Cancer: Coping with Hair Loss

Discuss your feelings about losing your hair with friends, family, a counselor, or your healthcare team.

Get a short haircut to make hair loss seem less sudden.

Use soft brushes and mild shampoos.

Towel dry your hair or set your hair dryer on low heat.

Don’t color or perm your hair. Also stay away from high heat and chemical straightening. It is not unsafe, but you may be unhappy with the results or how long they last.

Have a wig made before you lose hair. Buy one or find out how you can borrow one. Your local American Cancer Society may be able to help and show you how to care for the wig. Also, if your healthcare provider writes a prescription for a cranial prosthesis (don't use the word wig), your insurance may help pay for it. Talk with your treatment center's social worker or navigator if you have trouble paying for a wig. They may know of resources that can help.

Fill in missing patches of eyebrow with a makeup pencil.

Wear a hat, scarf, or turban. This protects your scalp from cold, heat, and the sun. It also makes hair loss less obvious.

Have someone shave the remaining patches if your hair loss has been uneven.

Expect that there may be changes in the color, thickness, or texture of hair that grows back after treatment ends. Over time, your hair will likely return to the way it was before treatment. Hair loss in the area of radiation therapy may not grow back the same as before.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on your scalp any time you go outside. Wear hats and scarves.

Keep your scalp clean.

See a skin healthcare provider (dermatologist) about any changes in skin color.

Ask your healthcare provider to suggest a mild shampoo and lotion.

If you wear a wig, take it off for a while each day. This allows the skin on your head to breathe.