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Chemotherapy
Cancer. The word alone creates fear and confusion. Patients face not only the uncertainty of their disease, but the anxiety of treatment - particularly hair loss.
This article provides facts about the relationship between chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hair loss. Its aim is provide you with the information you need, using non-medical language, to understand what is happening to your hair, and why.
Hair Growth
Hair grows from the root, from the hair follicle, where a constant process of cell division occurs. Amino acids taken from blood feeding the follicle join with dividing cells, resulting in cell chains. Eventually these cell chains link up with one another, resulting in a long fiber. At this point, the nucleus of the original cell is dead, and the amino acids have formed into a hard keratin.
Keratin is a protein, and it is the substance our hair and nails are made from. It is a lifeless substance that results from the "pushing" of newly forming cells in the follicle. As the keratin protein is pushed out, our hair grows from the root. The growth of our hair follows a cyclical pattern that is one of the body's most active "growing" processes: building shafts of hair for a period of time, and then resting.
Anticancer Drugs
Cancer is a condition of uncontrolled cell growth. And anticancer drug administration aims to reduce or stop this process. However, anticancer drugs act on both normal and cancerous cells, and are most likely to destroy cells that reproduce quickly. Hair follicles divide rapidly, which is why they are affected by chemotherapy. At any one time, about 85% of scalp hair follicles are reproducing.
Because a variety of drugs are used for chemotherapy treatment, hair loss depends upon the type prescribed and the dosage. Not all chemotherapy causes hair loss, and except in rare instances, hair loss is temporary. When treatment is completed, the hair follicles will resume processing amino acids from your blood and creating new hair for you.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy employs high energy rays to inhibit the growth and division of cancer cells. It destroys all cells ability to grow and multiply in the area of application; however, cancer cells are more sensitive to radiation than normal cells. If treatment is applied as a cancer cell is about to reproduce it will prevent the cell from doing so, and the cell will die. Still, radiation therapy can sometimes affect normal tissue, causing side effects. One possible result of treatments to the head and neck is hair loss. Some or all of your hair in the area being treated may be lost. But in most cases, hair growth will resume at the end of the treatment cycle.
Hair Loss Alternatives
There are several options for dealing with hair loss once it occurs. You may choose to cover your head with a hat, scarf or turban. Or you may choose to replace your hair either with a wig or with a prosthetic hair system.
If you choose to replace your hair, you'll be happy to know that fake looking wigs are a thing of the past. New technologies have made both human hair wigs and synthetic wigs appear highly realistic because they can be fitted to the shape of your head. Human hair wigs are typically more expensive and require more maintenance. Synthetic wigs are less expensive (although some special models are more expensive), and are easier to style and wash. Synthetic wigs also dry more quickly, and require less care.
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Did you know???
A postiche or wig is often considered a tax deductible medical expense. Contact your accountant and inquire if your system can be deducted.
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Hair postiches are the latest technological advance in replacing lost hair. They are made to meet any specific needs of the wearer. Form fitting and breathable, the flexible fit of the postiche can be styles just like natural hair. A high-quality postiche will always go undetected.
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- Chemotherapy
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Still not sure what you need? Try our
Quick Reference Chart
for Non-Surgical Hair Loss Solutions
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Call us today!
a consultation session is FREE
with no obligation
+1.416.923.7747
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2 convenient locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
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Downtown
Main Salon
92½ Avenue Road
(north of Yorkville Ave)
Tel: 416.923.7747
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Uptown
Toronto Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre
2075 Bayview Avenue (north of Eglinton Ave)
Basement Level, Room TB-206
Tel: 416.480.5157
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Continental Hair | Canada's most respected woman's hair replacement studio, providing professional service for all forms of medical and non-medical hair loss. Proudly carrying the Amy Gibson Coral Wig Collection Amy, Gibson, Amy Gibson, coral, collection, continental, hair, toronto, wigs, hair pieces, pieces, hair replacement, replacement, woman, women, man, men, cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, medical wigs, medical, non-medical, non, Alopecia, areata, totalis, androgenetic, custom, made, men's hair system, system, extensions, non-surgical, European, virgin, louis, ferre, Oradell, graduated, enhancement, method, laser, therapy, usa, united, states, america, new, york, florida, california
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