In the general psyche hair of a person, especially females have a close relationship with personality, looks, self confidence and so forth. Loss of hair due to any reason could be a cause for concern and a psychological barrier too, a big one for that and is normally quite damaging for the body image. It is all the more challenging for a cancer patient who is fighting many other problems. Some ingenuity in dressing and certain products can help you deal with this issue in a better manner.
Hair loss is inevitable in certain lines of treatment for cancer but not necessarily all. The fact that you may loose hair should not act as a deterrent for you to take treatment. Rather think of it as a time to experiment with. It is best to prepare your self for the treatment and beautifully depicted by a survivor having a personal experience.
And remember as soon as your treatment will get over your hair will start to grow back. It is just a temporary phase!!
Let us discuss some of the issues and how best to handle them:
1. Talk to your oncologist physician.
To prepare yourself discuss with your oncologist physician to understand when and how you will lose your hair. Discussing the same will help yo deal with better rather than being taken for a surprise every morning or during head bath.
2. Be nice to your hairs.
It is that time of the year when you need to be extra nice with your hair. Some of the tips that can help are :
– You can use cold caps to reduce the impact of cancer treatments on your hair and scalp.
– Try not to comb your hair very often during the phase when you are getting cancer treatment.
– The use of a mild shampoo and conditioner will help you to reduce the hair fall.
– Stay away from hair curlers and thermal straighteners.
– Avoid bleaching and coloring of hair.
-Opt for a short hair cut in order to minimize hair loss.
– You must ensure that you use sunscreen on your scalp too as you step out.
– If you feel irritation in your scalp you must not scratch the scalp. You must be extra careful and ensure that you discuss with your doctor about the problem. The scalp becomes too sensitive during this phase and you must take care of the same with great care.
3. Experiment
As discussed above it is time to experiment. Some of the accessories that can help camouflage hair loss are:
– You can try a scarf or a fancy hat to cover your head. 
– Some people also try wigs to ensure that their hair loss is not noticed.
– You may also lose the hair of your eye brows. Try an eyebrow pencil to take care of this issue.
4. Use of Products
We will now discuss some products that you can use to ensure that the hair loss is reduced.
- Propecia – this is a product that men can use to deal with hair loss in cancer. It must be used for three months to a year. This is recommended by the doctors too. The Propecia must be used as directed by the doctors. Some side effects may occur due to the use of this product. These side effects must be discussed with the doctors so that you can deal with them. However, most of the people have benefited from the use of the Propecia.
- Rogaine – this is another product that one can use to control hair loss in cancer. This is a product that can be used both by men and women. This has an ingredient that is called Minoxidil. This can increase the hair growth. It comes in the form of foam and is rubbed on to the scalp. It is more effective on men and women who are below forty years of age. It must be used daily till the hair growth is complete. The Rogaine is often suggested by the doctors and there are hardly any reports of side effects by the use of Rogaine. However, if you develop any uneasiness you must report the same to the doctors.
5. Eliminate Stress from your life
It might seem as impossible or a very difficult task, but try to reduce stress
and improve the diet you are having. These will also play a vital role in reducing the hair loss and boosting growth of new hair to a great extent. Try to have more protein and zinc in your diet.
6. Pamper Yourself
Last but the least do not forget to pamper yourself with light massages. You can try different aromatic oils. Regular massage of the scalp with a light oil can also ensure that the hair grows better and faster while relaxing you and improving the quality of sleep.
Once again we repeat that hair loss may not be a part of all cancer treatments. If your oncologists tells you that you will be loosing your hair do not make it a criteria for receiving or not receiving treatment. It is simply a time to take care of yourself.
This is just a phase and this too shall pass!!
