Regrow Your Hair! Tips to Regain Self-Confidence After Cancer Treatment
Posted by Arnold Rogers
Regrow Your Hair! Tips to Regain Self-Confidence After Cancer Treatment

Hair loss is probably one of cancer treatment’s most distressing side effects. For instance, chemotherapy which targets cancer cells may also damage healthy cells responsible for hair growth.

Some individuals may need to undergo chemotherapy, alongside radiation therapy and surgery, for the early stages of mesothelioma. These treatments aim to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove. Like chemotherapy, radiation therapy may also cause hair loss.
 
When you have cancer, changes to your appearance, like cancer treatment-related hair loss, can be difficult to accept. So what should you do to build your confidence after cancer-induced hair loss? 
 
This article provides tips to help you build your confidence after cancer-induced hair loss, including a brief discussion about products that may help stimulate hair growth. The write-up also covers the percentage of cancer patients who experience hair loss. 
 
Read on to learn how you can build your confidence again despite the unwanted side effects of cancer treatments.

 

Top 5 Tips to Build Self-Confidence After Cancer-Induced Hair Changes

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can cause noticeable changes in your hair. For instance, dealing with hair loss after treatment may make you see yourself differently. 
 
Hair loss can make you self-conscious. You may feel exposed and vulnerable as curious people ask you questions you’re unprepared to answer. 
 
Here are the top five tips to regain your self-confidence after cancer-induced hair changes: 

 
1. Stay Optimistic As You Wait for Your Hair to Grow Back

Getting through your final chemotherapy session is already a huge accomplishment. So don’t let those positive feelings waver just because you’re experiencing hair loss.

Your hair may grow in two to three months after your chemotherapy ends. You’ll notice that your hair will be very fine once it starts to grow back.

Make sure to gently take care of your growing hair using a wide-tooth comb or hairbrush with soft bristles. 

You should also wash your hair with a mild shampoo or opt for hair care products specifically formulated to improve the feel, texture, and overall health and growth of hair. 

Wash your hair less often and pat it dry with a soft towel. Avoid using irons, hair dryers, or products, like clips and gels, that may hurt your scalp.

    2. Try a Variety of Head Coverings and Accessories  

    If cancer treatment causes hair loss in women, they can wear fancy scarves, caps, or big earrings from time to time, so they’ll look and feel good.

    Scarves, in particular, are an attractive and comfortable alternative to wigs. A scarf can be worn in many ways once the hair grows back. So this type of accessory is a good investment, too.

    Women can go for pre-tied scarves because they’re the easiest to wear since they don’t require elaborate tying.

    Laser caps are innovative products. LLLT, or low-level laser therapy, is utilized in several laser hair growth caps to stimulate hair follicles and the scalp. 


      Low-level light therapy has been clinically proven and FDA Cleared to stimulate hair growth in men and women with Androgenetic alopecia, however, many people who have used Low-level light therapy after Chemotherapy, have reported good results and a boost in their self-esteem.       

      3. Lead a Healthy Life

      It would help if you practiced self-care each day. Make sure to develop habits that make you feel good about yourself. Take time to relax. Get enough sleep. If you feel strong enough, you can also start working out. 

      Above all else, have a balanced diet and let food rich in vitamins and minerals be your medicine. For instance, vitamin D plays an essential role in hair growth and the health of your hair follicles.

      Natural products with zinc and biotin have also been advocated for hair loss treatment. You may also take dietary supplements to ensure you get essential nutrients to improve your overall health. 

      Hairmax Hair, skin and nails supplement

       

      Nutritional deficiency may affect hair growth and hair structure. A study suggested that nutrient deficiencies may arise due to dietary practices, genetic disorders, and medical conditions. 

      So if you have cancer and have recently undergone treatment, make sure to eat healthily. Studies have shown that healthy food choices make people happy. 

       

      4. Explore Your Emotions 

      Dealing with hair loss and other challenges associated with cancer treatment may leave you feeling frustrated. But instead of shoving your feelings aside, it would be better to work through those emotions, accept the loss you’ve experienced, and lean on your support system if needed. 

      You can talk to your family, friends, healthcare providers, and other cancer patients about self-image. Remember, you’re not alone. 

       

      5.  Engage In Mindfulness Activities 

      Alopecia, as a result of chemotherapy, causes changes to body image and self-concept.

      Mindfulness exercises or sensory experiences, like listening to music, lighting aromatic candles, and taking a warm bath, may help you accept your body’s changes. 

      So take control of your body image by trying mindfulness activities to break the cycle of negative thought patterns. 

       

      How Common Is Hair Loss Among Cancer Patients?

      Cases of hair loss in men and women are common following chemotherapy. The approximate number of cases of chemotherapy-induced hair loss is 65%. 

       
      A 2019 observational study about chemotherapy-induced hair loss and its psychological impact on adults showed that out of 179 cancer patients, 53.6% were males and 44.6% were females.
       
      About 72% of patients said that hair loss had affected their social life, while 56.4% felt that hair loss was the worst side effect of chemotherapy. 
       
      Both men and women diagnosed with cancer reported that hair loss is one of the side effects of chemotherapy that they fear most. For this reason alone, about 14% of women refuse that particular cancer treatment. 
       
      Studies have shown that patients undergoing chemotherapy may display hair dystrophy (disorder) of the scalp and beard due to a high mitotic rate, which measures how rapidly cancer cells are dividing and growing. However, such dystrophy doesn’t always lead to immediate hair shedding. 


      Conclusion

      You can try various hair loss cure products to help you regrow your beautiful mane. Still, learning to accept and love yourself after cancer treatment is the most crucial step to regaining self-confidence and promoting long-term well-being.

       

      References

      1. Hair Loss (Alopecia) and Cancer Treatment 
        https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/hair-loss
      2.  How to Wear a Scarf When You've Lost Your Hair
        https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/hair-skin-nails/hair-loss/how-to-wear-a-scarf.html
      3. Low-level light therapy using a helmet-type device for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7373546/
      4. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
      5. A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of an Oral Supplement in Women with Self-perceived Thinning Hair
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3509882/
      6. Should You Take Dietary Supplements
        https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/08/should-you-take-dietary-supplements

      7. Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/
      8. Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5719018/
      9. How to Regain Self-Esteem and Body Confidence After Cancer Treatment
        https://powerfulpatients.org/2021/05/14/how-to-regain-self-esteem-and-body-confidence-after-cancer-treatment/
      10. Changes in self-concept and body image during alopecia induced cancer chemotherapy
        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9069615/
      11. How to Regain Body Confidence after Cancer
        https://www.mskcc.org/news/how-regain-body-confidence-after-cancer
      12. Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment
        https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/in-depth/hair-loss/art-20046920
      13. A Descriptive Study to Analyze Chemotherapy-Induced Hair Loss and its Psychosocial Impact in Adults: Our Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6615375/
      14. Why Do Not All Chemotherapy Patients Lose Their Hair? Answering an Intriguing Question
        https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/514342
      15. mitotic rate
        https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/mitotic-rate

      Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-smiling-woman-with-blooming-freesia-and-closed-eyes-6984608/
       

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