Chemotherapy Induced Hair Loss
What can I expect to see?
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and certain medications may cause you to lose all or some of your hair. According to the American Cancer Society, hair fall begins 1-3 weeks after your first round of treatment and significantly worsens after 1-2 months. Your hair could fall out quickly in clumps or gradually over time. You will most likely notice accumulations of loose hair on your pillow, in your hairbrush or in the shower.
Fortunately, your hair will most likely grow back. Hair usually returns 6-8 weeks after you’ve completed treatment. It’s very common for your hair to return a different color or texture than it was before treatment. You may find your hair to be curlier in texture or even gray in color. These physical changes are happening because the cells that control pigment have not regenerated yet. It can take upwards of a year to see your original hair grow back.
If you’re interested in using your own hair to make a custom wig, we suggest cutting your hair prior to treatment. We also urge our clients undergoing cancer treatment to cut their hair all the way to the scalp in order to save as much of the length and weight as possible. Cutting your hair from the scalp also avoids the trauma of witnessing significant hair shed later on in treatment. We cannot use hair that has already fallen off the head so it’s important to save your hair as early as possible. For more information about making a wig from your own hair or from donated hair, please visit our Custom Wig Page.
How Can Compassionate Creations help?
A great way to battle the appearance related side effects of cancer treatment is to wear a wig while you wait for your original hair to return. Compassionate Creations specializes in making lightweight, natural looking wigs that are comfortable to wear during treatment. We specifically designed our wig caps with our cancer clientele in mind.
Our wigs caps are built with a cotton stretch back that expands to allow room for new hair growth, a monofilament crown that facilitates air flow and a shallow lace front that mimics the look of a hairline. We can design a wig for you no matter what stage of the healing process you’re currently in. Contact us to learn more!