Chemo Therapy & Hair Loss

Chemotherapy consists of the administration of drugs that destroy rapidly reproducing cancer cells. Cancer cells are some of the most rapidly reproducing cells in the body but other normal cells (such as hair follicles) which contribute to the formulation of hair shaft and nails are also rapidly reproducing. Unfortunately chemotherapy preferentially destroy cancer cells but also affects normal cells and hair follicles too. This causes hair loss also known as anlagen effluvium type of alopecia. Not all chemo therapy drugs cause hair loss, some times hairloss is so slight and hardly noticeable. in other cases there may be temporary, partial or complete baldness. The amount of the hairloss depends on the drug, dosage and prakruti (basic nature) of the individual patient.