Hair loss during chemotherapy

It is a fact that during chemotherapy you will lose hair. It occurs for both men and women and this is due to the potency of the drugs used during this treatment that attack the fast-growing cancer cells, also affecting other fast-growing cells such as those responsible for hair growth.

Hair loss not only occurs on the scalp but in the whole body and there is no treatment that can guarantee that you will not lose hair during or after chemotherapy. However, there are different ways to prevent hair loss during powerful phases such as the following:

How to reduce hair loss

There are several articles that talk about the effectiveness of scalp cooling caps (hypothermia of the scalp). More and more centers offer their patients the possibility of placing a fitted cap with frozen liquid to reduce the flow of blood that irrigates the scalp. There are several patients who have reported a decrease in their fall during treatments thanks to these cold caps. However, we must mention that some specialists alert that using it presents a small risk that the disease will reappear later on the scalp as a consequence of the lower frequency of action in this area during chemotherapy. Headaches are another possible side effect.

In addition to the cooling cap, there are also those who have opted to undergo treatments with Minoxidil (Rogaine), which does not guarantee that neither before, nor during, nor after the start of chemotherapy the hair loss will be prevented. However, some patients have ensured that, after using it, their hair has grown faster once the treatment has been abandoned, which until now has not been scientifically proven.

Before treatment

If you are going to undergo a chemotherapy treatment you should maximize the way to look after your hair. Forget the dyes, the permanent and treat it softly. Do not use devices that emit heat and perform massages on the scalp to reinforce the hair and thus delay the fall.

During the treatment

Once the treatment is started it is very important to take care of the hair that we still have. Follow the same strategies that we recommended in the previous phase, pick combs or brushes with soft bristles, wash the hair only when necessary and use natural shampoos without silicones or parabens. In case you need to expose your head to the sun use sunscreen or cover your head. Use the same strategy with a strong cold.

After the treatment

Once the treatment is completed, keep on spoiling your hair. The hair that will sprout again will make it very weak and usually will fall. Avoid the heat, chemicals, devices that emit heat and wash your head excessively. Be patient and if you take care of it, it will grow again.