Do myeloma patients undergoing therapy lose their hair? That depends on which chemo regimens the patient is undergoing.
My name is David Emerson. I am a long-term myeloma survivor. I underwent various chemotherapy regimens from the spring of ’95 through a bone marrow transplant in December of the same year.
During that time, I experienced one of the most common chemotherapy side effects- every strand of my hair fell out of my head, my beard, my eyebrows, everything. Though most of my hair grew back in the years after my active chemotherapy, I wish I had read the information below.
I spend a lot of time writing about how to prevent or minimize chemotherapy side effects, though I have never written one blog post about how to have healthier hair.
Regarding your hair falling out, those MM therapies referred to as “novel therapies” (velcade, revlimid, daratumumab) generally don’t cause alopecia. Traditional chemo regimens such as Cytoxan and Melphalan do.
To Learn More about Alopecia- click now
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
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Hair loss is a common issue among people fighting against cancer. The different treatments available to cancer patients, as well as the medications that need to be taken afterward, all contribute to severe hair loss. You, too, may be experiencing hair loss as a result of the treatments you take.
You, too, may be experiencing hair loss as a result of the treatments you take. Worry not, because your hair will grow back once the treatments are completed.
There are ways you can slow down the effects of cancer treatment and prevent hair loss. Some steps can be taken to speed up hair growth and maintain the health of both your hair and the scalp. Before we discuss the best tips you can implement today, we are going to take a closer look at the different phases of hair growth first.
The First Phase of Hair Growth
Your hair goes through three main phases. The first of the hair growth phases is known as the Anagen phase or the growing phase. During this phase, the hair needs sufficient amount of nutrients to grow optimally and healthily. This is the phase where you can influence the rate of growth and the health of your hair the most.
Adjusting your diet is among the first things you need to do to have healthier hair and scalp. Consuming a sufficient amount of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acid, vitamins, and minerals can speed up hair growth by a whopping 100%. The right nutrients maintain the health of your hair and scalp, reducing cases of hair breakage, split ends, and dryness by a substantial margin.
At the same time, try to adjust your lifestyle and daily routines to accommodate faster and healthy hair growth. Getting enough sleep at night and allowing cells to regenerate effectively will help your hair grow faster and healthier, too.
The Catagen Phase
The second phase of the cycle is known as the Catagen phase or the transition phase. The phase lasts for around two weeks. As the name suggests, the transition phase is where your hair transitions from a growth state to a mature state. The hair follicles separate themselves from the blood vessels providing nutrients for effective growth.
After completing the Catagen phase, hair follicles maintain minimum to no connection to blood vessels. Each hair strand will start absorbing nutrients less effectively and will smoothly transition to the next phase of the cycle.
The Telogen Phase
The last phase of the cycle is the Telogen phase, also known as the resting phase. All hair will naturally fall out after several weeks in this phase. However, careful treatments and a healthy scalp can greatly prolong the Telogen phase and prevent sudden hair loss.
The resting phase itself could last for up to six weeks and can be prolonged for several more weeks with careful treatments. At this stage, focusing your attention on the scalp can help prevent hair loss more effectively. It is also worth noting that new strands of hair will already be in their Anagen phase by the time you start seeing natural hair loss.
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