As we all know, general hair loss can be either hereditary or a result of aging, but it can also be a result of ongoing health problems. Hair loss in radiation treatment is a prime of example of health-related hair loss. Treatments for cancer generally result in hair loss because of their composition of chemicals and toxins deigned to kill the disease. Unfortunately, it also generally tends to kill off your hair for a while. Hair loss in radiation treatment isn’t as common as hair loss is chemotherapy because some forms of radiation treatment do not cause hair loss but all patients should prepare for the worse.

If you are dreading hair loss in radiation treatment, put it in perspective. Would you rather miss out on the treatment, keep your hair and die or lose your hair temporarily and fight cancer with everything you have? That may be blunt and rather upsetting to think about but it just demonstrates that loss of hair is no big deal when compared with losing your life to cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment require every ounce of strength you have so don’t waste it on worrying about your hair.

Hair loss in radiation treatment can happen to various degrees and is largely dependent on the strength of the dose of treatment you are given for cancer. Some people do not lose their hair, others’ hair may become baby-fine and some will lose it completely. Your doctor will usually be able to advise you of the likely form hair loss in your radiation treatment will take when it has been finalized. However, some drugs and therapies will cause hair loss in some but not in others, thus no advice regarding side effects should be taken as gospel.

Hair loss in radiation treatment occurs because the hair follicles are extremely sensitive and may experience damage when the body is put under great stress or suffer from a severe chemical imbalance, such as the introduction of chemotherapy. It may fall out in clumps and be exacerbated by rushing or washing your hair. It may just cause thinning owing to increased shedding. It may cause all of your hair to fall out. The extent of the damage to follicles is dependent on how you react to treatment.

It is extremely unlikely that hair loss in radiation treatment will cause permanent hair loss, although it is possible if the dose is strong enough. You will most likely feel a difference in your hair a few days after your first chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Within two weeks, you should be able to notice the difference, although the effects don’t reach their optimum level until a month or so after beginning treatment. However, hair should begin to grow back towards or just after the end of your treatment as the follicles assimilate to the cancer treatment and its nature.

Hair loss in radiation treatment can sap your confidence, but if it is only temporary it is one of the few things that you can ill afford to worry about. Although your scalp will be tender, it is not a permanent form of hair loss or condition. Take each step as it comes.