Coping with Chemo-Related Hair Loss
Chemotherapy has offered life-saving benefits for cancer sufferers ever since it was first developed as a targeted medical treatment in the 1940s. But while this form of drug therapy can serve as a powerful anti-cancer technique, it also has some notorious side effects — including hair loss. Let’s look at the relationship between chemotherapy and alopecia, examine the common issues encountered during and after therapy, and explore some smart strategies for coping with the problem until your hair grows back.
How (and Why) Chemotherapy Affects Hair
Chemotherapy drugs can’t discriminate between cancerous cells and healthy ones; they simply target all rapidly-growing cells for destruction. Unfortunately, these cells include the cells of hair follicles, which are constantly active in replacing the hairs that naturally fall out. The result is a condition known as cancer-induced alopecia, or CIA. CIA can affect all of the hair on your body as well as your head — even your eyelashes may fall out as a side effect of your chemotherapy treatments. While the long-term benefit far outweighs the cosmetic embarrassment of hair loss, CIA can nevertheless cause sadness, depression and anxiety if you’re sensitive about your looks, even when you know that your hair will eventually return.
What to Expect During and After Your Treatments
Don’t expect to go bald immediately after receiving your first chemotherapy session. CIA usually takes at least 2 weeks to kick in, at which point you’ll start noticing an excessive number of hairs on your pillow, on your brush or in the tub. You may also start seeing thin patches on your scalp. The first patches of hair loss typically develop in areas where friction tends to pull hairs away from the head. While the total extent of hair loss depends on the length and intensity of your treatment regimen, many people have lost all of their hair within 3 months of starting chemotherapy.
Strategies for Surviving CIA
You don’t have to let CIA shame, humiliate or frustrate you. First and foremost, keep in mind that your hair will start growing back within several weeks after your treatment is finished, although it may look or feel slightly different than before. In the meantime, you can respond to your situation by:
Avoiding unnecessary grooming or shampooing
Steering clear of dryers, heating irons, and other tools that are rough on hair
Take a break from hair colors or dyes
Protecting the skin on your scalp from UV and wind by wearing a hat or scarf (or applying sunscreen to the hairless areas)
Once you’ve gotten past your chemotherapy regimen, you can focus on nurturing your hair’s natural regrowth. Contact Genesis II to learn about the many ways we can help! To schedule a free consultation call us at (315) 458-1074 or to contact us via email click here.
Photo Credit: klbz Via Pixabay
