Non-pharmacological therapies in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia – a literature review

The review discusses chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), which affects about 65% of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Scalp cooling is currently the only FDA-approved method to prevent CIA, working by causing localized vasoconstriction to reduce drug penetration into hair follicles and is generally well-tolerated. Other methods like scalp injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma and microneedling are explored, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. The review concludes that more effective and reliable methods are needed to prevent CIA, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to oncology care to support patients during cancer treatment.