Preventing Hair Fall Due To Chemotherapy
November 5, 2008
Chemotherapy is a dreadful condition and causes hair fall in clumps, the hair fall is so severe that it can cause baldness or alopecia. There is no prevention of hair fall due to chemotherapy, however, some tried and tested treatments have helped in reducing hair fall during chemotherapy.
Though there is hope after the chemotherapy treatment is over, hair usually grows back but the quality of the hair may differ, also it would take approximately three to six months for the hair to grow back after a chemotherapy session.
The new hair may be fine and thin like that of baby. One of the techniques which can reduce hair loss to certain extent is Cold Cap treatment. The cold cap cools the scalp and reduces blood circulation in the hair follicles, this prevents the chemotherapy drug from getting into your scalp.
This cap can be worn 15 minutes before starting the chemotherapy session since it will restrict the blood flow and should be worn for 1 to 2 hours after the chemotherapy. It may be difficult to tolerate the cold caps since it may feel very cold, though effective it doesn’t work with all chemotherapy drugs.
It is advisable to consult the doctor. Most drugs used in chemotherapy will cause hair cells to stop dividing, hair shafts become thin and will break off. This can occur one to three weeks after beginning chemotherapy.
Taking care of the diet is also important include a lot of protein, iron and calcium in your diet. Do not bank on supplements, go natural consume foods like eggs, spinach, red meat, prunes, soy milk etc. Also use a mild baby shampoo stay away from harsh shampoos and hair products. If it is difficult to prevent hair fall due to chemotherapy then consider wearing a wig.
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