While modern cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation have saved a considerable amount of lives, they also can be damaging to multiple systems in the body and have many unpleasant and often almost unbearable side effects. One of the best known and most physically noticeable side effect of cancer treatment is hair damage and loss. Even after a full recovery of cancer, many survivors remain frustrated and disappointed that, as their locks grow back, they doe not have that healthy and lustrous look to it.
There are several significant factors that contribute to the long-term damage of cancer treated hair. While all of these factors can be treated and overcome, special care of cancer treated hair will become a lifelong effort that will only require a small amount of understanding and knowledge to be effective. The first thing that must be understood is that cancer treatments not only damage the physical hair, but also organs and systems that indirectly effect it.
Cancer treatment will cause damage to the physical hair itself by damaging the follicles, sebaceous glands, and having an impact on the body's ability to synthesize proteins critical for providing growth, strength, and structure. Hair that has undergone cancer treatment will usually be porous and have uneven protein scale patterns in the cuticle. This uneven protein in the cuticle is what creates that kinky or sometimes unmanageable characteristic.
One particular protein that cancer treatments tend to effect is tyrosine. Tyrosine is of particular importance to human hair as it regulates the production of melanin. Melanin is the hair's natural color pigment and also enables hair to "hold" onto artificial color. Without sufficient tyrosine protein, hair will have a difficult time sustaining artificial hair color and dyes will often fade quickly.
The damage to the sebaceous glands will disrupt or diminish the ability for these tiny glands found in the human scalp to generate sebum. Sebum is the natural moisturizer of human hair and without it, it will become dry and lifeless. Dry hair also tends to be finer which adds to the thinning look of cancer survivors.
The most significant complaint of cancer survivors is that their hair is thin. While cancer treatment may have killed some follicles leading to thinning, this is often not the key contributing factor to this characteristic. Most follicles, especially those in women, that stop producing are not actually dead but are just dormant. To give dormant follicles the best chance of recovery the use of any plastics or other impurities that can clog follicles should be avoided.
The best course of action for people who have been treated for cancer is to seek the services of a salon professional that specializes in cancer treated hair care.
There are several significant factors that contribute to the long-term damage of cancer treated hair. While all of these factors can be treated and overcome, special care of cancer treated hair will become a lifelong effort that will only require a small amount of understanding and knowledge to be effective. The first thing that must be understood is that cancer treatments not only damage the physical hair, but also organs and systems that indirectly effect it.
Cancer treatment will cause damage to the physical hair itself by damaging the follicles, sebaceous glands, and having an impact on the body's ability to synthesize proteins critical for providing growth, strength, and structure. Hair that has undergone cancer treatment will usually be porous and have uneven protein scale patterns in the cuticle. This uneven protein in the cuticle is what creates that kinky or sometimes unmanageable characteristic.
One particular protein that cancer treatments tend to effect is tyrosine. Tyrosine is of particular importance to human hair as it regulates the production of melanin. Melanin is the hair's natural color pigment and also enables hair to "hold" onto artificial color. Without sufficient tyrosine protein, hair will have a difficult time sustaining artificial hair color and dyes will often fade quickly.
The damage to the sebaceous glands will disrupt or diminish the ability for these tiny glands found in the human scalp to generate sebum. Sebum is the natural moisturizer of human hair and without it, it will become dry and lifeless. Dry hair also tends to be finer which adds to the thinning look of cancer survivors.
The most significant complaint of cancer survivors is that their hair is thin. While cancer treatment may have killed some follicles leading to thinning, this is often not the key contributing factor to this characteristic. Most follicles, especially those in women, that stop producing are not actually dead but are just dormant. To give dormant follicles the best chance of recovery the use of any plastics or other impurities that can clog follicles should be avoided.
The best course of action for people who have been treated for cancer is to seek the services of a salon professional that specializes in cancer treated hair care.
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