Female Hair Loss Caused by Pharmaceuticals and Treatments
Hair loss is devastating no matter what the reason, but when
one's medication is the culprit - it may be even more difficult
to understand. This is often a real concern for anyone who is
diagnosed with cancer, as chemotherapy and radiation treatments
are the most common cause of this type of hair loss. However,
this type of hair loss also affects patients with thyroid
disease and young girls who are taking birth control.
Though hair loss cased by medicine can affect anyone with a
serious illness, it is more prevalent in women and children. The
reasons for this are that female breast cancer and Leukemia are
the two most common types of cancer and both are treated with
the use of chemotherapy and radiation. Women are at the greatest
risk because they are also more susceptible to thyroid disease.
In addition, a woman may lose her hair from a strong form of
birth control. As you can see, women have a higher risk of
receiving one of the many harsh medicines that cause hair loss.
Among the medicines known to cause hair loss, chemotherapy is
probably the best known. This treatment is used to fight the
late stages of cancer and can cause a drop in red blood cells,
hair loss, and a weakened immune system. This type of medicine
is often used in the treatment of Leukemia and breast cancer,
the two most common forms of cancer.
Radiation treatments and radio active medicines are the next
most common medicines known to cause hair loss. These treatments
are used in cancer and thyroid patients and target a certain
area of the body with a large amount of radiation (meant to kill
harmful cells). Due to the extreme amount of radiation, hair
loss is almost inevitable when using these types of treatments.
If you or someone you know isolates themselves from society
because of their hair loss, contact a counsellor and become part
of a support group.
While losing one's hair due to the medicine they are on may be
devastating, it is important to remember that this is only a
temporary stage of your life. Hair has been known to begin
growing back as early as a few weeks after the treatment has
ended. With this knowledge many patients have braved the harsh
medications, successfully saved their lives, and re-grown their
hair. With everything 'back to normal,' these patients can go
back to their normal lives once again.