When your patients lose their hair

1. Hair loss, even when it occurs gradually, is usually accompanied by psychologic discomfort. For some chemotherapy patients, the prospect of hair loss is viewed with more dread than any of the other physical discomforts that accompany chemotherapy. 2. The pattern and extent of hair loss cannot be accurately predicted for a given patient. Chemotherapy causes alopecia by damaging hair stem cells and hair follicles making the hair brittle and causing scalp hair to break off or fall out. 3. Education and support of the patient is highly significant in helping the patient adjust to hair loss. Nurses can inform the patient in advance of anticipated hair loss, suggest techniques for coping with hair loss, and encourage alternate methods of expressing sexuality.