Hair Regrowth After Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most effective and excruciating cancer treatments. It is administered in order to treat various types of cancer, along with radiation therapy, surgery and alternative cancer treatments. Along with the tremendous amount of relief that it gives, chemotherapy is also a major cause for excessive weight loss.

To be frank, growing hair back after chemotherapy is not very difficult. The question is how to grow hair back after chemo and why chemotherapy causes such excessive hair loss? Well, there are several chemotherapy drugs that cause excessive hair loss as they find it difficult to recognize the cancer causing cells and other growing cells in the body, which includes hair as well. Before finding the solution for regrowing hair, one must get to know what causes hair loss after chemotherapy in the first place.

Hair Loss After Chemotherapy

The drugs used in chemotherapy are very powerful that rigorously attack the carcinogenic cells. As said earlier, these drugs do not have the power to distinguish between carcinogenic and healthy cells, that also include the hair roots! This results to hair loss after chemotherapy. Chemotherapy actually causes hair loss from the entire body. Hair fall after chemotherapy, usually begins after 10 to 15 days of starting this cancer treatment. They fall in clumps as well as sort of gradually, like one can notice a clump of hair fallen on the pillow, in the shower drain or hair brush.

Hair fall gets so alarming after chemotherapy that more than 50% of your mane is gone, by the time other people start to notice it. Hair fall continues along with the treatment and it can take more than six weeks to grow back hair naturally. It is often observed that the regrown hair a slightly different in texture and color than the original ones, which can be really disheartening for the patient, especially the women pals. Another fact that can be slightly indigestible is, there is no hair regrowth treatment that guarantees total hair regrowth.

Hair Regrowth After Chemotherapy

Regrowth of the hair can occur normally but it can take as long as six months for this to happen. There are several hair regrowth vitamins that can also be very useful for evading hair loss through chemotherapy. An important thing to remember is, hair regrowth after chemo is only possible when the treatment has ended. However, there are a few treatment methods that have been investigated in order to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy. They mainly include:

Cryotherapy
Cryotheraphy is also called scalp hypothermia. This treatment includes usage of ice packs that are placed on the scalp area. The instruments that are used in this treatment actually reduce the harsh effects of chemotherapy, that are caused on the scalp and prevent hair fall. This can be worth a try when it comes to hair regrowth in women. But, as every cure has some of its ill effects. In case of cryotherapy, there are chances, that the process of hair loss prevention, can get in way of the effect of chemotherapy and cause growth of carcinogenic cells in the scalp region.

Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a vasodilator medication that is used as an approved treatment drug, by the USFDA. It is actually a topical medication that has to be applied directly on the scalp. It can be used by both women and men but it is the best hair regrowth treatment for men who have male-bald patches on the scalp. Women are suggested to use the milder version of the drug while male patients are suggested to use stronger. It is one of the most effective hair regrowth treatments.

Tips for Chemotherapy Related Hair Loss

Here are some useful and common tips, that can be very useful before, during and after the chemotherapy.

• Before the chemotherapy, learn to be gentle with your hair. Avoid anything that can prove to be a potential damage to your hair like perm, color, dye or bleach. Avoid using curling irons and hot rollers. Rather, consider the option of getting haircut, in order to trim the length of the hair and make them short. Be practical and think about any head covering option, so that you can get used to it, after the start of the treatment.
• During the chemo, make sure you stay gentle with the hair and do everything possible that you can do, to sooth the hair and scalp. Like, use satin pillowcase, wash hair only when necessary with a gentle shampoo. Men can shave their heads, so that they won't suffer with the 'hair fall' ordeal. When getting exposed to sun or air, don't forget to cover the head.
• Taking care of the hair gets very essential after the chemotherapy. Keep on being gentle with your hair and as the new hair will be more fragile and vulnerable, compared to your older mane. Do not color, bleach or dye the hair until they are fully grown. Next and the most important thing is to have patience. The hair won't at all take the original look, overnight. You will have to be patient as they will take time to grow and get to the regular size.

Chemotherapy treatment and its aftermaths like hair fall, do sound horrifying, but they are some of the basic stepping stones to evade cancer from its roots. Have patience and be gentle. These are the two things that will prove helpful.