Taxotere induced alopecia

Hair loss from Taxanes

There are two types of hair loss from taxotere and the taxanes in general. The first is a temporary one and requires time as the hair will grow back on it’s own. This is known as temporary chemotherapy induced alopecia ("TCIA"). Low level laser and minoxidil have evidence of speeding things along. The second is a type of permanent hair loss that has been described with certain taxotere dosing regimens. If hair has not grown back after chemotherapy by the 6 month after chemotherapy, we call this permanent chemotherapy induced alopecia (PCIA) and it is sometimes also called Chemotherapy Induced Permanent Alopecia (CIPAL).  The ideal treatment plan has yet to be determined. Topical and oral minoxidil do have some evidence of being helpful. There is no evidence for PRP treatments. Hormone blocking pills, which are frequently used to treat hair loss,  are generally contraindicated (not allowed) in patients with cancers treated with taxotere.

References

1. https://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/pcia

2. Sibaud V, et al. Dermatological adverse events with taxane chemotherapy. Eur J Dermatol. 2016