TLDR Topical minoxidil may help regrow hair after permanent hair loss from chemotherapy.
In 2018, a case study was conducted on a 38-year-old woman who experienced permanent hair loss after undergoing chemotherapy with taxane (docetaxel) for breast cancer. Permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (PCIA) is rare and was primarily reported in patients who received high-dose busulfan chemotherapy for bone marrow transplants. However, recent cases of PCIA have been observed after taxane chemotherapy protocols for breast cancer. Despite the significant impact on patients' quality of life, no consistently effective treatment for taxane-associated PCIA had been described. After six months of continuous treatment with a 5% topical minoxidil solution applied twice daily, the woman in the study showed significant hair regrowth. This case study suggested that 5% topical minoxidil could be a potential treatment option for permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
68 citations,
May 2012 in “Annals of Oncology” Some breast cancer chemotherapy can cause permanent hair loss.
67 citations,
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61 citations,
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155 citations,
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397 citations,
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4 citations,
March 2023 in “Current Oncology” Scalp cooling is the only FDA-approved method to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy, but other treatments like minoxidil and PRP are being tested.
43 citations,
March 2019 in “JAMA Dermatology” Hair regrowth treatments had modest benefits for patients with long-term hair loss after chemotherapy.
September 2024 in “Current Oncology” Docetaxel often causes hair loss, with limited effective treatments and no cure for permanent hair loss.
December 2022 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Low-dose oral minoxidil combined with topical minoxidil improves hair growth in breast cancer patients with therapy-induced hair loss.
10 citations,
September 2021 in “JAMA Dermatology” Different types of persistent hair loss after chemotherapy respond differently to treatments.
