Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment

This page is for people facing hair loss from chemotherapy or radiation. It covers why it happens, when hair grows back, ways to cope, and when to call your care team.

Some chemotherapy drugs cause the hair on your head and body to fall out. This happens because these drugs affect fast-growing cells, and hair follicles grow quickly. Radiation therapy can also cause hair loss, but only on the part of the body being treated, not all over.

Ask your team when hair loss may start with your treatment. After chemotherapy ends, hair often grows back within two to three months. New hair can come in very fine at first, and it may be curlier, straighter, or even a different color than before. After radiation, hair often grows back in three to six months. Very high radiation doses can sometimes mean thinner regrowth, or none, in the treated area.

A cooling cap is worn on the head during chemotherapy. Cooling narrows the blood vessels in the scalp, so less chemotherapy reaches the hair follicles. In 2017 the FDA cleared the DigniCap Cooling System to reduce how often and how badly hair falls out during chemotherapy for solid tumors. FDA notes it may not work with some chemotherapy regimens. Ask your team whether it is an option for you.

Treat your hair gently. Use a soft-bristle brush or a wide-tooth comb. Wash with a mild shampoo, less often, and pat dry with a soft towel. Skip hair dryers, irons, gels, and clips that can hurt your scalp.

Some people cut their hair short before it starts to fall out. Others shave it. If you shave, use an electric shaver so you do not cut yourself. If you want a wig, get it while you still have hair so you can match the color. Scarves and hats work just as well, and there is no right choice.

Protect your scalp. Use sunscreen or wear a hat outdoors, and keep your head warm. If your scalp itches or feels tender, lotion or conditioner can help.

Many people feel angry, low, or embarrassed about hair loss. Talking with family, or with others who have been through it, can help.

Hair loss itself is not dangerous. But your scalp and skin need watching during treatment.

• Call your cancer team right away, at any hour, if you have a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during chemotherapy. According to CDC, fever during chemotherapy is a medical emergency. It says fever may be the only sign of an infection, and an infection during chemotherapy can be life-threatening. If you cannot get through to them fast, go to an emergency department and tell staff you are on chemotherapy. Do not sit on it until morning.
• Call your care team right away if your scalp becomes red, swollen, painful, or oozing, or you have a sore that is not healing, and you have no fever.
• Call your care team within a day or two if you develop a new rash, a burn on the treated skin, or a painful itch that keeps you awake.
• Call your care team within a day or two if you lose hair in patches before treatment starts, or hair does not begin to grow back within a few months of finishing treatment.

If hair loss is making you feel hopeless or you are struggling to cope, say so — that is a reason to ask for support, not something to wait out. If the hopelessness has turned into thoughts of ending your life, do not hold it until the next visit: call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and call 911 if you feel unsafe right now.

• Is hair loss expected with my specific treatment, and how much?
• Would a cooling cap be an option for me?
• When should I expect hair to start growing back after treatment ends?
• Are there resources for wigs or head coverings through my treatment center?
• Will regrowth look and feel different from my hair before treatment?

• National Cancer Institute — Hair Loss (Alopecia) and Cancer Treatment
• FDA — FDA clears expanded use of cooling cap to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy
• National Cancer Institute — Infection and Neutropenia and Cancer Treatment
• CDC — Fever and Cancer Treatment, accessed August 13, 2026.