Hair Growth After Chemo – What Steps Should You Take?

Chemotherapy is the treatment sought by cancer or leukemia patients. The body part that is most affected by chemotherapy is the hair. If you noticed, many cancer patients who undergo chemo lose hair or even go bald. But you should not be depressed with this fact, since hair growth after chemo is possible. All you have to do is wait for the chemotherapy to fully eliminate cancer cells in your body and you can start re-growing your hair in no time.

In chemotherapy, powerful agents are used to kill cancer agents within the victim’s body. Unluckily for the patients, the medications used in chemo cannot distinguish the cancer cells from those of typical nature. They are not able to see which cells make your hair grow and which keep it healthy. Therefore, the chemo process ends up killing your hair cells, which then leads to hair loss.

Growing Your Hair

A way of hair growth after chemo is the use of minoxidil. This method of hair growth has been approved by the FDA. All you have to do is apply this to several affected portions of your scalp. Both men and women use this medication. After a certain period of time, the patients can once again grow hair on the regions where medication is applied.

One other method of growing hair after chemotherapy, and virtually the simplest way, is by using a wig. All you have to do is put it on top of your head and act natural. Nowadays, wigs look like actual hair, just as long as you have the right fit.

Prevention

Even though hair growth after chemo is highly possible, you may do something before the therapy so you can prevent excessive hair loss. An example of this is scalp hypothermia, otherwise known as cryotherapy. In this method, ice packs and other devices are placed on the scalp. These devices reduce the possibility of hair loss. Just like what people say, prevention is indeed better than cure.

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