Why do people shave there hair when they have cancer?
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Well, maybe it's not that they are voluntarily shaving their hair, but that they have lost their hair due to the effects of chemotherapy or radiation. Almost always anticancer drugs and radiation therapy have this effect on people that are taking them because they target cells with high mitotic rate, in other words rapidly dividing cells. The cells that make up the hair follicles are a good example of such cells, in addition to rapidly dividing (and hence multiplying in number) neoplastic or cancerous cells.
Or, the reason could be as simple as these cancer patients are indeed voluntarily shaving their heads, because sooner or later, they know that the chemotherapy/radiation will cause their existing hair to fall out and they will end up losing hair during the course of their treatment. Hope this answers your question!
People shave their head because the treatment (radiation therapy, chemotherapy) makes their hair fall off. So it's better to shave everything off than to have patches of bald spots.
i'm not quite sure but i believe that they don't actually shave their heads, it is usually the chemotherapy that makes their hair fall out
They shave their hair because, if they're going through chemotherapy, all of their hair is going to fall out anyway, and it can be emotionally easier if they shave it off all at once rather than watch it all fall out more slowly. It also looks better shaved, because otherwise they would have chunks of hair missing from their otherwise normal head of hair.
Because their hair fall out due to the chemotherapy treatment.
The chemo makes the hair get really thin and brittle and in some cases it actually makes your hair hurt! I know it sounds kinda crazy but one of my good friends is going through treatments now and she shaved her hair because anytime she brushed it or even touched it she cried because it was so painfull.
Mostly because their hair is falling out in patches or clumps and is uneven, and yes, painful, so all off at once is better than all of the above. The regrowth is amazing - hair is thicker, sometimes curly - but always healthy!
Many chemotherapy regimes cause hair loss, and people shave their heads to pre-empt this. There are a number of reasons why this is a good idea:
In the days before hair starts to come out, the scalp is usually painful and sore, and the longer your hair the more uncomfortable it can be.
As chunks of hair fall out, bald patches appear; this can be distressing and looks awful. Far more dignified to shave the lot off .
When you start to lose your hair it gets everywhere - in your mouth, in your food, on your furniture - you never realise how much hair you have till you start to lose it.
They do that because of the chemo and radiation makes there hair fall out. It can actually make your hair hurt really bad. When my friend started to loose her hair, I told her if she comes completely blad,which she didn't, I would shave my head too. I just thought since she was going to loose her hair, I would make her feel more comfortable. And instead of loosing their hair, they just go ahead and shave it off so it isn't so painful!
Because they generally lose their hair anyway with chemo treatments, so shaving it before they begin to lose it is less traumatic.
It's going to fall out gradually anyway.
Not to worry, it grows back when treatment is over.
Best wishes
because they will fall out anyways due to chemotherapy and when they fall out they are everywhere and the process is not very pleasant so if u shave it off, u put it in your hands!
To give themselves a sense of control over the uncontrollable. I cannot emphasize enough how helpless most people feel in the presence of cancer. It is a life threatening illness and even with treatment there is no guarantee that your life will be spared. Shaving the head is a means to feel somewhat in control of what is about to happen . . when you take certain chemotherapy drugs or undergo certain types of radiation, your hair will eventually all fall out. This is the consequence, the side effects of the poweful drugs needed to treat the cancer and hopefully shrink it, control it, or make disappear totally (chemo is only one type of cancer treatment used along with surgery and/or radiation).
Since there is no cure for cancer and treatment may or may not work for an individual at least one thing they can control is what they do about their hair. So, often as a symbol of being in control . . they will shave their heads. There are other physical and cosmetic reasons too. My son never did shave his head and it took about three months before all his hair was gone. I never thought it looked that bad coming out, but it is messy and inconvenient.
I know one young lady who was diagnosed with cancer and the next day she shaved off all her long hair. Than the doctor told her that she was going to have surgery and not chemotherapy first . . . so, by the time she finally had chemo her hair had started to grow in again and she had to go through the whole process all over again. It might be wise than to wait until you actually start chemotherapy before shaving your head!
my sister said that it is easier to shave it off than have it fall out all over the house
i personally cut my hair shorter first then when it just became unbearable it was buzzed. then i got tired of the stubble and hair still falling out till i shaved it. stubble would be on my pillow at night and when i wore scarves it would be in the scarf, it just easier.
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