Avoid hair loss during chemotherapy?

Although there are no guaranteed methods for avoiding hair loss during chemotherapy, there are some measures you can take that can help reduce the risk and possibly help you avoid it all together. According to the Mayo Clinic, scalp cryotherapy and the use of minoxidil are two treatments being investigated.  Here's what they had to say about the two:

• Scalp hypothermia (cryotherapy). During your chemotherapy, ice packs or similar devices are placed on your head to slow blood flow to your scalp. This way, chemotherapy drugs are less likely to have an effect on your scalp. Studies of scalp hypothermia have found it works somewhat in the majority of people who have tried it. However, the procedure also causes a small risk of cancer recurring in your scalp, as this area doesn't receive the same dose of chemotherapy as the rest of your body. Most people who try this procedure find it to be uncomfortable and very cold.

• Minoxidil (Rogaine). Applying minoxidil—a drug approved for pattern hair loss in men and women—to your scalp before and during chemotherapy isn't likely to prevent your hair loss, although some research shows it may speed up your hair regrowth. More research is needed to understand whether minoxidil is effective in regrowing hair after cancer treatment.