Alopecia Hair Loss

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Alopecia also called hair loss, baldness, and epilation, is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Alopecia can occur on any part of the body. Alopecia hair loss, is the medical description of the loss of hair from the head or body. The alopecia hair loss tends to be involuntary and unwelcome, e.g., androgenic alopecia. In some cases, alopecia is an indication of an underlying medical concern, such as iron deficiency.

Alopecia hair loss usually develops gradually and affects the scalp. It can be classified as scarring or nonscarring alopecia. Scarring alopecia (permanent hair loss) results from hair follicle destruction, which smoothes the skin surface, erasing follicular openings. Nonscarring alopecia (temporary hair loss) results from hair follicle damage that spares follicular openings, allowing future hair growth.

There are some causes of the alopecia hair loss. One of the most common causes of alopecia is the use of certain chemotherapeutic drugs. Alopecia may also result from the use of other drugs; radiation therapy; a skin, connective tissue, endocrine, nutritional, or psychological disorder; a neoplasm; an infection; a burn; or exposure to toxins.

Most patients undergoing chemotherapy, especially those who are being treated with more than one drug, will suffer from hair loss. Radiation therapy causes hair loss only in the area of skin being treated. Cancer treatments can also cause hair on the face (including the eyelashes and eyebrows), genitals, underarms, and body to fall out.

The chemotherapy drug paclitaxel can cause all the hair of the body to fall out within a 24-hour period. Alopecia hair loss caused by chemotherapy is usually temporary but the hair loss caused by radiation therapy may be permanent. Regrown hair may be a different color or type than before treatment.

Alopecia hair loss may also be caused by a psychological compulsion to pull out one’s own hair (trichotillomania) or the unforeseen consequences of voluntary hairstyling routines. The alopecia hair loss affects men and women of all ages and frequently has significant social and psychologic consequences. This alopecia hair loss usually occurs between two and three weeks after the first treatment. Most often, hair loss is gradual and occurs over a three-to-four week period.

To know more of the alopecia (hair loss), see: Alopecia Solution

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