Cancer treatment and hair loss

Understand the link between cancer treatment and hair loss. Learn what to expect and how different therapies affect hair.

Learn more about:

• Overview
• Cancer treatments affecting hair
• Chemotherapy and hair loss
• Using scalp cooling during chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy and hair loss

Overview

Some cancer treatments can cause hair loss or hair thinning, which is called alopecia. Cancer treatments can also slow hair growth. Any treatment that acts on rapidly dividing cancer cells can also affect other rapidly dividing cells such as hair follicles (roots).

Whether you lose your hair or not can depend on the type of drug or drug combination you’re having; the dose; your reaction to the drug or drugs used; or your drug treatment in the past.

Hair loss can happen anywhere on the body, including the:

• scalp
• eyebrows
• eyelashes
• chest
• underarms
• face (beard and moustache)
• pubic area.

Before treatment starts, talk to your doctor about whether you are likely to lose your hair, and if so, the level of hair loss to expect.

Cancer treatments affecting hair

Chemotherapy and hair loss

Chemotherapy (also called chemo) is the use of drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. Depending on what type of chemotherapy you receive, you may experience complete hair loss, hair thinning or your hair may stay the same.

Chemotherapy drugs are usually given in cycles, and the amount of hair loss depends on the type of drug, the dose and the timing of treatment.

If hair loss occurs, it usually starts during cycle 2 or 3, although it can start after the first cycle. Eyelashes and eyebrows may take longer to fall out. Hair loss can happen suddenly or gradually. Before and while your hair is falling out, your scalp may feel hot, itchy or tender. You may find that the skin on your head is extra sensitive, and you could develop pimples on your scalp. Some people use scalp cooling to reduce hair loss from the head.

I thought I would keep my eyelashes and eyebrows. They fell out weeks after my hair – it was a shock all over again.

Nina

Radiation therapy and hair loss

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses controlled radiation doses to kill cancer cells or damage them so they do not grow, multiply or spread. If you have hair in the area being treated, you may lose some or all of it during or just after radiation therapy.

Hair will only fall out in the area of the body being treated. For example, if you are having radiation therapy to your head, you may lose some hair from your scalp; if your chest is being treated, you may lose hair from that part of your body. Hair regrowth or thickening may start within a few weeks or months after finishing treatment, but sometimes hair loss is permanent.

→ READ MORE: Managing hair loss

Podcast: Coping with a cancer diagnosis