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Will my hair grow back after chemo? Are wigs and attachments the only solution? Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. Although health is the priority, many people after successful oncological therapy want to regain their hair and the old self-image from before the disease. What are the possibilities of hair reconstruction?
Why do we lose hair during chemotherapy?
Drugs are one of the causes of hair loss, in addition to diseases, genes, hormones and bad habits. Yes – by treating disease, we can also lose hair, and the most common example of this is cancer treatments. Both chemotherapy and radiation can strip us of our hair, which is common. There is no selection option in chemotherapy. It destroys cells in the body, both cancer cells, i.e. pathological cells, and healthy cells. Therefore, it often saves our lives, but also deprives us of hair. Cytostatic drugs used during such therapy and causing hair loss include, among others methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide.
– Hair follicles are narrow channels in the skin that are filled with tiny blood vessels from which hair grows. These structures are one of the fastest growing cells in the body – in a healthy person they separate about every 23-72 hours. But because chemotherapy drugs work against all cells, including cancer cells, they also destroy cells responsible for hair growth. As 80-90 percent. of all hair is in the anagen phase, i.e. the phase of active growth, the patient may lose some or all of the hair within a few weeks from the start of therapy – explains Dr. Grzegorz Turowski, surgeon at Dr. Turowski Hair Restoration Clinic in Katowice.
How fast do we lose hair?
Not every patient will lose their hair. In some cases, the hair falls out gradually or suddenly, the patient may find tufts of hair on the hairbrush, loose them on the pillow, in the shower. For many patients, it is an additional shock, especially for women for whom hair is an attribute of femininity and for whom hair loss is a strong emotional experience.
Moreover, some anti-cancer drugs cause “only” hair to fall out of the scalp. Others also include loss of eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic hair, hair on the legs, forearms, and armpits. The degree of hair loss and regrowth depends on the individual patient, the type of drug / drugs and how long it has been used. Hair can also fall out due to radiation therapy. – The effect of irradiation is on a specific part of the body, the one for which it is used. Sometimes, after irradiating the area of the breast with breast cancer, we will not lose hair on the head or eyelashes, but when irradiating a brain tumor with metastases – we usually lose all hair on the head – explains the specialist.
Will my hair grow back after chemo?
After the disease has been cured and chemotherapy has been completed (and sometimes during chemotherapy), hair usually grows back after a few months, but not always. It happens that the bulbs, i.e. the roots, are permanently damaged, as a result of which the hair does not grow back at all or it grows back thinned with visible defects. Sometimes the hair grows back different than before the treatment, e.g. its structure, color, density change or it grows back only partially. For many people, this situation causes stress, a decrease in self-esteem and self-confidence, hence the need to rebuild hair.
How can I rebuild my hair?
During chemotherapy, patients, mainly women, use wigs – synthetic or natural hair, as well as the so-called wigs. attachments, hairpieces – depending on the hair loss. You can do the same if the hair does not grow back after treatment, but it is a temporary solution. In this case, the alternative and the only permanent method to recover the hair is a surgical transplant. If we are not sure if we qualify for the procedure and we have doubts, let’s go to a clinic specializing in such procedures.
– Currently, such a method is completely safe, and most importantly, it provides the most spectacular effect. For this to happen, however, we must find professionals who have experience in this matter. The medical title of, for example, a surgeon is not enough if he or she does not perform such procedures on a daily basis. The second important factor is the method of transplantation, here we recommend FUE hair transplantation, which involves transplanting not a whole strip of hairy skin, but individual or groups of hair follicles. The procedure can be performed manually or with the use of the innovative Artas System robot – explains Dr. Turowski.
Hair transplantation procedure using a robot is the latest technology in the field of hair transplantation, minimally invasive and safe, and effective at the same time, which is why specialists recommend this solution, among others cancer patients. Importantly, the patient must have completed anti-cancer treatment and have some hair to be transplanted. If we have no hair at all, a transplant will not be possible. Thus, the method will work only in limited cavities, when the patient has hair suitable for transplantation at the back of the head.
What does this procedure look like?
The procedure is based on the cooperation of the doctor with the robot. The robot measures the patient’s head and on the basis of computer visualization, the doctor sets the treatment plan. In turn, the device independently combs the scalp in search of the best quality hair follicles, collects them and then prepares the areas for the surgeon for final implantations. The last step is when technicians manually implant the previously prepared hair follicles.
– This technology has many advantages, including precision, speed and low invasiveness, which translates into aesthetic effects. Thanks to the use of a robot, approx. 90 percent is used. hair, we avoid, among others the problem of unsightly scars on the back of the head that remain after traditional procedures, we do not use a scalpel or metal clips, which increases the comfort of the procedure and accelerates convalescence. After the procedure, there is a slight swelling, so you can return to physical activity after 5 days – explains the surgeon.
How quickly does hair grow back after transplantation?
After the transplant, hair grows back gradually, we will notice the first after 4-6 months, the full effect will be visible after 9-12 months.
– In my practice, I often meet cases of cancer patients, especially women. They suffer from hair loss that does not look aesthetically pleasing, and in addition, it still reminds them of the disease. They care about hair reconstruction, although sometimes they are afraid of the next treatment, the vision of alleged pain and the fact that the effect will be unnatural. We always try to debunk these myths, the procedure is completely painless, because local anesthesia is used, it can also be divided into several stages. You should not be afraid of the impression of “artificiality”, the hair looks and behaves completely natural – it is subject to cosmetic treatments, hairdressing, styling and modeling. Hair transplantation ensures permanent results, thanks to which it gives self-confidence and allows you to enjoy life again – summarizes the specialist.