Learn More about Chemotherapy Hair Loss

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One of the most frequent side effect of cancer treatments is chemotherapy hair loss. What is the reason why hair loss occurs during chemotherapy? Well, the drugs used in this type of cancer treatment are very strong, therefore very efficient in attacking the rapidly developing cancer cells. There are normal body cells with a rapid growth rate, and they are not cancer; among these, the cells in the hair roots, as well. The effects of chemotherapy on hair are manifest for all the body parts covered by hair. Unfortunately, eyelashes, eyebrows, armpit and pubic hair and other body hair may also fall out.

There is a wide variety of drugs that are used in chemotherapy. Among these, obviously some are more likely to cause chemotherapy hair loss than others. The concentration of the drugs is relevant for chemotherapy hair loss, and while some patients will experience thinning of the hair others will go completely bald. Thus, make sure to discuss all such details with your doctor, in order to be prepared to cope with hair loss psychologically.

Hair usually starts falling out after 10–14 days from the beginning of the treatment. It may happen quite fast, either in clumps or gradually. Chemotherapy hair loss remains a problem throughout the entire period of the treatment and a month afterwards. Half of the hair can fall out before this is noticed by people around. Luckily, in most cases, chemotherapy hair loss represents a temporary effect. Hair will probably grow back within six months to one year from the end of the procedure. Although the regrowth of the hair occurs in most of the cases, the new hair could be of a different texture and shade temporarily.

It usually takes about four to six weeks for the hair to recover from chemotherapy, and generally, the hair grows at a rate of about a quarter inch each month. The changes that took place in the hair follicles during chemotherapy will be obvious in the way the hair grows back, but in time, things will get back to normal. The changes will be a first recovery sign and the hair will become what it used to be before the treatment the moment cellular pigmentation is functioning normally all over again. Unfortunately, one cannot prevent chemotherapy hair loss as there is no treatment which will guarantee that the hair will not fall out.

I hope you have been able to gain something from this article, thanks for reading.

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This post was written by hair_loss on April 21, 2009

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