Why Does Hair Fall Out After Chemo?
Chemotherapy is the chemical treatment of cancer by introducing into the body drugs that stop the growth of cancer cells. These drugs, though, also arrest the growth and multiplication of other cells in the body, especially those that, like cancer cells, multiply rapidly.
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Drug Actions
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Chemotherapy drugs are designed to kill dividing cells. Hair cells grow rapidly, so chemo often, but not always, kills them along with the dangerous cancer cells. Only certain drugs or combinations of drugs, however, cause loss of hair.
Features
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Hair loss due to chemotherapy rarely occurs in a low, organized pattern. Hair usually comes out in clumps. Hair loss can range from thinning of hair on the head to complete loss of hair on the head, and in some people even their eyebrows, eyelashes, and armpit and public hair.
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Time Frame
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Chemo drugs that cause hair loss usually begin to do so after the second or third week of treatment, although sometimes hair loss does not occur until the second round of treatment. If you don't lose your hair by then, you probably won't lose it while on chemotherapy.
Effects
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For some patients, the loss of hair is one of the most stressful aspects of treatment. Many insurance companies will pay for a wig to be used during this period; your doctor must write a prescription. Other patients find that shaving their heads or investing in a wardrobe of scarves and hats helps them over this hump while they are getting well.
Considerations
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Hair loss caused by chemotherapy is temporary, and once your treatment is complete your hair will begin to grow back.
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