Breast Cancer in Your 20s: How to Cope with Hair Loss

Hair loss during cancer treatment can be a difficult part of any patient’s cancer journey. Your hair may play a big role in your appearance. In some cases, it can even feel like part of your identity. For Roshni Kamta, who learned her breast cancer diagnosis at age 22, hair loss was “traumatic.”

Not all types of cancer treatments result in hair loss. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the two treatment types that most commonly cause hair loss. That’s because they can damage the hair follicles, causing hair to fall out. Luckily, alopecia caused by cancer treatment is usually temporary, and hair growth returns after treatment stops.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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