Learning About Hair Loss
- Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the chief medical correspondent for “ABC News” and “Good Morning America,” has been very open about her hair loss journey after she began to lose her hair in 2022 following a COVID-19 diagnosis.
- Ashton recently shared that her hair has finally started to grow back and become full again.
- Hair loss is an emotional journey for many women, including cancer survivors.
- Chemotherapy and radiation can both cause hair loss or thinning, but both treatment options usually don't cause permanent hair loss.
- Our experts recommend allowing yourself to grieve the initial shock of hair loss and talking to others who’ve been in a similar situation when ready.
The chief medical correspondent for “ABC News” and “Good Morning America” first started struggling with hair loss after testing positive for COVID-19 in January 2022. According to an article by the Cleveland Clinic, a recent COVID-19 infection can lead to hair loss and hair shedding.
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“So many of you have asked for a hair update, and I wanted to show you look how much hair I have grown back,” she said. “It’s taken one year and a ton of work like a science experiment, but it is coming back.”
She went on to show followers her “new ponytail” something she clips on the back of her head to add length and volume to her blonde ‘do.
“Fun, easy, saves my hair,” she said. “And by the way, who cares that it’s an accessory, right? it’s like makeup, it’s like earrings… These ponytails are gonna be with me forever, I love them.”
Hair Loss for Cancer Survivors
Hair loss can be a very distressing prospect for anyone whether you’re going through cancer treatment or facing another illness, like Dr. Jennifer Ashton. But when it comes to hair loss during cancer, here’s what to know.
Unfortunately, hair loss or thinning can be a side effect of some cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
Hair Loss for Cancer Warriors
- Beloved Peloton Instructor Leanne Hainsby, 35, Says Chemo Hair Loss Affected Her Self-Esteem: ‘I Want To Be Frank About The Reality Of It All’
- Marathoner Lindsay Walter On Embracing Her Baldness with Bravery After Her Life-Altering Alopecia Diagnosis
- TikTok User Finds Humor in Her Cancer Journey and Inspires Followers to Always Have a Positive Outlook
Chemotherapy-related hair loss usually begins about three to four weeks after beginning chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
Most people can expect regrowth around four to six weeks after they complete treatment, but some people may notice changes to hair color and texture when their hair starts to grow back.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are currently no treatments out there that guarantee your hair won't fall out during or after chemo. Even still, there are some treatments available that can help, including:
- Scalp cooling caps
- Minoxidil (Rogaine)
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. Radiation for a brain tumor, for example, may cause hair loss.
"If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment," radiation oncologist Dr. James Taylor told SurvivorNet. "Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy."
According to the National Cancer Institute, your hair may grow back thinner or not at all on the part of your body that received radiation if you received a very high dose of radiation.
If losing your hair is a concern for you ahead of cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps and scarves, among other things.
And talk to your doctors about potential treatments you could try to mitigate the loss and resources at your disposal for handling the loss. Some doctors may even be able to recommend a local wig-maker.
Overall, if going bald is unavoidable and not something you’re comfortable with, know that you’re not alone. Take Teri Chow, for instance.
How Ovarian Cancer Survivor Teri Chow's Wig (& Humor) Helped Her Cope With Hair Loss
After receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis at 44, her hair began to fall out shortly after her second round of chemo. She didn’t want to go bald, so she started wearing a wig immediately.
It was likely a very hard time for the mother of two. But instead of looking back on that time with grief, she’s come to find some humor in it.
"The other moms at the school didn't realized that I was going through this, and they'd compliment me on the wig and not knowing it was wig," Chow laughs.
"I made the mistake to somebody I thought knew. I went, 'Oh, thank you,' And I moved the wig forward and she freaked out [and I was] like, 'Sorry, sorry, I thought you knew!'"
When Chow’s hair eventually started growing back, it wasn’t the same as before. Still, she decided to ditch the wig and visit a hairdresser for a transformation of her short, curly, gray locks into a whole new hairdo with a straightener and dye.
“I did the Dorothy Hamill kind of bob,” she explained.
Living With Cancer: Coping With Hair Loss & the Anxiety it Brings
Chow may have navigated her hair loss journey with a bit more laughter than some, but it's important to know there’s no right or wrong way to handle the experience. And feeling upset over losing your hair is very common and completely warranted.
Experts tell SurvivorNet that grief can be a crucial step to accepting the new normal that comes with cancer. So, allowing yourself to grieve the initial shock of your hair loss may make it easier to find some positivity from there and push through treatment.
"I help patients acknowledge their grief so they can move on. I think the more we try to push [those feelings] away and say, 'Oh, it doesn't matter,' it tends to stick around a little longer," Laurie Ostacher, a medical social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the Bay Area, said.
"If [a woman] seems like she's having trouble moving on, we explore [that too]."
Another one of our experts says it can be good to talk to other people who’ve been in similar situations.
“The dread of losing one’s hair can lead to sort of sleepless nights and you know, a feeling of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, said.
"Talk to people who have been through it, get their advice, voice your concerns to your caregiver and see what they can do."
Still, it’s important for cancer patients to know they don’t have to talk about hair loss unless they’re ready to do so.
"To encourage them to bring that up, to encourage them to talk about it, I think can be very helpful," she said.
"But also, for patients it might be something that they don't talk about. [And they should] feel good and strong about saying, 'This is something that I don't feel like discussing right now, and I'll let you know when I do.’"
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