Is Hair Loss A Sign of Cancer?

Many people associate cancer with hair loss. But does cancer make your hair fall out, or does something else explain the connection between hair loss and cancer?

Between the scarves and the Locks of Love campaigns, we all know that cancer patients often experience alopecia — that’s the scientific word for hair loss.

But it’s not cancer itself that tends to cause full-blown baldness. Instead, hair loss is a common side effect of certain cancer treatment drugs. That’s why many patients shave their hair off — to avoid the inconvenience of patchy hair and constant hair fall during treatment.

We’ve put together a comprehensive answer to the question of cancer hair loss. But first, let’s start with what you probably already know.

Most of the time, the cause of hair loss for cancer patients isn’t the cancer itself. Instead, it’s the treatment.

Chemotherapy-Related Hair Loss

Chemotherapy drugs (or cytostatics) kill fast-growing cells, including cancer cells.  Unfortunately, these drugs also accidentally kill healthy, fast-growing cells — including hair cells.

Chemo-related hair loss is called anagen effluvium because it primarily targets hair follicles in the anagen phase (growth phase) of the hair growth cycle.

Since most hair follicles are in the anagen phase at any given time, chemotherapy usually causes significant, sudden hair shedding. It can even lead to complete hair loss, including body hair.

According to a 2015 review, approximately 65 percent of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience hair loss during treatment. That’s a huge percentage of the population who experience the same, severe side effect.

It’s not entirely clear why some cancer patients lose their hair while others don’t. However, certain chemotherapy drugs seem more likely to cause hair loss than others. High doses of chemotherapy drugs are also more likely to cause complete hair loss.

If you’re not sure what to expect in terms of hair loss during your treatment, talk to your oncology team.

Hair Loss During Radiation Therapy

We know chemo can cause hair loss. But what about radiation therapy?

Compared to chemo, radiation is a more targeted therapy. It’s only used on the part of your body with cancer cells.

According to the American Cancer Society, radiation that targets the scalp or face can cause hair thinning or loss. If you have radiation therapy on another part of your body, it shouldn’t cause scalp hair loss.

As with chemotherapy, radiation-related hair loss is usually temporary. It eventually grows back after the treatment ends.

Hair Loss During Other Cancer Treatments

According to Cancer Research UK, other cancer treatments, like hormone therapy and immunotherapy, can also cause hair thinning and hair loss.

Likewise, cancer surgery can cause hair loss. Surgery, in general, can lead to hair loss because it causes a huge shock to the system.

Hair loss can be a symptom of several diseases — including certain thyroid issues, severe vitamin deficiencies, syphilis, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

But does cancer make your hair fall out? And if so, what type of cancer makes your hair fall out?

Cancer itself rarely causes hair loss, but it can happen.

Generally, skin-related cancers can affect hair follicles and cause hair loss. For example, rare cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in which the disease spreads to the skin might cause hair loss.

Hair loss from these conditions usually corrects itself after the disease is treated, though scarring can sometimes be permanent.

But if your hair is falling out, don’t panic: it’s not inherently a sign of cancer. There are many causes of hair loss, from stress and hormones to medication and autoimmune diseases. You can read about the different types of hair loss here.

If you’re experiencing hair loss, your best bet is to speak with a healthcare professional who can determine the cause and how best to treat it.

The good news is that, generally speaking, chemo-related hair loss can resolve itself.

For this type of hair loss, the hair follicles gradually return to normal and start growing again once the stressor (in this case, the chemo) is gone.

You might have a little light hair growth three to four weeks after your last dose of chemo. About a year after your treatment ends, you should have about four to six inches of new hair growth.

Still, it’s important to prepare yourself for the possibility that your hair might not grow back fully. In one study that surveyed 1,511 breast cancer patients, about four percent of the participants recovered less than 30 percent of their original hair density two years after stopping chemo.

Of course, as long as you have cancer, your priority should be treating it. We get that chemo is tough on your body, but if your doctor says it’s necessary, you should listen to them.

But there are other things you can do during and after treatment to help the problems it can cause.

It may feel exhausting, but the most important thing you can do during the treatment is take care of yourself.

Reduce additional stressors — physical and psychological — from your life. Take it easy, and do things that are good for your body.

Eat well — seriously. Evidence suggests that poor nutritional health may worsen alopecia during chemotherapy. If you struggle to eat because of nausea and appetite loss, your healthcare team may be able to recommend appropriate medications and supplements to help you.

After the chemo has concluded, your hair will begin to return to normal on its own, but there are ways to help it along.

Minoxidil

One treatment option is minoxidil, an over-the-counter topical treatment. It encourages hair to enter the anagen phase and promotes blood flow to the scalp, thus boosting healthy hair growth. We offer minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution through our online store.

According to one study, minoxidil has been shown to increase thickness and hair count by about 18 percent over 48 weeks.

If you’ve had cancer, it’s essential to speak with your healthcare team before using any kind of medication — even over-the-counter treatments like minoxidil.

Scalp Cooling Caps

If hair loss is a concern for you, speak to your oncology team about a scalp cooling cap. Also called cold caps or scalp hypothermia, these caps are worn during chemotherapy treatment to reduce your chances of hair loss.

They make your scalp extra-cold, which narrows blood vessels in the area. As a result, the chemotherapy drugs struggle to reach your hair follicles.

Cold caps can also drastically speed up the rate of hair regrowth after chemo.

Hair Care Habits

You can promote hair regrowth after chemo by practicing healthy hair care habits. For example:

• Style your hair gently. Avoid brushing it too roughly, and don’t wear overly tight hairstyles, which can cause further hair breakage.

• Avoid heat styling. Use hair straighteners sparingly, if at all, and use hair dryers on a low heat setting.

• Use gentle shampoos and conditioners. Avoid harsh chemicals and consider using a hair loss shampoo.

• Get your necessary nutrients in. Take hair growth supplements to help you meet your nutritional needs.

• Protect your scalp. Avoid sunburn by using sunscreen and protective head coverings — think hats or scarves.

Lifestyle changes may also aid in the regrowth effort. In addition to reducing stress and eating a nutritional diet, things like using the right shampoo with ingredients that promote hair health can benefit you.

We know that losing your hair is a hard thing to cope with, particularly during an even tougher experience like fighting cancer. Understanding cancer-related hair loss can help you navigate your options and manage your expectations during treatment.

• Usually, cancer itself doesn’t cause hair loss — chemotherapy does. Hair loss is an unfortunate side effect of this potentially life-saving drug.

• Cancer-related hair loss is usually not permanent. Your hair will slowly start to grow back a few months after your last treatment. But there’s a chance you won’t recover all of your lost hair.

• There are ways to support your hair regrowth process. Minoxidil, scalp cooling caps, and healthy hair care habits might speed up your recovery rate.

We want to leave you with this: hair is not who you are. We know losing your hair can sap your confidence and undermine your recovery efforts, but don’t let it.

Own it. Own the look, own the chance to try new wigs, hairpieces, and hats — don’t let it own you.

We know that if you’re currently in cancer treatment, you already have one or more healthcare professionals walking you through everything. Your cancer care team is a good port-of-call to also discuss anything hair-related.

That said, if you’re feeling anxious or depressed because of any issues related (or unrelated) to cancer treatment, talk to someone — whether it’s a family member, a support group, or a counselor. Check out our mental health guide for links to more stories and options for treatment.