Prevention of Chemotherapy Drug-Mediated Human Hair Follicle Damage: Combined Use of Cooling with Antioxidant Suppresses Oxidative Stress and Prevents Matrix Keratinocyte Cytotoxicity

July 2025 in “ Frontiers in Pharmacology ”

Khalidah Ibraheem, Adrian L. Smith, Andrew Collett, Nikolaos T. Georgopoulos

chemotherapy-induced alopecia scalp cooling antioxidants oxidative stress hair follicle apoptosis matrix keratinocyte cytotoxicity CIA

Studysummary This study found that cooling combined with antioxidants can improve scalp cooling effectiveness in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia by maintaining hair follicle viability and function. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study explores the prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia by combining scalp cooling with antioxidants to protect hair follicles from damage. Chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin and 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis, leading to hair follicle dystrophy. Cooling at 18°C effectively restores cell viability and hair growth, while cooling at 26°C is less effective. However, combining 26°C cooling with antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine achieves similar protective effects, reducing apoptosis and restoring hair follicle function. This combinatorial approach enhances scalp cooling efficacy, offering a promising strategy to prevent hair loss and improve cancer patients' quality of life during treatment.

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