Dealing with Symptoms - Hair Loss

Fatigue | Eating Problems | Nausea | Hair Loss | Sore Mouth and Throat | Dry Mouth | Sleep Disturbances | Bowel Problems | Anxiety | Depression | Breathing Difficulties

While cancers like mesothelioma don’t cause hair loss, many of the drugs or treatments associated with cancer cause patients to suffer from thinning hair or to lose their hair altogether.  This can be distressing to the patient, who’s already feeling badly, so having to contend with “looking bad” too makes the disease all the more stressful.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the number one reason that cancer sufferers lose their hair, but not all chemotherapies cause hair loss.  Much will depend on the drug or the combination of drugs used to treat your mesothelioma, the dosage, and your individual reaction to the drugs.  What causes hair loss in one person may not cause another to lose hair. 

If you are destined to lose your hair during chemo, it will probably be evident by the 2nd week of treatment.  You may begin to find clumps of hair on your pillow or in your brush.  For some people, total hair loss may take a few weeks or may never happen.  For others, you might go from a full head of hair to total baldness in a few days.  While that’s quite shocking, remember that your hair will indeed grow back when chemo treatments are completed, usually within 3 to 6 months.  Some people also lose eyebrows, eyelashes, leg and underarm hair, and pubic hair.

Some believe that by cooling the scalp before, during, and after chemotherapy treatment, hair loss can be minimalized.  Ask your treatment facility if they have these cold caps available for your use.

Radiation therapy

Radiation only causes hair loss in the location where the radiotherapy is being concentrated.  So, if your mesothelioma is be treated by radiation, you may lose any chest hair that you might have.  Hair on other parts of your body is not affected. 

Medications

Some drugs prescribed for cancer, particularly hormone drugs, may cause your hair to become dry and brittle and eventually fall out.  Ask your doctor or nurse if you should expect hair loss to be a symptom of the drugs you’re taking.

Hair Loss Advice

There are a few things you can do to slow hair loss or to feel more comfortable if you do lose all your hair.

• Avoid any undo stress to your hair.  Don’t use blow dryers or hot curlers, don’t braid your hair, and avoid perming or dying your hair.  They can all cause drying and hair may fall out more quickly.
• Use gentle shampoos and conditioners.
• Brush hair gently to avoid fall-out.
• Massage the scalp to improve blood circulation to the hair follicles.
• If you lose all your hair, experiment with different head coverings until you find one that’s indicative of your special personality.  Baseball caps work for some, scarves or turbans for others.