Hair Regrowth After Leukemia Treatment: Understanding & Recovery

Chemotherapy treats leukemia by destroying cancer cells. However, the treatment can also affect healthy cells, resulting in side effects such as anagen effluvium, a form of temporary hair loss.

Basics

• Hair grows in alternating phases of growth and rest. The anagen, or growth phase lasts for a few years, while the telogen, or resting phase lasts for a few months. After telogen, hair falls out to make way for new growth.

Significance

• Chemotherapy prevents hair cells from dividing properly during the anagen phase.

Identification

• Chemotherapy-induced hair loss typically occurs within a few weeks of starting the treatment. It is characterized by a partial or complete loss of scalp, facial and body hair.

Recovery

• Hair regrowth begins about four to six weeks after chemotherapy has ended.

Considerations

• New hair growth may temporarily differ from old hair in terms of texture and color.

Tip

• Rogaine is a topical hair loss treatment that may help speed up the regrowth of areas affected by anagen effluvium.