Although chemotherapy can often be a life-saving medication, the patient who receives the treatment typically suffers a number of adverse side effects, one of which is total hair loss. Not only does the patient lose their hair, they also lose their eyebrows and eyelashes. However, there are those rare exceptions where some do not suffer this side effect. In fact, in the majority of cases, this form of hair loss isn’t permanent.
Once the treatment has been completed, the hair begins to grow back, although it may appear considerably thinner at first. There have been cases where higher doses of the drug have caused the hair loss to be permanent. Fortunately, this can be treated with hair transplants, weaves, and a number of other treatments. While the patient cannot control hair loss during chemotherapy, you can minimize these side effects.
Caring for Your Hair during Treatment
There are a number of things that will ease the strain that chemotherapy puts on your hair and scalp. Being proactive throughout your treatment will help you retain a higher amount of hair and help to stimulate new hair growth in the process. Here are a few helpful suggestions where caring for your hair during chemotherapy is concerned:
Keep your hair cut shorter – get a new, shorter haircut before beginning treatment. It will be easier to maintain and make hair loss much less noticeable. This eliminates the need to put your hair in a ponytail or other tight hairstyle that would put additional strain on your hair.
Protect your scalp – by caring for your hair follicles and scalp during treatment, you’ll avoid causing any further damage. However, be sure to protect your scalp if you do suffer significant hair loss. Wear a hat or scarf whenever you go out or use sunscreen if you prefer not to wear anything on your head. It’s critical to protect your scalp from the extreme cold and heat.
Additional options – some chemotherapy patients have used a cold, gel-filled cap placed on their head to narrow the blood vessels in the scalp and restrict the flow of chemicals carried to the hair follicles. This is referred to as the “scalp cooling” method and it actually helps to decrease the amount of hair that the patient loses during their chemotherapy treatment.
On a closing note, keep in mind that your diet can impact the growth or loss of hair. Maximize your diet by eating well and getting plenty of minerals, protein, and vitamins. And if there are bald patches even after chemotherapy stops, you can always opt for hair transplant procedure, which is considerably painless and effective. However, it is best to consult with a hair transplant surgeon before opt for it.