Why does cancer chemotherapy cause hair loss?

Hair is a part of the body that can quickly divide like cancer cells so it is influenced by chemotherapy, which leads to hair loss.

Doctor Nguyen Trieu Vu, Head of Oncology Department, Thu Duc District Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), said that chemotherapy is a special medicine for each type of cancer - an important method in treating the disease. According to the bloodstream, the drug can reach every organ in the body where cancer cells hide. Chemotherapy has many side effects that make patients nervous, especially hair loss .

Cancer cells have the ability to reproduce faster than healthy cells so chemotherapy mainly works on rapidly dividing cells. In the body, hair follicles have the ability to divide rapidly, so it is affected by the drug. Cancer patients usually have hair loss after about a week of special treatment. In addition to hair cells, skin cells and mucous membranes are also affected.

According to Dr. Vu, the degree of hair loss varies depending on the medicine and the body of each person. Some patients will experience less hair loss than others. Alopecia usually occurs slowly, which can occur in whole or in part. In addition to hair loss, the drug also causes hair thinning and more likely to break.

Chemotherapy for cancer.(Photo: healthline).

How to help alleviate hair loss

Proactive short haircut. Use a headscarf to avoid spilling your hair. Using wigs, if hair loss is known in advance, you can actively use your hair as a wig.

Using a scalp cooler can also reduce the severity of hair loss. This device is currently available in Vietnam but the cost is still high and does not prevent hair loss completely.

Use the right shampoo, can use baby products will be more gentle to the scalp. Do not use dyes, hair dryers, excessive scalp massage that could damage sensitive scalp.

In addition to hair loss, patients are also susceptible to tanning, melasma. Therefore pay attention to avoid sunlight when going out by using masks, clothes, sunscreen.

Eat enough, drink plenty of water.

After stopping the drug, the hair will grow back, usually thicker and curly after 4-6 months. Patients can talk to the treating doctor to avoid medications that cause hair loss if possible. Do not be afraid of side effects and skip treatment.

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