Hair loss

Some cancer treatments can cause hair loss. It is important to note that not all chemotherapy treatments will cause hair loss. Some patients will experience only mild or thinning hair.

If hair loss occurs it will usually start two to three weeks after commencing treatment, it will be gradual and you will probably notice more hair on your brush, in the basin or shower after washing your hair or on your bed linen.  Body hair may also be lost, such as under your arms, eyebrows and eyelashes. There are brow and mascara gels that you can use that aim to strengthen your eyebrow hair and eyelashes and may help delay hair loss.

Your nasal hair can also fall out and you may notice that you experience a nasal drip from time to time. This is because your nasal hair normally helps filter dust and it will not be there to do that job. Likewise you may experience that your eyes are more prone to water if your eyelashes fall out.

Your doctor, clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or the chemotherapy nurses on the day unit will be able to talk to you about this if you are likely to be affected.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them.

 

If you would like to wear a wig, you may find it helpful to visit a wig specialist to help you match your hair colour and style. Some people prefer to cut their hair short before starting treatment. This means that their hair loss will seem less dramatic.

Use this link to find out if you are eligible for help with the cost of a wig.

The Fountain Centre has a wig bank and its hairdresser can also provide advice and information on haircare. Read more about this service here.

During treatment, we recommend not colouring your hair because some of the chemicals can damage your hair. However, if you wish to continue to colour your hair, there are natural hair dye alternatives that are gentler on the scalp.  Please speak to your nurse or CNS prior to having this done. Additionally use a soft shampoo and conditioner. Gently comb your hair to preserve what hair is there and avoid unnecessary hair loss.

Do not be tempted to pull hair out if you notice it starting to fall, as this can irritate your scalp and cause inflammation.

 

A cold cap is a hat that is worn during some chemotherapy treatments. Its cooling effect reduces blood flow to the scalp, which also reduces the amount of chemotherapy medication that reaches this area. This helps to prevent hair loss. Talk to our team about whether you would benefit from wearing a cold cap. You can find out more about cold caps on the Macmillan website.

Our cold cap machines are provided by Paxman and their website contains lots of useful information.     

 

You can find a large selection of patient information leaflets and resources on Chilworth Day Unit about scalp cooling and managing hair loss. This can be found in the coffee area at the far end of the day unit.

You can also find out more about coping with changes to your hair during cancer treatment in a booklet produced by Macmillan. Use the link below to download the leaflet:

Coping with hair loss