Dec. 17, 2007
To women fighting cancer, losing hair during chemotherapy is a horrifying experience. Women frequently wonder when their hair will fall out, how much of it, and if this is a permanent situation or if their hair will grow back. For women facing this dilemma, there is plenty to hope for.
Not all women lose hair during chemotherapy; some lose very little. This depends on a wide variety of factors, mainly the combination of drugs being used. One British website offers a list of chemotherapy drugs known to cause varying degrees of hair loss. http://www.cancernet.co.uk/hairloss.htm#Table)
Another varying factor is how much of the dosage flows through the scalp in the bloodstream. Some hospitals have tried what is dubbed the “cold cap” system. Very simply, a cap is placed on the head of a patient undergoing chemotherapy to cool the inside of the scalp to approximately 68 degrees Farenheit. This slows the flows of blood, and therefore slows the flow of drugs to the scalp, reducing hair loss. This technique has shown an 85% success rate with some cancer drugs, including Taxol. http://www.cancernet.co.uk/hairloss.htm)
Most sources say that chemotherapy-related hair loss sets in within approximately one to three weeks after treatment begins. The time frame for actual loss of hair ranges from a few weeks to a few months. (http://chemo.starlightprograms.org/qna.html) Hair loss can occur all over the body, especially if radiation is used in conjunction with chemotherapy. http://www.cancercare.org/reading_room/hairloss.php) This usually afflicts faster-growing hair on the body first.
The best news is that most cancer patients will get most, if not all of their hair back after chemotherapy has ended. However, hair loss can be permanent if radiation therapy has sufficiently damaged hair follicles. http://www.cancercare.org/reading_room/hairloss.php Hair regrowth depends on each individual case, but one website advises to expect ¼ to ½ inch of growth per month.
(http://www.cancerresources.mednet.ucla.edu/4_reflections/4c_hair_loss.htm#3)
It takes a minimum of several weeks after the end of chemotherapy for hair to start growing again, and it is a slow process throughout. Some women take a full year or longer to fully regain all of their hair. Hair usually regrows very soft at first. It is common for women to have their hair regrow in a different color and/or a different style. For example, some women who originally had straight hair have it grow back in curly.
Chemotherapy is difficult for any woman fighting cancer, which is a torturous road for all concerned. However, women have every reason not to despair. Many women will emerge from cancer with new hope and new hair.
