Anagen Effluvium And Anti-cancer Drugs

The development of anagen effluvium is rapid, but the recovery is also equally fast. Since the hair follicles are only frozen at a certain time, they are ready to grow once the factor causing the hair loss has been removed. One of the known causes of this condition is cancer. You may want to take a glance at some of the analysis.

Anagen Effluvium is a diffused hair loss, like telogen effluvium. This type of hair loss develops much quickly and can cause individuals to loss all their hair. This is frequently seen in people taking cystostatic drugs for cancer, or those who have ingested toxic products.

Anagen effluvium and cancer-related medications

cancer treatment Using cystostatic drugs inhibit cell proliferation. This type of drugs block the development of cancer, but the cells of hair follicles rapidly proliferate, thus resulting to a sudden short down of hair fiber production.

The onset of anagen effluvium could be defined as outrageously rapid. Individuals who are taking anti-cancer drugs can literally pull their hair out in clumps the first two weeks of using these drugs. Since cancer drugs are very potent and acts quickly, the hair follicles have no time to enter into a telogen resting state.

The degree of hair loss varies from person to person who are taking anti-cancer drugs. Some individual may have a mixture of anagen effluvium and telogen effluvium.

Preventing anagen effluvium

There are some treatments being given to individuals who are taking anti-cancer drugs to block hair loss. Some of these known ways to prevent any result to anagen effluvium are:

• Cold therapy. The use of cold therapy is one way of blocking hair loss. Cold therapy involves covering the scalp with ice packs or using a special hood filled with cold water while anti-cancer drugs are given. The temperature sends the hair follicles into suspended animation prior to contact with the drugs. This stops the hair follicle cells from taking up the drugs and being damaged by it. The result of cold therapy is much less drug-induced hair loss.
• Experimental drugs. There are also some experimental drugs being given to cancer patients taking anti-cancer medication to prevent hair loss.

Both the cold therapy and experimental drugs may prevent hair loss but may also affect the treatment of cancer cells. It is important to note that you have to make a choice between treating cancer and anagen effluvium. If you are in doubt of anything, it is recommended that you see your physician at once to cope up.

Take note that the person may start to have a new hair growth after the anti-cancer drug treatment. Since the hair follicles are not destroyed, the normal hair growth density occurs. However, there may be some changes in the nature of the hair fiber because of the anti-cancer drugs. After the cancer treatment, the patient may find some changes in their hair. Some may find their hair growing from straight to curly or vice-versa, or sometimes there may be a change in hair color.

Tags: anagen effluvium, cancer, cold therapy, cystostatic drugs, experimental drugs, hair loss

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