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Tips for Coping with Chemotherapy Hair Loss

For anyone going through chemotherapy and coping with the loss of their beautiful hair, I feel for you – this is a hard thing! Our hair is so much a reflection of our personal style. It’s an important part of our appearance, our crowning glory! So losing it through chemotherapy is often a very difficult part of the breast cancer journey.

One thing you can do is once you notice your hair coming out in clumps, just get your head shaved and wear a wig or a beautiful head scarf. I got myself a collection of beautiful scarves in an array of colors to match all my clothing and had fun with it.

One of the questions I am frequently asked is whether or not we can keep our hair from falling out if we are on the chemo drugs that cause that to happen. To answer that, please see the section below on using cold caps. They don’t work for everyone, so managing expectations is a good idea!

Another question I am asked is “How long will it take to grow back?” and that varies from person to person. For me it took about 4 months for my hair to come totally back but it was looking reasonable enough again that I stopped wearing my head scarf within the first month and as a bonus it came in curly!

There are other questions too, such as how best to assist the regrowth process once the chemotherapy is over and I have information below on that as well.

What to Expect

You may not necessarily even lose your hair – some chemo drugs only cause hair thinning or no loss at all. It depends on the type of chemo you are having, the dose and the timing of treatment. If hair loss occurs, it usually starts during cycle two or three, although it can start after the first cycle and can be sudden or gradual. Eyelashes and eyebrows may take longer to fall out.

What I hated was that my scalp felt weird – sensitive, almost painful. Some feel hot and itchy at the scalp. And then my hair started coming out in clumps – I first noticed it on my pillow. That’s when I had my hubby shave my head – that was totally liberating!

Can We Avoid Hair Loss from Chemotherapy? Using Cold Caps.

Cold caps have been made more widely available in some treatment centers. These can really make a difference by lowering the temperature of your scalp. This reduces blood flow in the scalp, which can lessen the amount of chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles on your scalp while undergoing chemotherapy.

Be aware that cold caps do not always stop hair loss, and can only be used by people having intravenous chemotherapy (through a drip). Also they work better with some chemotherapy drugs than others.

The cold cap is worn slightly before, during and for a while after the chemotherapy session. Some people find it uncomfortable or painful, so your doctor may suggest taking pain relievers beforehand.

I’d suggest bringing warm clothes if you intend using a cold cap – you can really feel cold while undergoing chemotherapy and using a cold cap!

Specific Foods to Stimulate Hair Regrowth

Once chemotherapy has finished, there are a number of things you can eat that will help your body with the nutrients it needs to recreate a healthy head of hair. B vitamins and biotin; fresh or frozen berries like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries; sweet potatoes; maqui berry powder; goji berries or juice; acai; broccoli and spinach; avocados; nuts and seeds; bell peppers (capsicum); beans and legumes (including soybeans); eggs and other protein sources like meat (if you’re a meat eater), or a high quality organic protein powder. These are all (with exception of the meat) potent breast cancer fighters as well.

Essential Oils Stimulate Hair Regrowth

Now then, because I’m essential oil aficionado, I’m also going to teach you which essential oils and carrier oils you can massage into your scalp to help with the regrowth process! Please always choose organically grown oils to cut down the hormone-disrupting chemicals with which you come into contact.

Particular essential oils are exceedingly helpful for hair loss (all kinds – not just from chemotherapy) because they (a) help to oxygenate the scalp, (b) increase circulation of the scalp, and (c) stimulate cell metabolism and the growth of hair. Essential oils won’t increase the number of hair follicles you were born with, but they can certainly improve the regrowth process once chemotherapy has finished.

I do not recommend the use of hair loss formulas (I won’t name names, but you know what I’m talking about) because all of the ones with which I am acquainted have toxic ingredients you do not want anywhere near your scalp.

Eating well and using essential oils are a much better option, Mother Nature intended them for our use. They are filled with healing phytochemicals (natural, plant-based chemicals) that are wonderfully beneficial for our health in a myriad of ways. Combined with specific carrier oils (listed below), essential oils are amazing for helping the hair regrowth process.

The best essential oils for hair regrowth are:

Carrot seed
Cedarwood
Clary sage
Clove
Cypress
German chamomile
Helichrysum
Lavender
Rosemary
Thyme
Ylang ylang

The best carrier oils for hair regrowth are:

Apricot kernel
Argan
Avocado
Castor
Coconut
Hemp
Jojoba
Olive

Use a dark glass bottle with glass dripper, like this:

Essential Oil Hair Regrowth Recipe

2 tbsp your choice of carrier oils
4-6 drops your choice of essential oils
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil

Combine carrier oils, essential oils and vitamin E in a small glass bottle with a glass dripper (as shown above) and apply several drops to scalp, massaging into the scalp for 3 or 4 minutes once or twice daily. Better yet, get your partner or friend to do this – ever so much nicer!

Chemotherapy-induced hair loss can be traumatic, but just know it won’t last forever and you can assist your body, your mind, and your spirit to overcome it. Essential oils and specific foods are a wonderful way to help your body through this process.

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