Being a cancer patient is temporary, so is the hair
loss that often comes with treatment. Approach it with a strategy: control it
so it doesn’t control you.
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A cancer diagnosis is generally hardest on
patients in the first week or two when it’s new. This is a time when a lot of
questions need to be answered and not all the answers are available.
Fortunately, one of the most important
questions – will this alter my appearance? –can be managed. That question is
usually about hair loss and hair loss
solutions. It varies by individual and by the nature of the cancer and the
treatment for it. Cancer-related hair loss occurs in both men and women, as
well as children. There are varying hair
loss treatments for each, if and when hair loss occurs.
For anyone concerned about the effects of
chemotherapy and other medications on hair, we recommend you take the following
steps:
- 1.    Â
Explore your options – Not all cancer treatments
cause hair loss, and not everyone experiences hair loss in the same way. Speak
first with your doctor about what the likelihood of losing hair to chemotherapy,
radiation and other treatments would be. With that knowledge (or “best
guessesâ€), think through whether you’d rather wear some type of wig or hair
replacement system, if you’d instead go with a shaved head, or a hat or scarf.
Everyone is different and due their own personal style.
- 2.    Â
Establish your position – Part of taking
care of your health is letting those around you, friends and family, know you
have a plan. Talk to them about your course of treatment – judiciously, if you
think they are capable of hearing about it – including the possibility of hair
loss that can come from treatment. Engage them in the options if you’re unsure
yourself. And if you clearly know what you’ll do if your hair is affected,
claim it as what you know you have to do as part of managing a difficult
situation.
- 3.    Â
Slow the loss – Even if your treatment
will cause hair loss, you might be able to reduce the degree of loss if you
treat it gently. That means using milder shampoos (avoid those that have
fragrances, salicylic acid, and alcohol) and eschew hot-air dryers and
hard-bristle hairbrushes. If you color, straighten, or curl your hair with
chemicals, this is a time to discontinue that; all are harsh on weakened hair
shafts. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase can reduce overnight hair loss.
- 4.    Â
Cold caps and cooling systems – In a
world of medical quackery, this is a technique that actually works. Worn during
chemotherapy infusions, these helmet-like devices narrow blood vessels on the
scalp, which inhibits the amount of chemotherapy reaching the hair follicles
(the “roots†of hair that otherwise shrink back from the medicines).
- 5.    Â
Respond to hair loss incrementally – Of
course, even with planning it’s difficult to predict exactly what works for
you. If your hair starts to fall out in patches, a hat or scarf might work for
a bit. But a shorter cut or shaving might be better – again, depending on what
works best for you.
- 6.    Â
Prep and pamper your skin – If your hair
takes a holiday from your head, your skin should rise to the occasion. The
thing is your hair loss might bring on some itchiness or other sensations.
Treat it with appropriate, gentle topical lotions and consult with a
dermatologist if over the counter products are ineffective.
- 7.    Â
Welcome back the new hair – It’s a rare
case when hair doesn’t grow back after chemotherapy. Be gentle and patient, as
the texture and even color of your hair might be different, at least in the
initial phases; some people with naturally straight hair might get a surprising
wave or curliness. But for those whose hair (and eyebrows and eyelashes) do not
return as robustly as it was previously, there are a number of options for
thickening or replacing hair.
There’s
a lot to think about and manage when undergoing treatment for cancer. At least
where it comes to hair loss, you have many tools at your disposal.
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