Scalp cooling is recommended to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss, but no effective drugs are available.
218 citations,
January 2013 in “The Lancet Oncology” Chemotherapy causes hair loss by damaging hair follicles and stem cells, with more research needed for prevention and treatment.
97 citations,
September 2006 in “Pharmaceutical Research” No treatment fully prevents hair loss from chemotherapy yet.
67 citations,
May 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Some chemotherapy can cause permanent hair loss.
64 citations,
July 2011 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Scalp cooling can prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss, and certain treatments can speed up hair regrowth, but more research is needed for better treatments.
62 citations,
February 2011 in “Expert review of dermatology” Scalp cooling can reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss and should be available in all hospitals.
53 citations,
January 2007 in “Dermatology” Chemotherapy often causes patterned hair loss, with some scalp areas more resistant to hair loss than others.
39 citations,
December 2001 in “JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute” Using a gene therapy with the Sonic Hedgehog gene helps mice regrow hair faster after losing it from chemotherapy.
33 citations,
September 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Chemotherapy can cause hair changes similar to alopecia areata, which might lead to misdiagnosis.
28 citations,
January 2007 in “Dermatology” Chemotherapy can cause rapid, extensive hair loss, with patterns varying between individuals.
23 citations,
July 2018 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Chemotherapy caused hair loss with specific patterns, but most patients had hair regrowth after treatment, while some had lasting hair loss.
19 citations,
October 2011 in “Clinics in Dermatology” New chemotherapy drugs cause skin side effects, but treatments like minocycline and tetracycline can help reduce them.
17 citations,
December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Bimatoprost is safe and effective for treating eyelash loss caused by chemotherapy.
8 citations,
April 2011 in “Surgery today” A substance called sodium zinc dihydrolipoylhistidinate can significantly reduce hair loss caused by chemotherapy in rats.
3 citations,
February 2005 in “Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer/Journal of quantitative spectroscopy & radiative transfer” Iron and zinc levels in hair are not linked to hair loss from chemotherapy.
3 citations,
May 1980 in “American Journal of Nursing” Scalp tourniquets did not significantly prevent hair loss from chemotherapy.
2 citations,
March 2013 in “Phytotherapy Research” Ascorbigen increases hair cell growth in a lab setting but does not prevent hair loss from chemotherapy in mice.
1 citations,
May 2006 in “Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents” No FDA-approved treatments for chemotherapy-induced hair loss existed in 2006; more research was needed.
January 2024 in “International Journal of Health Science” Scalp cooling and low-power light therapy show promise in reducing chemotherapy-induced hair loss but need more research.
49 citations,
October 1994 in “Annals of Oncology” Minoxidil not effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
27 citations,
March 2008 in “Cell stress & chaperones” Localized heat or specific injections can prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss without affecting cancer treatment.
22 citations,
May 2016 in “Breast cancer research and treatment” Some patients using cold caps to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy got mild scalp injuries similar to frostbite.
12 citations,
December 1987 in “Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology” Vitamin E in the diet might help protect against hair loss caused by the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin in rabbits.
3 citations,
January 2011 in “Wspolczesna Onkologia-Contemporary Oncology” Scalp hypothermia can prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss but is not suitable for all patients, and more research is needed to improve prevention methods.
159 citations,
September 2001 in “European Journal of Cancer Care” Chemotherapy-induced hair loss significantly affects patients' well-being, and nurses are key in helping them cope, but more research is needed to find effective treatments.
37 citations,
October 2017 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Scalp cooling effectively reduces hair loss from chemotherapy.
32 citations,
September 2013 in “Breast cancer research” A specific gene variant is linked to a higher risk of hair loss from chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.
26 citations,
January 1992 in “Cancer investigation” N-acetylcysteine and ImuVert can prevent hair loss in rats caused by chemotherapy.
17 citations,
May 2019 in “Journal of International Medical Research” Xiaoaiping reduces chemotherapy side effects and improves quality of life for breast cancer patients.
11 citations,
June 2012 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” L-cystine and vitamin B6 at high doses prevented hair loss in mice treated with a chemotherapy drug.