“Will I lose my hair?” This is a common question people ask when their cancer treatment options are explained to them. This side effect worries many people, and some even decline treatment due to the fear of losing their hair.

For people with kidney cancer, treatments, nutritional deficiencies, and stress are factors that could contribute to hair loss.

If you’re concerned about the possibility of losing your hair during your treatments, share your concerns with your healthcare team. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about how kidney cancer treatments can affect your hair health and what you can do to care for your hair and scalp during treatment.

How Cancer Treatments Can Affect Hair

Hair loss, also called alopecia, is a common side effect of cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy. However, not everyone who undergoes cancer treatment will lose their hair, and if they do, it’s usually temporary.

Whether you will experience hair loss depends on the type of treatment you’re receiving as well as the dose and timing.

Read on to learn more about the types of cancer treatment available and the impact on hair.

Which Kidney Cancer Treatments Can Cause Hair Loss?

There are a number of different kidney cancer treatment options, most of which may not impact your hair follicles at all. Here’s an overview of the most common treatments for kidney cancer and how they might affect your hair.

Surgery

Surgery is often the primary approach to treating kidney cancer. In some cases, it’s the only treatment you’ll need, especially if your cancer is only in the kidney.

Most of the time, the side effects from kidney surgery include pain and potential infections. However, there is some evidence that hair loss or shedding can happen several months after a major surgery, though it doesn’t happen to everyone.

Active Surveillance

Sometimes kidney tumors are slow growing and small. In these cases, an oncologist (a cancer specialist) may recommend taking a “wait-and-see” approach. The only medical interventions used in these cases are imaging tests like ultrasounds and blood tests, so there is little risk of hair loss.

However, stress can sometimes lead to hair loss. If you’re particularly worried, you may notice your hair thinning. Scientists are unsure why this happens.

Targeted Drug Therapies

Targeted drugs are used to treat advanced kidney cancer. They’re sometimes used alongside an immunotherapy drug.

Targeted therapy can cause hair changes. Some people may notice hair loss or changes to their hair color.

If you experience hair loss due to targeted drugs, it’s usually only partial hair loss or hair thinning. The hair loss may also start later and take longer to grow back.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy drugs are sometimes used to boost your immune system when you have kidney cancer. Immunotherapy doesn’t typically cause hair loss, but it can affect the thyroid. Thyroid changes can lead to hair thinning.

Radiation Therapy

While radiation treatment is not usually a first approach to treating kidney cancer, it’s sometimes used for people who can’t have surgery or for those whose cancer has spread throughout the body.

This type of treatment can cause some hair loss depending on the dose and the area where it’s used.

For those who receive radiation therapy, the hair loss is usually limited to the area where the therapy takes place. So, radiation therapy on the head or brain might cause hair loss in that area. Typically, the hair loss starts about one to three weeks after the first treatment. It’s also more likely to be permanent.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy isn’t a common treatment for kidney cancer, but it may be used for less common types of renal cell carcinomas, like collecting duct RCC and renal medullary carcinoma, which accounts for less than 3 percent of all kidney cancers.

Chemotherapy drugs are designed to target fast-growing cancer cells and your hair follicles are not immune to their impact. As a result, the hair on your head may fall out or get thinner. You may also lose hair on other parts of your body like your eyebrows, eyelashes, arms, legs, and groin.

Most people begin to lose their hair with chemo about one to four weeks after the treatment begins. The good news is that, most of the time, hair loss from chemo is reversible and your hair grows back.

It’s important to note that not all chemotherapy agents cause hair loss, so ask your cancer specialist if the ones you’re receiving are associated with alopecia or not.

Other Reasons People With Kidney Cancer May Lose Hair

Sometimes hair loss has nothing to do with your cancer treatment. Instead, it’s related to other factors in your life, including family history or genetics. Even getting the flu or COVID can lead to hair loss a few months after the infection.

Here are some other possible reasons you could be experiencing hair loss:

• Having nutritional deficiencies, like being low in certain vitamins or minerals
• Experiencing hormonal changes
• Developing other health conditions, like hypothyroidism
• Wearing tight hairstyles or braids (sometimes called traction alopecia)
• Taking certain medications
• Experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety
• Getting a scalp infection (tinea capitis)
• Being hard on your hair through coloring, heat styling, or perming

How To Cope With Kidney Cancer Hair Loss

Losing your hair can be very upsetting and can take an emotional toll on you. You might feel like you’re losing a part of yourself or you might be embarrassed or ashamed.

Regardless of how you’re feeling, your reaction is normal. In fact, nearly 50 percent of people who have experienced hair loss say it was the most traumatic side effect of their cancer treatment.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to cope with your hair loss, boost your self esteem, and feel better about appearance. Here are some suggestions:

• Be gentle with your hair when brushing, combing, and washing it
• Avoid irritants like perms, bleaches, colorants, or straighteners
• Limit the use of heat tools such as curling irons and hair dryers
• Protect your scalp from the sun and from irritation
• Select gentle products such as mild shampoos and conditioners and use a microfiber towel for drying
• Pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking and prioritize good nutrition
• Consider a wig or other head coverings
• Look into keratin-based hair fiber products that stick to your existing hair
• Camouflage thin spots with hair powders, crayons, sprays, or creams
• Discuss cooling caps (or cold caps) and scalp cooling therapy options with your doctor or a dermatologist
• If your healthcare provider approves, use minoxidil when your treatment ends to promote faster hair regrowth
• Talk to someone about your feelings and build a support network or attend a support group

Remember: your hair doesn’t define who you are — you’re still you, with or without hair.

There’s no right or wrong way to cope with hair loss. The key is finding a solution that feels right for you and helps you feel empowered and hopeful.

Join the Conversation

On MyKidneyCancerTeam, people share their experiences with kidney cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

If you have kidney cancer and have hair loss or thinning, what is one thing you’ve done to cope? Let others know in the comments below.