemotherapy hair loss be prevented?
Hair loss is an unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy, but cooling caps during treatment may be able in a few patients to lessen the degree of it, even though it cannot be eliminated.
3. What about nails and body hair? Does the treatment affect them too?
There is body hair thinning and loss and there is the occasional change in nail quality or thinning. It also seems like body hair can thicken a bit post-treatment.
4. Is the hair that grows back after chemotherapy a lifetime guarantee?
Most patient hair regrowth is a lifetime guarantee, but in rare instances, there is hair that is regrows but is left in a state of thinning or patchy coverage.
Conclusion
There is common knowledge that undergoing chemotherapy can lead to loss of hair. There is, however, a silver lining to this- these side effects of chemotherapy are not irreversible, and they can be effectively managed. Each of the stages of hair loss during chemotherapy is, to a great extent, individual. It does appear, though, that just about everyone angling to regain their crowning glory tends to be rewarded with hair regrowth a couple of months after the last chemotherapy session.
With the help of counseling, optimal medical strategies, and adequate scalp hygiene, patients routinely achieve hair growth post-chemotherapy that is, to a full and astonishing degree, much stronger and healthier than pre-therapy.
Besides offering cancer treatment, Dr. Pooja Babbar, the best Cancer Specialist in Gurgaon, makes it a point to provide patients with holistic support to provide them with the reassurance and confidence required for every stage of their journey.
If you want to know about Chemotherapy cost in India, you can check this blog: Chemotherapy cost in India.
