The Holmes and Rahe scale ranks injury and illness as one of the Top 10 most stressful life events a person can experience in their lifetime. The Sanofi-Aventi drug Taxotere (docetaxel) hit the market in 1996, but the company did not advise US markets of the risk involved with Taxotere until 2015, more than a decade after first alerting European consumers of the risks. In this post, we’ll be talking about how Sanofi-Aventis’ drug can continue to diminish quality of life: specifically, how permanent alopecia affects breast cancer survivors’ mental health.
Research shows that while both men and women experience a series of psychological stages as a result of going bald, it’s particularly devastating for women. Temporary alopecia is an expected side effect of chemo, with the expectation that the hair will grow back. As such, one psychological consequence of permanent alopecia is the patient’s inability to view themselves as healthy—the person they see in the mirror still presents as a cancer patient, fighting for their life. Hair loss is a trauma, triggered not only when the survivor sees their own reflection, but also in how the outside world perceives them.
Most cultures—especially Westernized ones—have social associations of abundant hair with good health, youth, power, additionally equating a woman’s hair with beauty and sexuality. Because of this, many women equate the loss of their hair with no longer being attractive or desirable.
The psychological implications of permanent alopecia go even deeper. Baldness serves as a visual line of demarcation: a woman’s self-perception in terms of “before” and “after”. Both the survivor and the world around her perceive her as forever different. Hair loss is the neon sign above her head, blinking “I Have Cancer” for the whole world to see, reducing them into one thing and one thing only: their disease.
Despite the social expectation for women’s hair to be their “crowning glory”, many doctors gloss over the long-term effects of alopecia on mental health, implying simply being alive following breast cancer treatment is more important than the continued quality of that life; that permanent hair loss is a petty or otherwise vain concern on the patient’s part. This attitude ignores the stark reality that because a person’s hair is one of their defining features, the loss of this feature impacts how we are perceived and how we perform, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.
First of all, remember this: You are not alone. S.A. Ledlie’s memoir 'Naked in the Wind' is an excellent guide for living with permanent hair loss after Taxotere—a reminder that though this is a difficult journey, it doesn’t have to be lonely.If Taxotere has compromised the quality of your life, remember that Periscope Group advocates are here to help you assess your case and put you in contact with a local legal team. Here are some coping strategies and resources to help you along the way.
This is not to imply that your feelings aren’t valid—but it helps to keep in mind that you are a whole person, and your hair is just one facet of that person. Remind yourself of what you have overcome already, and keep that strength at your center.
If you find that the stress resulting from alopecia is keeping you from doing the things you love, impacting your workplace productivity, or limiting your life, consider following up with a mental health professional or a support group. Often, survivors feel isolated in their peer group because they have no one who can relate to the ordeal they’ve experienced. Therapists and support groups are a way for you to feel less alone in the world.
New research suggests that use of cold packs before, during, or following intravenous chemo may slow or prevent hair loss by constricting the blood vessels on the scalp.
Many shops specialize in hair pieces for chemo patients, and most health insurance companies cover at least a portion of the expense under procedure codes S8095 and A9282. Likewise, some hairpieces may even be considered a tax-deductible medical expense, and can be “prescribed” as a medical necessity by your doctor as a “full cranial prosthesis” for submission to your insurance carrier.
