Why do cancer patients have hair loss?
Hair loss occurs because anticancer drugs (chemotherapy) or radiation can affect normal cells, including the cells responsible for hair growth. This effect, however, is not permanent, and hair grows back normally once the therapy has been completed. The degree of hair loss depends on the chemotherapy drug, the dosage of chemotherapy or radiation, and how it is given. In radiation, only hair that is in the field of radiation will be affected by hair loss. It is very rare with radiation therapy hair loss to have an area where the hair is permanently thinner.
