Contents:
- Medical Video: Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy
- Can hair grow back after chemotherapy?
- Estimated time for hair growth after chemotherapy
- Will the hair that grows after chemotherapy be different from before?
Medical Video: Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy
Many patients who may have been told about the side effects of chemotherapy, one of which is hair loss. However, most of them were shocked by the side effects of these drugs until they made their hair run out and bald. So, will the hair grow again after chemotherapy? When will the hair begin to grow?
Can hair grow back after chemotherapy?
Many who are afraid and anxious about their hair falling will be back to normal if the chemotherapy they are carrying out is finished. This happens a lot in women who undergo chemotherapy, because he is afraid his hair will not grow and good again as before.
Chemotherapy drugs damage cells that are growing in the body, including normal cells that are developing at that time. Therefore, hair cells are also damaged, until they fall out. How much hair falls does depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy drugs given. The higher the dose of the drug a patient receives, the more hair will fall and even make them bald.
However, don't worry, although after chemotherapy you will have a bald head, of course this will not last long. Your hair will grow back quickly, especially if you have finished treatment so that hair growth will not be disturbed.
Estimated time for hair growth after chemotherapy
Indeed the speed of hair growth depends on each condition, but usually the hair will begin to grow after one month after chemotherapy. The following are estimates of the time of hair growth after cancer treatment:
- 2-3 weeks after treatment: the roots of the hair begin to grow, as seen black spots on the head
- 1-2 months after treatment: hair has begun to grow and is thick enough
- 2-3 months after treatment: hair gets longer, at least 2-3 cm of hair grows
- 6 months after treatment: hair is long and grows normally
To restore your hair style like before treatment, you need even longer.
Will the hair that grows after chemotherapy be different from before?
In many cases, hair that grows after chemotherapy will usually be slightly different from the previous one. Hair that grows tends to be wavy and curly. Even in some cases, hair that grows has a different color.
Usually, this hair change will last temporarily and your hair will return to normal as before chemotherapy after a while. However, in some cases this change is permanent and you also have a new shape and hairstyle.
For this, doctors do not know exactly what caused this. They have a theory, maybe chemotherapy drugs can damage or change the genes that control your hair growth.
