Why does chemo cause hair loss

From wigs to scarves to hats, there are many options. Such coverings can also protect your head from sunlight exposure and cold air. If you think you might want a wig that matches your natural hair color, considering buying it before you begin chemotherapy. This may help the wig shop to better match the color and texture of your hair. Try on different styles until you find one you like. If you have health insurance, it might partially or fully cover the cost of a wig.

Consider calling your insurance provider to learn if the cost is covered. Some nonprofit organizations also help fund the cost of wigs for people in need.

Ask your cancer care center or support group for more information about helpful resources. Chemo-related hair loss affects different people in different ways. For many people, it can be distressing.

If you find it difficult to cope with hair loss or other aspects of treatment, consider joining an online or in-person support group for people with cancer. This will give you the opportunity to talk about your experiences and learn from others who are facing similar challenges.

You might also be interested in connecting with style experts who can help you manage appearance-related concerns.

For example, the Look Good, Feel Better program offers free workshops and other resources to help people with cancer learn about wigs, cosmetics, skin care, and other topics.

Hair loss is a common side effect of many chemotherapy regimens, but there are ways to manage it. Talk to your cancer care team about whether you can expect to experience hair loss as a result of your treatment.

You might decide to try a short haircut, look into using scalp cooling caps, or start the process of choosing a wig. You can explore all of your options and make the choices that feel right for you.

It can be traumatic for children when they lose their hair. Fortunately, hair loss in children is rarely dangerous or life-threatening. Here, we list…. If chemotherapeutic agents are part of your care plan, here's what to know about what might be involved.

Read on to learn about the different classes of alkylating agents and drug types, as well as risks and efficacy rates to consider. Hand-foot syndrome is a painful side effect you may have after chemotherapy treatment.

Many people find that scarves and hats are the easiest, most comfortable, and versatile solution for managing hair loss from breast cancer treatment. Scarves and hats can hide your hair loss, help keep you warm, protect you from the sun, and they can be stylish and fun to wear. Learn more about Scarves, Hats, and Turbans for managing treatment-related hair loss.

Breast cancer treatments such as hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and chemotherapy can cause some people to have ongoing mild to moderate hair loss. The dermatologist will order blood tests to check whether there are other reasons for your hair loss besides the effects of breast cancer treatments. Thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, and other factors can play a role in hair loss. For mild to moderate hair loss, dermatologists often recommend Rogaine chemical name: minoxidil , an over-the-counter medication that promotes hair growth.

But check with your oncologist before you start using minoxidil. In most cases, you can use it while you take hormonal therapy or targeted therapy, but not during chemotherapy treatment. Minoxidil is thought to stimulate hair growth by, among other things, improving blood flow in the scalp and prolonging the growth phase of each hair follicle.

Some dermatologists may recommend certain nutritional supplements to help speed up hair growth, such as Nutrafol and Viviscal Hair Growth supplements. Always check with your oncologist before you start taking a nutritional supplement. Biotin supplements should be avoided because they can cause you to have incorrect results from lab tests such as cardiovascular diagnostic tests and hormone tests.

Visit our online community to connect with others who have gone through breast cancer treatment about hair loss, wigs, cold caps, and more. Of course, not everyone reacts to treatment-related hair loss in the same way. For some, it can be devastating, especially at the beginning. Talk about your feelings with understanding friends and family members, a mental health professional, or a social worker at your local cancer center. Also, try seeking out an in-person support group or an online community for people with breast cancer.

Visit our online community to connect with others who have experienced hair loss from breast cancer treatment. Since kids often follow your lead, try not to get too upset yourself during the conversation. Reassure them that your hair will grow back. There tends to be a lot less stigma with being open about a cancer diagnosis in the workplace than there was even a generation ago.

How you decide to handle hair loss at work might also depend on your job role and industry. For instance, if you work in a field in which your appearance is front and center more, you might decide that concealing your hair loss on the days you go into work helps you feel more confident. Written by: Jen Uscher , contributing writer. Nik Georgopoulos, Ph. Mario E. Lacouture, M. Yolanda Lenzy, M. Jonathan Leventhal, M.

Marleen Meyers, M. Silvina Pugliese, M. Lisa Zaba, M. Create a profile for better recommendations. Hair has important functions in culture and communication, and so CIA is consistently ranked top of the list of traumatic events for many patients that undergo chemotherapy.

Some patients even consider refusing chemotherapy as a result of the impending threat of CIA. Treatments for CIA are, at best, experimental. Cooling the scalp with ice packs or special caps was first introduced in the s. The theory underlying this treatment is that cooling will narrow the blood vessels leading to the hair follicles.

Some studies have reported success rates of up to 50 percent with this technique, but there is clearly a need for more effective therapies. Very little is known about how chemotherapy drugs cause CIA. Most information stems from studies using mouse models. Here, research has shown that programmed cell suicide, or apoptosis , is the most likely cause of cell death in the hair follicle, causing the hair to fall out.

Researchers in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, IL, used genome-wide association studies to compare the genetic signature of breast cancer patients who had experienced CIA with that of those who had not. They found several candidate genes that might be implicated in the loss of functional hair follicles.

One of these, CACNB4, is part of a calcium channel that plays an important role in cell growth and apoptosis. Armed with this knowledge, scientists are continuing their quest to develop effective inhibitors of chemotherapy-induced hair loss, hoping to reduce the burden that this unwanted side effect has on cancer patients.

Hair thinning and hair loss are common, and manufacturers offer many products to help combat these conditions. Learn about some of the best products…. Viviscal dietary supplements are oral, drug-free hair growth tablets.