P#55  Suitability of shampoo used on treatment induced alopecia

Margaret Simpson, Pauline Hepher, Miriam Tadjali and Elaine Stevens. The Ayrshire Hospice, Ayr, Scotland

Researching into this the hairdressing staff at The Ayrshire Hospice could find no previous study into the use of suitable shampoo on people suffering from treatment induced alopecia. Both a literature and internet search for information relating to this could find very little information or evidence of previous investigations. The New England Journal of Medicine referred briefly to the use of shampoo; results from the internet were recommendations from a few specialist companies who advocated the use of expensive shampoo for hereditary hair loss, there being no reference to treatment induced loss. Initial discussions with staff at the hospice and other local centres of treatment revealed a tendency to recommend the use of baby shampoo while the local college of further education, which had a dedicated hairdressing faculty, were aware of reasons why such shampoo was unsuitable for adult hair. A questionnaire was sent to over 540 establishments - other hospices, oncology units, GPs in Ayrshire, trichologists and hairdressers. Letter approaches were made to pharmaceutical and hairdressing supply companies. There was a range of questions asked and looked at the respondents knowledge of hair care products. From the data collected (overall 70% response) it concluded that the recommendation of shampoos offered to cancer patients was random and haphazard. Health care professionals recommended baby shampoo intuitively although it was suggested by trichologists surveyed that continual use of baby shampoo could affect the quality of regrowing adult hair. The conclusion was that the best products to use to promote and preserve regrowing adult hair are those that are pH balanced, perfume, colour and additive free. It was interesting to note that a leading shampoo manufacturer admitted that baby shampoo "does not contain the same level of conditioning agents and ingredients as technologically advanced adult shampoos".