One of the things that people struggle with the most during cancer treatments is the physical effect of chemotherapy. Not only does it make you ill, it frequently leads to hair loss. If you're getting ready to start chemotherapy treatments, there are a few things that you can do to minimize the hair loss that you suffer. Here are a some things you can try.
Be Gentle To Your Hair
The things you do to your hair every day can either help or hinder its resilience against the chemotherapy medication. The more you stress your hair, the harder it will be for it to resist the damage. Use shampoos that are more natural, and avoid any products that have alcohol, strong perfumes or other chemicals in them. In addition, skip the color and straightening treatments. If you tend to blow dry, curl, or otherwise heat-treat your hair, consider switching your style and letting your hair dry naturally. This minimizes the stress on the hair follicles.
Go Shorter For Simplicity
If you're starting to see any thinning, consider cutting your hair short. Shorter styles tend to look fuller because the hair doesn't lay flat. You'll also minimize the weight on the hair follicle, which eases strain and might help to minimize hair loss. In addition, when it's shorter, it's also easier to manage under a wig or wrap if you choose to cover it up.
Cool Your Scalp During Treatment
Cold caps are a new treatment that can be used during intravenous chemotherapy administration. The treatment involves wearing a tight cap over your head. The cap itself is filled with a cold gel that drops the temperature of your scalp. This temperature drop narrows the blood vessels in that area, which minimizes blood flow to your scalp. This reduces how much of the chemotherapy medication actually reaches your hair. With less medication reaching your hair, you'll have less risk of hair loss.
Stay Ahead Of Loss With Regrowth
Hair regrowth treatments won't actually prevent hair loss, but these treatments will help you to combat it by encouraging new growth. Your oncologist can help you to find the right medication that will work without interfering with your chemotherapy drugs. If started early in your treatments, medications like these may even help you to slow the hair loss process.
Talk with your doctor today about the ways that you can combat hair loss during your chemotherapy treatments. The better informed you are from the start, the easier it will be for you.
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