“Why does radiation cause hair loss?”
I am a 51 year old female who will be needing radiation. I was wondering why does radiation cause hair loss. Why does radiation cause hair loss?
5 Answers
Dr. Joshua N. Halpern
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation can cause hair loss only in the treated area, by preventing temporarily cell growth of the hair root, similarly to preventing permanently cancer cell growth. However, without scalp radiation, one would not have hair loss.
Only in the area receiving radiation therapy.
In treatment area hair follicles if present also gets radiation and this causing hair loss which is usually temporary
Dear Patient,
This is a valid and common question from patients undergoing radiation therapy.Radiation is simply high energy X-rays delivered from a radiation machine, with the sole goal of ablating/killing cancer cells.However, these high energy X-rays (referred to as external beam radiation therapy) must pass through the skin in order to reach the target—the cancer site.The skin ‘houses’ the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair growth.Therefore, the hair follicles in the skin over the target site (the site of the cancer), are damaged during radiation, thus causing hair loss. It is important to note that radiation therapy causes hair loss at the site of radiation only. This local hair loss effect is attributed to the fact that radiation is delivered directly to the site of the cancer.This is distinct from chemotherapy, which can cause general hair loss, because it is delivered through the blood stream to the body. Thus, radiation can only cause hair loss on the head/scalp, if the scalp, the skull or the brain is receiving radiation treatment. Likewise, if you are receiving radiation to the axilla (underarm), you will lose your underarm hair; but you will not experience hair loss from your scalp/head.
I sincerely hope that this response is helpful and informative.
Regards,
Dr. EB
This is a valid and common question from patients undergoing radiation therapy.Radiation is simply high energy X-rays delivered from a radiation machine, with the sole goal of ablating/killing cancer cells.However, these high energy X-rays (referred to as external beam radiation therapy) must pass through the skin in order to reach the target—the cancer site.The skin ‘houses’ the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair growth.Therefore, the hair follicles in the skin over the target site (the site of the cancer), are damaged during radiation, thus causing hair loss. It is important to note that radiation therapy causes hair loss at the site of radiation only. This local hair loss effect is attributed to the fact that radiation is delivered directly to the site of the cancer.This is distinct from chemotherapy, which can cause general hair loss, because it is delivered through the blood stream to the body. Thus, radiation can only cause hair loss on the head/scalp, if the scalp, the skull or the brain is receiving radiation treatment. Likewise, if you are receiving radiation to the axilla (underarm), you will lose your underarm hair; but you will not experience hair loss from your scalp/head.
I sincerely hope that this response is helpful and informative.
Regards,
Dr. EB
Radiation side effects are location specific. Meaning, if your right foot is being radiated, you will only develop hair loss on the right foot and nowhere else on the body. Cells that grow the fastest (ie: cells that produce hair, cells that produce skin or mucosa), usually are at risk for radiation damage. This is also in part why radiation is used to target cancer cells, whose proliferation far exceeds normal cells.
