Cancer, cancer treatments, and the stress related to cancer can all cause hair loss.

Cancers that can cause hair loss

Skin cancers can cause extensive and permanent hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere. Both Merkel cell cancer - a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer - and Lymphoma can develop in and destroy hair follicles. Cancers elsewhere in the body, including the breasts, lungs, liver, and kidneys can also metastasize, spreading to the skin and destroying hair follicles. Once hair follicles are destroyed, hair loss is permanent.

Hair loss from cancer treatment

Cancer treatments often cause hair loss or thinning. Chemotherapy generally results in temporary hair loss, while radiation therapy can result in temporary or permanent hair loss. Some chemotherapy drugs seem more likely than others to cause hair loss. Some are also more likely to affect scalp hair while others lead to more general hair loss.

Chemotherapy-related hair loss is highly variable. Some people experience hair loss and others do not, even when they are taking the same drugs in the same dosage. Hair loss usually begins one to three weeks after the start of chemotherapy and then worsens after a month or two. While hair loss due to chemotherapy cannot be prevented, hair usually grows back in six months to one year after treatment.

It is generally best for chemotherapy patients to plan in advance for some hair loss. If a wig is desired, they might seek to match their original hair color and texture before it is lost. Custom-made wigs and hair prosthetics take up to four months for production and delivery.

For more information on Medical Causes of Hair Loss, request our free Medical Guide.

Information on this page, provided as a service by Peggy Knight Solutions, draws upon information from the following sources: the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.