What to tell patients who will lose their hair

Many oncologists and surgeons cite the question, "Will I lose my hair?" as the most common response when they tell a patient they will need chemotherapy or cranial surgery. This would seem to indicate that a patient's self-image is at least as important to their emotional well-being as their actual physical condition.

As a doctor, the most important way you can help a patient cope with their hair loss is to educate them. Information is power. In this case, it's the power to be proactive about their self-image during their recovery. For patients who aren't comfortable with losing their hair, you can help them by giving them the information they need to find an acceptable cosmetic solution.

1. Depending on their condition and/or treatment, advise the patient when they will lose their hair. This helps them to be mentally prepared for when their image changes.
2. Be sensitive to their emotional state and their concern for the change in their appearance.
3. Provide them with literature they can take home that will help them cope with their hair loss. You'll likely be recommending literature about their condition or treatment, so this literature should go right along with that. You can request free copies of our booklet Coping With Medically Related Hair Loss to make available to your patients by contacting us, and you can refer them directly to yourHAIRx.com for detailed information as well.
4. Write a prescription for a medical hair prosthesis. This is the technical name for a wig or hairpiece for medical hair loss. The patient will need this to file a reimbursement claim with their insurance company, and you can help them a lot by giving them the ICD-9 code for their hair loss and noting on the prescription that the MHP is "for the mental well-being of the patient".
5. Encourage the patient to start shopping for a MHP right away if they think their hair loss will effect them emotionally. The most natural looking products take time to create, and waiting until they have lost their hair will only cause problems.
6. Make a recommendation. If you often work with patients who lose their hair (such as with chemotherapy or conditions like Alopecia), develop a relationship with a wigmaker who specializes in wigs and hairpieces for medically related hair loss. Your recommendation can give a patient a great deal of comfort during their recovery.