Hair stopped growing

DearTfortoni  

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community,  My name is Gillian and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

It is good to hear you have finished your chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I hope you are continuing to recover well, having a break away must have been a nice way to relax.

It is understandable to feel anxious about your hair growth after treatment. Our hair is an important part of who we are and what  makes us feel good about ourselves.

Everyone’s hair grows at a different rate and for some people it is possible to feel regrowth within a week of stopping treatment. For others, however, this may take several months. Unfortunately, there is no set rule as to when your hair will start growing normally and it might feel quite slow. There are rare times unfortunately, when someone’s hair might not grow back exactly as it was before starting treatment. Many people report that their hair often feels thinner.

The best advice is to treat your hair very gently as this helps to prevent any further damage. Using PH neutral perfume free shampoo with no parabens and sulphates for hair washing. Not using hair dyes/treatments and avoid using heat such as a hairdryer on your hair for at least 6 months will help.

Most hair specialists advise a period of at least 3-6 months to assess for recovery due to variations in the growth cycle of hair which is different for each person. It might also be helpful to look at the Cancer Hair Care website.

Often there is never a clear answer as to why lack of hair growth happens or is slow. We just know that it might be sensitive to change, stress, some medications and chemicals.

We would suggest talking to your hospital team if you have any direct concerns about your hair growth. If needed they may wish to monitor this more closely and may check some routine bloods to see if there may be another underlying issue that could be contributing to any slow or lack of hair growth. They may be able to refer you to a further specialist if this is needed. It will also be good to let them know if you are worried and have concerns so that they are able support you further.

I hope this information is helpful. You can always call one of our nurses directly if you want to talk over your concerns or require any further support.

Best wishes 

Gillian,

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us. 

 Ref SH/GG