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How to prevent hair loss when you have chemotherapy?

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How to prevent hair loss when you have chemotherapy? - 1

Author : HairLaserRemoval.co.uk             How to prevention of hair loss when you have a chemotherapy?

1. The cold cap system

2. Minoxidil (Rogaine)

3. Wearing a wig

4. What you can do for yourself

There is no prevention or medication to combat hair loss during chemotherapy treatment. There are several treatments have been investigated as possible ways to prevent hair loss, but none has been absolutely effective:

1. The cold cap system

• How it works?
  Studies have shown that scalp cooling is effective in preventing hair loss in patients treated with some chemotherapy drugs. Cooling the scalp to a temperature of +17 oC to achieve a subcutaneous temperature of +20 oC (68 oF) constricts the blood supply to hair follicles diminishing or abolishing their perfusion hence preventing high chemotherapy dose delivery during the initial phase of chemotherapy.

  Further, coldness itself reduces the availability of (chemotherapy) cytotoxic drugs to the cells of the hair follicles by directly reducing their metabolic rate. It is the combined effect of both these mechanisms, induced by cooling the scalp, that prevents or reduces hair loss (alopecia). The cap put on fifteen minutes before chemotherapy to start restricting blood flow, and kept on during and up to 1-2 hours after your chemotherapy. This does mean that your time in the unit is longer.
  

• How effective is it?
  The cold cap system works better for some drugs than others. Some clinical trials show a success rate of up to 85% with Docetaxel (taxotere), Epirubicin, Paclitaxel (Taxol), Cyclophosphamide.
  
  
  However, Not everyone can tolerate wearing the cold cap as it can feel very cold. This discomfort varies from patient to patient so it is not a failure if you can't wear it and it has no influence on the outcome of your treatment. In other clinical trials to date, less than 2% of patients who had retained their hair did not continue with the procedure.

2. Minoxidil (Rogaine)
   Minoxidil is a topical solution that is thought to work by promoting blood microcirculation to hair follicles. Minoxidil is not a DHT inhibitor and does not cause hair loss to stop. Instead, it promotes new hair growth by forcing the hair follicles to grow, and in some people, can successfully override the hair loss rate. Reviews Of Rogaine Extra Strength Hair Regrowth

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Wearing a wig  ;  What you can do for yourself