I guess every girl thinks her dad is the nicest man in the world.
My father was not an exception to this rule. I must stress, however, that Dad was really the handsomest man in the world. He was tall with dark hair, golden skin and green eyes. In the language ?? s American teenager today, my father ?? swagger. ??
Richard Lloyd Barker could have ladies ?? man, but he was busy being a leading man ?? s lady. He and my mother were married for over 20 years ?? until he died of mesothelioma in 1993 at the age of 45
Richard Lloyd Barker wearing his uniform of the US Army.
The doctors diagnosed the disease in the fall of 1992. He started chemotherapy in late December. Shortly after the start of the treatment, its appearance has changed dramatically.
At first, losing her hair was a shock to my father. He was deeply troubled in this first comb out tuft. Rather than leaving chemotherapy claim his hair, he shaved his head himself. He felt liberated by itself, making hair loss a choice rather than a side effect of cancer treatment.
Alopecia
Dr. Charles M. Balch, former president of the Society of Surgical Oncology, says hair loss ?? medically known as alopecia ?? is one of the most difficult side effects of cancer treatment for many patients.
My father struggled with his hair loss. I often think of what it would feel like losing my hair in a fight for my life. Of course, some may say you ?? he ?? s just hair ?? but for someone who has enough to worry about with a diagnosis of cancer, hair loss can cause significant blow to self-esteem of a ??.
Why chemotherapy hair loss cause?
When Dad underwent chemotherapy, I wondered why the treatment caused her hair to fall. Scientific research can help us understand the pathophysiology of hair loss induced by chemotherapy.
Researchers from the department of dermatology at Boston University and the Institute of inflammation and repair at the University of Manchester has collaborated on a study of induced alopecia chemotherapy.
people lose their hair because of chemotherapy treatment itself affect hair growth at the cellular level, the researchers wrote. Chemotherapy also has a negative impact on DNA-damage responses in hair growth. Essentially, damaging chemotherapy treatment for hair cells that are currently growing, and DNA damage leads him to tell the body to stop the growth of new hair.
Alopecia Management
Because hair loss induced by chemotherapy can be traumatic, as much as 8 percent of cancer patients opt out of chemotherapy for their disease .
Make a decision to undergo chemotherapy for cancer is a personal decision. Patients and families must understand the benefits and side effects of such treatment before making this decision.
Boston University and the University of Manchester researchers suggest that people who choose to undergo chemotherapy should consider seeking professional counseling to help deal with the shock of hair loss.
They also suggest exploring wigs and other head coverings may be beneficial.
Tips for Dealing with Hair Loss
There are many options regarding hair loss for someone who decides to undergo chemotherapy.
For example, when my father started losing his hair, he took the initiative to shave the head. He found the concept of empowerment. However, some people may want to make an effort to hold on to their hair a little longer
Many of these tips are also effective for people who have completed treatment and want to care for their newly regrown hair.
- Use the right hair products :. Balch said using hair care products that contain irritants such as salicylic acid and henna may aggravate the scalp, causing hair loss and discourage regrowth
- Overstyling: Styling your hair while you try to hang on to some more or nursing new growth can be detrimental to the growth of hair. Styling hair may also fall more quickly for patients undergoing chemotherapy
- Changes in the hair type. Some patients may find their new hair has a different texture to their pre-treatment hair. If this is your experience, you may want to consult your stylist about specific tips on how you can take care of your new hair
- Wigs :. Some people use wigs temporarily while their regrows hair after treatment. Wigs are now available in a range of colors.
Most any treatment option has side effects.
Chemotherapy is proven to be effective in treating cancer, but alopecia associated with it can be stressful. Understand the options available can be the first step in the decision to undergo treatment.
