Hair loss is devastating no matter what the reason, but when one's medication is the culprit - it may be even more difficult to understand. This is often a real concern for anyone who is diagnosed with cancer, as chemotherapy and radiation treatments are the most common cause of this type of hair loss. However, this type of hair loss also affects patients with thyroid disease and young girls who are taking birth control.

Though hair loss cased by medicine can affect anyone with a serious illness, it is more prevalent in women and children. The reasons for this are that female breast cancer and Leukemia are the two most common types of cancer and both are treated with the use of chemotherapy and radiation. Women are at the greatest risk because they are also more susceptible to thyroid disease. In addition, a woman may lose her hair from a strong form of birth control. As you can see, women have a higher risk of receiving one of the many harsh medicines that cause hair loss.

Among the medicines known to cause hair loss, chemotherapy is probably the best known. This treatment is used to fight the late stages of cancer and can cause a drop in red blood cells, hair loss, and a weakened immune system. This type of medicine is often used in the treatment of Leukemia and breast cancer, the two most common forms of cancer.

Radiation treatments and radio active medicines are the next most common medicines known to cause hair loss. These treatments are used in cancer and

thyroid patients and target a certain area of the body with a large amount of radiation (meant to kill harmful cells). Due to the extreme amount of radiation, hair loss is almost inevitable when using these types of treatments. If you or someone you know isolates themselves from society because of their hair loss, contact a counsellor and become part of a support group.

While losing one's hair due to the medicine they are on may be devastating, it is important to remember that this is only a temporary stage of your life. Hair has been known to begin growing back as early as a few weeks after the treatment has ended. With this knowledge many patients have braved the harsh medications, successfully saved their lives, and re-grown their hair. With everything 'back to normal,' these patients can go back to their normal lives once again.

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