Coping with hair loss during cancer treatment

How will cancer treatment affect my hair?

Cancer treatment can affect your hair in different ways.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss or thinning. It usually happens gradually, two to three weeks after your first session. Your hair will usually start to grow back once your treatment is over. But sometimes the texture or colour of your hair can change when it grows back.

Radiotherapy can cause hair loss in the areas being treated. Whether your hair grows back and how quickly depends on how much radiotherapy you’ve had and the area of your body affected.

Hormonal therapies can cause hair thinning. Your hair will often go back to how it was once your treatment is over.

Targeted (biological) therapies or immunotherapy may cause hair loss or thinning for some people. With these types of treatments, hair loss can happen weeks or months after. Your hair will usually grow back.

Stem cell or bone marrow transplant doesn’t directly cause hair loss, but the chemotherapy or radiotherapy given before the transplant can cause hair loss. Your hair will usually regrow, but it may be a different texture or colour.

Advanced therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy don’t usually cause hair loss. But if you have other treatments beforehand these can cause temporary hair loss or thinning.

If your cancer treatment causes hair loss, this might include the hair on your head, eyebrows, eyelashes, facial, and body hair.

Cancer Research UK have an A to Z list of cancer drugs that you can check to find out if your treatment may cause hair loss.

How can I prevent hair loss during cancer treatment?

It’s not always possible to prevent hair loss. But for some types of chemotherapy, you may be able to try scalp cooling, also known as ‘cold caps’. You wear a cap to cool your scalp before, during, and after chemotherapy. It works by reducing blood flow to your scalp, which reduces the amount of chemotherapy reaching your hair follicles.

It’s not suitable for everyone, and it doesn’t always work. Some people find scalp cooling uncomfortable. But if it’s available at your hospital and you’d like to try it, let your healthcare team know.

How can I look after my hair during cancer treatment?

These tips can help you care for your hair throughout and after your treatment:

• use gentle shampoos like baby shampoo
• avoid getting a perm or colouring your hair
• brush your hair gently with a wide-toothed comb or baby brush
• avoid using heat from hairdryers, straighteners, or curlers
• pat your hair dry gently after washing rather than rubbing

If you’ve lost your hair since starting treatment, you might be wondering how you can care for your scalp. Here are some tips:

• wash your scalp regularly with a gentle facial wash
• use a gentle moisturiser
• applying a warm flannel with essential oils can ease irritation from head coverings
• some people find a scalp massage relaxing (check with your healthcare team it’s safe to do so first)
• if you wear them, wash wigs and head coverings regularly to help reduce scalp irritation
• if your scalp is in the sun, use a suncream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30

How can I prepare for hair loss?

Hair loss from cancer treatment can be upsetting, but there are lots of ways to prepare to help you feel more in control.

• 1. Share your feelings with your loved ones so they can support you. If you have children in your life, explaining hair loss to them can help them understand. Hair loss support charity, Cancer Hair Care, provide free hair loss dolls and activity packs which can help you explain hair loss to young children. They also supply free hair loss support packs for teenagers and children which contain headwear and scalp care.


• 2. Think about if you want to wear a wig, hat, scarf, or bandana. You might not want to wear anything on your head. But if you do, it’s good to have these ready before you begin treatment. Charities and hospital services can offer advice on choosing and wearing wigs and different head coverings. See the other helpful websites section for a list of some of these charities.


• 3. Some people cut their hair short or shave it off completely before they start treatment. Short hair can make hair loss feel less noticeable. But everyone is different.


• 4. Products like eyebrow pencils and false eyelashes can help you feel more confident. Beauty advisors trained in supporting people with cancer can offer tips and advice. Charities like Look Good Feel Better can help you manage the different impacts of your cancer treatment.


• 5. Your healthcare team are there to support you. Talk to them if you’re worried about hair loss and want to know more about how to manage it.

What if my hair doesn’t grow back?

Most people’s hair starts to grow back after cancer treatment. But for some, it may grow back slowly, thinner, or not fully. This can be upsetting, and it’s normal to feel lots of different emotions about this.

If your hair doesn’t return as expected the following tips can help.

• Talk to your healthcare team. Your doctor or cancer nurse can check if anything is affecting regrowth.
• If you’d like to, explore options such as a wig, hat, scarf, or bandana which can help you feel more comfortable.
• Seek support from charities like Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Hair Care. They can offer practical advice and support from other people going through hair loss after cancer treatment.

Remember you’re not alone, and help and support is available to help you cope with these changes.

Other helpful websites

• Cancer Hair Care
www.cancerhaircare.co.uk
• Macmillan Cancer Support
www.macmillan.org.uk
• Breast Cancer Now
breastcancernow.org