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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 of the questions I am frequently asked is “How long will it take to grow back?”. There are other questions too, such as what the best options are for looking good while going through this part of your journey, and how best to assist the regrowth process once the chemotherapy is over. Hopefully this article, and the one to which I have linked, will answer these questions for you.

Helpful Resource

We have a very good resource at the CancerLiving.today website. I was just made aware recently of this website and it is full of helpful information. Their article Chemotherapy and Coping with Hair Loss has some wonderful tips in it. First of all, it explains why chemotherapy causes loss of hair, what to expect when you’re going through chemotherapy (with regard to hair loss), a discussion of cold caps as a possible method of  prevention of hair loss, coping psychologically while you’re going through this, and things you can do to look good while you’re going through chemotherapy. It’s a well-written article. CHECK IT OUT HERE.

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, 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 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:

1. Carrot seed
2. Cedarwood
3. Clary sage
4. Clove
5. Cypress
6. German chamomile
7. Helichrysum
8. Lavender
9. Rosemary
10. Thyme
11. Ylang ylang

The best carrier oils for hair regrowth are:

1. Apricot kernel
2. Argan
3. Avocado
4. Castor
5. Coconut
6. Hemp
7. Jojoba
8. Olive
9. Tamanu

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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