Home > Encyclopedia of Cancer > Alopecia

Description

Alopecia, also called hair loss, baldness, and epilation, is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Most patients undergoing chemotherapy, especially those who are being treated with more than one drug, will suffer from hair loss. Radiation therapy causes hair loss only in the area of skin being treated.

Although most often associated with head hair, alopecia can occur on any part of the body. Cancer treatments can also cause hair on the face (including the eyelashes and eyebrows), genitals, underarms, and body to fall out.

Alopecia usually occurs between two and three weeks after the first treatment. Most often, hair loss is gradual and occurs over a three-to-four...