Hair loss or thinning is caused as a secondary outcome of cancer treatments. The degree and type of hair loss can be different from case to case.
Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immune therapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapies can lead to various hair disorders. Hair thinning, complete or partial hair loss, textural or pigmentary hair changes.
How cancer treatments affect hair follicles:
Cancer cells grow at tremendous speed. Treatments are used to restrict their growth and destroy them. Cancer drugs affect all the cells of the body as they cannot differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells.
Hair cells are the most sensitive and multiply rapidly just like cancerous cells. They are destroyed during the process but they can repair themselves. The loss is therefore mostly temporary and once the treatment is completed hair can re-grow naturally.
Cancer drug:
Drugs applied to treat cancer strike hair diversely.
Factors that affect hair:
Not every cancer patient suffers hair loss during cancer care. It depends on individual cases. Various factors determine whether you will experience a hair loss or not:
Location of cancer: Effected body part
The Pattern of loss:
Hair loss starts after the second or third cycle of some treatments. It can be sudden or gradual. Hair may lose in clumps but no pattern is definite. Similarly, type of hair loss is not certain for every patient some may face
Complete baldness (temporary or permanent)
Hair thinning on the entire scalp
Patches of baldness
De-coloration
Change in texture of hair (curls in hair)
Dull, brittle hair
Or even No loss
Chemotherapy:
Hair damage is the most dreaded effect of chemotherapy. Almost 65% of chemo-treated patients experience hair loss. However, some chemo chemicals result in definite hair loss and some may not affect them at all. The dose of the drug is another factor to stimulates hair damage.
Generally, people recover from hair shedding after the completion of treatment.
Chemotherapy medicines with a greater risk of hair thinning or loss are:
Radiation therapy is used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments. Like others, it brings about various sides effects. Among which hair loss is a site-specific side effect.
Hair loss and Radiation therapy:
Hair loss is noticeable on the part treated by radiation therapy. Radiation therapy directed to Neck and Head results in complete or partial loss, or sometimes just a change in density. If radiation therapy is employed in some other part of the body it will not affect scalp hair.
The baldness or thinning due to radiation therapy usually starts from the third week of treatment. Some are temporary while some may prevail lifelong.
Targeted Therapy:
Target therapy is a kind of treatment that targets certain cancer cells in the body. Drugs are used to stop cell division, spread, and growth in the body. Breast cancer, Chronic myeloid leukemia are treated with targeted therapy.
Affects Targeted Therapy on hair:
Various drugs are used to target cancer cells. It does not develop hair loss, however; different side effects can lead to hair damage. They can cause hair problems to different degrees. Hair can experience these changes:
Hormonal Therapy:
Hormonal therapy is a kind of targeted therapy. Certain hormones are injected or taken orally to stop the production of certain Harmon in your body. Or prevent the hormones from acting against your cells.
Hormonal therapy effects on hair:
This therapy is designed to treat a specific part. So it travels to the specific site. Hair usually becomes thin as a reaction to the drug. The growth slows down during the usage of drugs. The hair can grow back and thickens after the treatment stops. It does not usually cause complete hair loss.
Sandostatin,Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) , Fulvestrant (Faslodex). Letrozole are some hormonal therapies to cause hair probles.
Immunotherapy:
In immunotherapy, your immune system is activated to kill cancer cells. Hair cells are only disturbed if the immune system is overdriven and starts killing healthy cells. Otherwise, immunotherapy is not considered the cause of hair loss.
If you are struggling with cancer, be prepared to tackle any of these situations regarding your hair.
How you can cope with hair loss?
Losing your hair is a nightmare. It shatters your appearance as well as your emotional state. Be prepared to manage this short-lived trauma.
First of all, be kind to yourself during this nerve-racking time. It's ok to be upset. But don't let this feeling overpower you. For most people it is non-permanent.
Prepare yourself for upcoming changes. Embrace it with vigor and grace. Talk to your doctor about this. Decide how you will carry yourself.
Chose a style, head covering, hair extension, or be stylish by staying bald. It's all about how you feel comfortable.
Maintain a natural, healthy lifestyle. Eat healthily it will eventually affect your re-growth.
Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immune therapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapies can lead to various hair disorders. Hair thinning, complete or partial hair loss, textural or pigmentary hair changes.
How cancer treatments affect hair follicles:
Cancer cells grow at tremendous speed. Treatments are used to restrict their growth and destroy them. Cancer drugs affect all the cells of the body as they cannot differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells.
Hair cells are the most sensitive and multiply rapidly just like cancerous cells. They are destroyed during the process but they can repair themselves. The loss is therefore mostly temporary and once the treatment is completed hair can re-grow naturally.
Cancer drug:
Drugs applied to treat cancer strike hair diversely.
Factors that affect hair:
Not every cancer patient suffers hair loss during cancer care. It depends on individual cases. Various factors determine whether you will experience a hair loss or not:
- Type of chemical used: the type and combination of the drug. Some medicines tend to create the loss, some may not.
- The dose of the medicine: Higher dosages have greater potential to create a loss.
- The route of medication: Intravenous route damages hair the most. Oral medication has a lesser effect on hair.
- Individual tendency: some people are naturally prone to lose hair, by genetics or because of other diseases they suffer. Cancer treatment may worsen the situation.
Location of cancer: Effected body part
The Pattern of loss:
Hair loss starts after the second or third cycle of some treatments. It can be sudden or gradual. Hair may lose in clumps but no pattern is definite. Similarly, type of hair loss is not certain for every patient some may face
Complete baldness (temporary or permanent)
Hair thinning on the entire scalp
Patches of baldness
De-coloration
Change in texture of hair (curls in hair)
Dull, brittle hair
Or even No loss
Chemotherapy:
Hair damage is the most dreaded effect of chemotherapy. Almost 65% of chemo-treated patients experience hair loss. However, some chemo chemicals result in definite hair loss and some may not affect them at all. The dose of the drug is another factor to stimulates hair damage.
Generally, people recover from hair shedding after the completion of treatment.
Chemo-chemicals that affects the most:Chemotherapy medicines with a greater risk of hair thinning or loss are:
- Antimetabolites: are treated to immune various autoimmune diseases including arthritis. As cancer treatment it causes hair to fall. Fluorouracil (5-FU), Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- Topoisomerase inhibitors: Camptosar, etoposide
- Antitumor antibiotics: Dcatinomycin, Doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Doxil), Idarubicin (Idamycin), Docetaxel (Taxotere)
- Alkylating agents: Cyclophosphamide (Neosar), Busulfex (busulphan)
- Antimicrotubule agents: Ellence (epirubicin), Ixempra (Ixabepilone), Taxol (paclitaxel), Taxotere (docetaxel)
- Antitumor antibiotics: Mutamicin (mitomycin C), epirubicin, or doxorubicin
- Antimetabolites: Methotrexate
- Alkylating agents: Hexalen (altretamine)
- The platinums: carboplatin, oxaliplatin.
Radiation therapy is used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments. Like others, it brings about various sides effects. Among which hair loss is a site-specific side effect.
Hair loss and Radiation therapy:
Hair loss is noticeable on the part treated by radiation therapy. Radiation therapy directed to Neck and Head results in complete or partial loss, or sometimes just a change in density. If radiation therapy is employed in some other part of the body it will not affect scalp hair.
The baldness or thinning due to radiation therapy usually starts from the third week of treatment. Some are temporary while some may prevail lifelong.
Targeted Therapy:
Target therapy is a kind of treatment that targets certain cancer cells in the body. Drugs are used to stop cell division, spread, and growth in the body. Breast cancer, Chronic myeloid leukemia are treated with targeted therapy.
Affects Targeted Therapy on hair:
Various drugs are used to target cancer cells. It does not develop hair loss, however; different side effects can lead to hair damage. They can cause hair problems to different degrees. Hair can experience these changes:
- Slow hair growth
- Thinning, light hair
- Clumpy hair loss
- Brittle, dry hair
Hormonal Therapy:
Hormonal therapy is a kind of targeted therapy. Certain hormones are injected or taken orally to stop the production of certain Harmon in your body. Or prevent the hormones from acting against your cells.
Hormonal therapy effects on hair:
This therapy is designed to treat a specific part. So it travels to the specific site. Hair usually becomes thin as a reaction to the drug. The growth slows down during the usage of drugs. The hair can grow back and thickens after the treatment stops. It does not usually cause complete hair loss.
Sandostatin,Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) , Fulvestrant (Faslodex). Letrozole are some hormonal therapies to cause hair probles.
Immunotherapy:
In immunotherapy, your immune system is activated to kill cancer cells. Hair cells are only disturbed if the immune system is overdriven and starts killing healthy cells. Otherwise, immunotherapy is not considered the cause of hair loss.
If you are struggling with cancer, be prepared to tackle any of these situations regarding your hair.
How you can cope with hair loss?
Losing your hair is a nightmare. It shatters your appearance as well as your emotional state. Be prepared to manage this short-lived trauma.
First of all, be kind to yourself during this nerve-racking time. It's ok to be upset. But don't let this feeling overpower you. For most people it is non-permanent.
Prepare yourself for upcoming changes. Embrace it with vigor and grace. Talk to your doctor about this. Decide how you will carry yourself.
Chose a style, head covering, hair extension, or be stylish by staying bald. It's all about how you feel comfortable.
Maintain a natural, healthy lifestyle. Eat healthily it will eventually affect your re-growth.