Hair and hair loss - Side effect to cancer treatment

The treatment can affect the cells in the hair roots. It can make your hair grow more slowly or make you lose your hair, partially or completely on your head and sometimes other parts of your body.

Hair loss will usually happen after the first treatment, but it can take up to 6-8 weeks before it happens.

You may experience a thinning of your eyebrows and eyelashes. Usually this happens later in the course of the treatment, as eyebrows and eyelashes grow slower than the hair on your head.

Very few will experience an increase in facial hair growth, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Eyelashes can grow quite long and crooked, which can pose a risk to the cornea by scratching. These changes will disappear when you complete your treatment.

Even though you are prepared for the hair loss, it can be quite overwhelming to suddenly lose your hair and sometimes over a very short period of time.

You may experience itching, slight pain or increased sensitivity on your scalp.

4-6 weeks after completing treatment, your hair will start to grow again; it may even grow a little in between treatments. Your new hair may look different than it did before: the colour and structure may have changed, but after a while your usual hair colour and structure will typically return.

You are entitled to a subsidy, if you want to buy a wig or a hat/head scarf.