Recipes for hair loss during chemotherapy

One of the most common consequences of cancer treatment is hair loss. An effect that often has a powerful impact on those diagnosed with this disease, being common questions in the doctor´s appointment related to the amount of hair that is going to fall, how long it takes to recover, if it is better to wait for it to fall or cut it preventively or if hair loss will also affect eyebrows and eyelashes.

Some questions for which the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) and the Dermatological Medical Institute (IMD) of Madrid by its initials in Spanish, have answers in the form of a manual to know the best way to take care of hair loss that occurs both during the treatment and shortly after finishing it, and which we are going to use to collect the main points.

As indicated in the above guide, chemotherapy treatment weakens all hair follicles, including the eyebrows and eyelashes, while radiation therapy only weakens those in the treated area. However, while in chemo hair loss lasts as long as the treatment time allowing the follicles to bloom again after the treatment, in radio is not always so, as it depends on the dose received, being able, in some cases, not to come out again.

So, if you have already begun to check that your hair falls out or if you want to know some of the best remedies to take care of your scalp, you should know that, in the event that you want to use wigs or handkerchiefs, you should opt for natural tissues and, very important, which do not oppress at all. You should also know that it is important that you take care of the areas in which there is no fall having both clean and hydrated the scalp that keeps healthy follicles.

To stimulate proper growth after treatment, it is important to stop giving dyes or products to discolor and use only mild shampoos that do not irritate the skin. It is also interesting to know that you can take care of your hair by applying a moisturizing mask on the ends and that you should wash and dry the hair gently, without scratching and applying a light massage.

Foods to combat hair loss

One of the factors that can help minimize hair loss and keep the scalp healthy is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This guide also recommends protein-rich vegetables and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, or beans; foods rich in vitamin A such as green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli; those containing vitamin B such as tomatoes or eggs and C such as citrus fruits.

As for fish, the best are hake or sole, great sources of protein and, as for antioxidant foods, nothing better than to use seaweed or red fruit, all these foods being ideal to help grow hair after chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment.