Why does hair fall during cancer treatment? How long does it take for new hair to grow?

Side Effects of Chemotherapy: Cancer is a serious disease which proves fatal if not treated on time. Chemotherapy is a popular and effective treatment for cancer. However, when cancer chemotherapy starts, most people lose hair on their scalp and eyebrows. Chemotherapy is responsible for hair loss during cancer treatment. Let us tell you today why chemotherapy causes people to lose hair. ?

When chemotherapy is used to treat cancer, chemo targets the fast-growing cells. This also damages the hair roots and causes hair loss. Apart from chemotherapy, radiation therapy also causes hair loss. Especially when radiation is received in head or neck cancer, it causes hair loss. However, hair loss also depends on the part of the body where radiation is injected.

Why doesn't everyone lose hair during chemotherapy?

However, not all cancer patients experience hair loss due to chemotherapy. There are some people whose hair does not fall completely even during cancer treatment. Different types of drugs are used in chemotherapy which affect hair in different ways. That is, different effects are seen in different cancers. However, most of the time chemotherapy given in the treatment of breast cancer causes hair loss.

Chemotherapy for cancer uses a specific combination of cancer drugs. However, not every patient experiences rapid hair loss. Everyone's experience is different. In some cases, people lose their hair completely, while some people experience thinning hair. Some people's heads become bald.

How long does it take for all the hair to fall out?

Usually, the effect of treatment on hair starts showing three weeks after the start of cancer treatment. Hair loss starts gradually within three weeks of starting chemotherapy. First the hair on the head falls and then the hair on other parts of the body also falls. However, this hair also starts growing back slowly. That is, chemotherapy does not cause permanent hair loss.

How long does it take for hair to regrow?

Hair regrowth occurs within three to five months after chemotherapy. However, if hair regrowth occurs after chemotherapy, hair coloring should be avoided in the initial stages. Also do not use heating devices. It is possible that the hair that grows back after chemotherapy will look different than before.