Chemotherapy Hair Loss Prevention - Battling Side Effects

A cancer patient often finds that he has more than just cancer to worry over. When undergoing chemotherapy treatment, he has to worry about other side effects like hair loss. Chemotherapy is supposed to fight cancer. So why is it that hair loss occurs during treatment?

Chemotherapy attempts to kill cancer cells with radiation. The amount of radiation a patient is exposed to, depends on the seriousness of the condition. If cancer is already in late stages, chances are, an aggressive treatment plan may be necessary.

When chemotherapy is taking place, cancer cells are prevented from spreading. This is how the treatment discern cancer cells from normal healthy cells. Unfortunately, the discernment process is not a hundred percent accurate. So healthy cells get damaged as well. In addition, hair follicle cells tend to regenerate more quickly than normal cells. In this aspect, it is similar to cancer cells. That's why chemotherapy damage hair follicles as well, and hair loss starts to occur.

How serious will the hair loss condition be?

The answer is not a straightforward one. It all depends on the intensity of the treatment, and the duration. If large doses of medication are taken, accompanied with prolonged periods of chemotherapy, it is very likely that the patient may loss all his hair. However, for less serious cases, the hair may thin temporarily. In extremely mild cases, there may not be a noticeable effect at all.

Hair loss is just a side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Fortunately, it is something that the patient can take measures to cope with. Here are some suggestions on how to cope with hair loss.

Wearing a hair piece - This is by far, the most common approach. There are no additional medication that needs to be taken, and it takes care of the problem immediately. Hair pieces are rather fashionable these days, so can patients should not be afraid to try them on.

Wear a head gear - Now is the time to be a fashion freak. Try on some head gear like scarves, hats, etc. There are many options available, and you will have lots of fun shopping for the head gear.

Seeking hair loss treatment - For mild cancer cases, you may want to seek hair loss treatment. For example, you may be asked to take additional health supplements or apply hair lotion to help prevent hair loss from taking place to quickly. Your hair may still thin, but the rate is remarkably reduced. When the treatment is over, your hair will grow back naturally.

In addition, you can take other less drastic measures to help protect your help. Use a mild shampoo to prevent breakage. Do not try to adopt ambitious styles for your hair during chemotherapy. For instance, don't perm or dye your hair.