Hair loss and blood cancer – Blood Cancer UK
Coping with hair loss is often one of the biggest worries when starting treatment for blood cancer. Not all cancer drugs cause hair loss, but when they do, it’s almost always temporary and hair grows back once treatment is over.
Losing your hair can change how you feel about yourself, and is often the most visible sign of cancer treatment. Many people find this a very upsetting process, and it’s normal to seek extra emot…….
Coping with hair loss is often one of the biggest worries when starting treatment for blood cancer. Not all cancer drugs cause hair loss, but when they do, it’s almost always temporary and hair grows back once treatment is over.
Losing your hair can change how you feel about yourself, and is often the most visible sign of cancer treatment. Many people find this a very upsetting process, and it’s normal to seek extra emotional and practical support during this time.
This page is about hair loss. We have more information about other side effects.
On this page:
What causes hair loss?
Many treatments for blood cancer have the potential to cause hair loss, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies or radiotherapy. These treatments are designed to kill fast-growing cells such as cancer cells. However, there are other cells in the body that also grow quickly including the cells that produce hair. These get killed too, but they can recover, meaning that your hair will usually grow back after your treatment ends.
Often people think that if they have cancer treatment they will definitely lose their hair, but not all cancer drugs have hair loss as a side effect, so check with your treatment team if you’re not sure.
What should I know before starting treatment?
It can be reassuring to understand the impacts of hair loss before starting treatment. This will help you feel more prepared and in control when it starts.
- Many people do get hair loss as a side effect, but the level of hair loss can vary depending on the treatment you have and how you as a person react to it.
- Hair loss usually begins a few weeks after starting treatment and it can be gradual or come out in clumps.
- Hair loss can affect your eyelashes and eyebrows too.
- Hair loss can be an emotional experience, changing the relationship you have with your body image. It’s worth being aware that you might find it difficult or shocking at first, but this will likely pass.
- For some people, hair is an expression of identity, whether personal, cultural or even political. This can make losing hair even more upsetting.
- Other people may react to your changed appearance and ask questions about your treatment. Sometimes people can be surprised by your hair loss and find it hard to cover this up. This can be difficult, even when you know they don’t mean any harm.
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Source: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/blood-cancer-side-effects/hair-loss/
