Hair Loss

Depending on which drugs and what the doses are, will determine whether you have hair loss during treatment or not. The best thing to do is ask your doctor about it, if you are concerned.

In the medical industry they refer to hair loss as Alopecia. Other terms are Areata, which is the loss of hair in patches, or small bald circles. Totalis is when you go completely bald and this might include eyelashes and eyebrows. Universalis is where you lose all bodily hair. Although this doesn’t happen often in chemotherapy.

If you are interested in getting a wig and wish to try and retain some remote normality, then it is advised to get an appointment with a wig specialist as soon as possible. They can then create a custom wig exactly as you have your style now, including the same colour.

There are two types of wigs to choose from, synthetic or human hair. Synthetic is made from man-made fibres and generally lost about six to nine months. Wigs made out of human hair is made out of natural hair and the wig can last up to three or four years if looked after.

If you are going to lose your hair during treatment, then it might be wise to consider cutting it to a shorter style. Generally hair loss starts a few weeks into treatment and is a gradual process.

If you have shorter hair, then when you wake up in the mornings it will less distressful to see the amount of hair on your pillows. Take consideration what types of shampoo and hair products you use. It is advised that you use baby shampoo has it less harsher for your hair.

Also consider using a baby brush, as excess pulling and brushing will pull out more hair. Wearing a hair net when you are sleeping will also help with the stress. Chemotherapy generally causes the hair to become weak and brittle. This causes the hair to break close to your scalp.

Once you are finished with the treatment it should take over 6 months for your hair to grow back. It is likely to be softer then before, and there have been cases where the colour has changed. It might also be curlier then before.

If losing your hair is a stressful process, there are plenty of support groups available that will help you deal with the emotional side. A lot of patients consider the hair loss as sort of a new beginning, as a snake would lose its skin and start with a fresh one. A new look might help boost your self-confidence to take the world on.

Celeste writes for Tell Her, a website dedicated to Cervical Cancer for women in the UK.