Hair regrowth after chemo is one of the first things chemotherapy patients look forward to after treatment, especially for women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

While all chemotherapy patients most likely look forward to hair regrowth after chemo, women undergoing chemotherapy are typically hit hard by the emotional impact associated with hair loss.

With hair being a vital part of appearance for many women, it is not surprising for women to be upset at the prospect of being bald during chemotherapy. However women can typically expect hair regrowth after chemo at some point after the chemicals are completely filtered out of their system and their body recovers from the harsh treatment.

Unfortunately a popular chemotherapy drug has been allegedly causing permanent hair loss, or alopecia, which has been devastating many women. The chemotherapy drug Taxotere (docetaxel) is a popular choice for breast cancer treatment. Some patients say the labeling for Taxotere misled them to believe they would experience hair regrowth after chemo.

The label specifically states that the hair will “generally” grow back, which contradicts numerous complaints indicating permanent hair loss. Patients say that Taxotere manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis led them to expect hair regrowth after chemo, even though the company allegedly knew Taxotere could cause permanent hair loss.

Thousands of women who developed Taxotere alopecia have opted to file legal action against the company, alleging Sanofi failed to warn them against this possibility.

Overview of Chemotherapy Hair Loss

Chemotherapy is typically prescribed with a specific set of drugs for the particular variant of cancer and treatment is designed for the most optimal outcome and highest chances of survival.

Even if these drugs are prescribed on a short cycle, patients can typically expect to experience a number of severe side effects including fatigue, nausea, hair loss and many others. Hair loss occurs because chemotherapy is designed to attack rapidly reproducing cells and hair follicles may be among the first group of cells targeted.

This can ultimately lead to significant hair loss and often total baldness, however, patients expect hair regrowth after chemo. While the hair regrowth varies between patients, patients can still expect their hair to replenish itself sometime after the chemicals have left their bodies.

Taxotere is one of the most popular chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer, but it is approved to treat other cancer types. This drug has been on the market since the 1990s, with the label initially stating patients can generally expect hair regrowth after chemo.

After numerous alopecia reports were submitted, the FDA issued a label change for Taxotere in December 2015. It has been alleged Sanofi Aventis knew about the potential link between Taxotere and alopecia for years because European health officials required the label update at an earlier time.

Sanofi Aventis is currently facing a Taxotere class action lawsuit from women alleging the company deliberately concealed this information from United States consumers.