Often it does not fully grow back, unfortunately. Radiation can permanently destroy hair follicles. In many cases, hair loss from IG-SRT is long-term or permanent in the treated area. Some patients might see partial regrowth over many months – perhaps the hair comes in finer or sparsely – but it may not be the same as before. For instance, if a man’s beard area is treated, he may end up with a patch that remains unable to grow hair. Or a scalp treated area might stay bald or only grow thin, light “peach fuzz” hair. The chance of regrowth depends on the radiation dose delivered to the follicles; IG-SRT doses are enough to often permanently disable those follicles. It’s a bit of a trade-off: we eliminate the skin cancer, but those hair follicles in the field are collateral damage. If hair does come back, it could take 6-12 months and might be a different color or texture. However, one should be prepared that the hair loss could be permanent[56]. In areas where that matters (like the scalp or eyebrows), we discuss that with patients beforehand. If a small bald spot on the scalp remains, some patients comb surrounding hair over it or, if needed, a dermatologist could suggest cosmetic options like a hair transplant to that spot (though that’s usually not sought for small areas). For body areas, it’s often not a big concern. Keep in mind, if you absolutely need hair in an area (say, an eyebrow) and want to avoid any chance of loss, then surgery might be a better choice for that particular case. But for most, the priority is removing the cancer – and hair not growing back is an acceptable outcome in exchange for a cure.
Category:
IG-SRT
