Why do people lose their hair if they have cancer?

Answer 1

One nice explanation from Yahoo answers.

Cancer is a disease in which certain cells in the body mutate and begin to grow uncontrollably. Most normal cells have a 'trigger' or 'off switch' to tell them to stop growing at a certain point . . cancer cells lose that ability.

Some types of chemotherapy were created to target a cancer cells uncontrolled 'growth' . . the idea is to kill the cancer cells by using a medication that will stop it from 'growing'. The medication will kill all cells in the human body that 'grow' . . and hair cells grow . . the medication cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and a hair cell . . so it kills them both. Thus a cancer patient will lose their hair. Once the chemotherapy is stopped or treatment is done than the hair will grow back.

Answer 2

Cancer does not cause baldness!!! When you are affected with cancer you have to have many different treatments, one includes something called chemotherapy which involves administering drugs which cause the dropping out of hair.. that is why even before doing this, the doctor shaves your head. So as you can see, it is not an effect of cancer it is something that is involved in treating it.

Answer 3

It isn't the cancer that makes people go bald it is the cemotherapy which helps stop it, but is literally poision being ejected into the persons body, it helps them but makes them extremely sick.

Answer 4

It is not the cancer that causes hair loss; it is the treatment received called chemotherapy. This type of medicine targets rapidly-dividing cells, primarily the cancerous cells, but this includes the cells in the roots of your hair. This loss is usally temporary however, and you may be able to re-grow your hair 3-10 months after your treatment.

Answer 5

no they don't lose their hair they only lose it when they do chemo.