Hair Growth after Radiation to the Head
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I have had 14 radiation treatments to my brain and have lost a lot of my hair. Will my hair loss from radiation grow back? I understand that hair lost after chemotherapy will eventually come back, but what about when radiation causes the hair loss? Thank you.
Neha Vapiwala , MD, Senior Editor of OncoLink and Chief Resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:
Yes, it usually does grow back in the majority of cases, although this process can take several months. Furthermore, the hair might grow back a different color, texture, or thickness than before, for reasons that we can not explain. This change in hair characteristics can also occur after hair loss from chemotherapy. About OncoLink Contact OncoLink Privacy statement Disclaimer Link to OncoLink Home