While hair loss doesn’t happen for every cancer patient who undergoes chemotherapy, it will happen for most. This often distressing side effect currently has only one method in use to help: cooling caps that constrict blood flow to hair follicles. However, they can cause headaches and scalp pain, can be expensive, and research has shown that they don’t work the same for everyone. One study of breast cancer patients found that among those who used cooling caps during chemo, just 66% lost 50% or less of their hair. An engineer has been working on a different method, though, and it’s similar to shampoo.

Bryan Smith, an associate professor at Michigan State University’s College of Engineering, recently developed lidocaine and adrenalone hydrogels that are applied to the scalp before chemo starts and left in as long as chemo drugs remain in the body. The goal was to restrict blood flow to hair follicles so chemo drugs can’t reach them.

Smith says, “This unmet need of chemotherapy-induced alopecia appealed to me because it is adjacent to the typical needs in medicine such as better treatments and earlier, more accurate diagnostics for cancer. This is a need on the personal side of cancer care that, as an engineer, I didn’t fully recognize until I began interviewing cancer physicians and former cancer patients about it. Once I understood, it became clear to me that better solutions are very important to many cancer patients’ quality of life.”

His findings, published in the journal Biomaterials Advances, showed that his solution may be workable. When applied to a Flemish giant rabbit, the skin underwent significant blood vessel constriction, which would be key in reducing hair loss. Both types of gel reduced blood vessel diameters, as well, lidocaine by about 39% and adrenalone by 21%. This suggests both may be promising hair retention options.

The research is still in its early days, however, and there’s a long way to go.

Smith explains, “The research has the potential to help many people. All the individual components are well-established, safe materials, but we can’t move forward with follow-up studies and clinical trials on humans without the support of substantial funding.”

Until more research is done, there are things you can do to prepare for hair loss. NHS Inform suggests talking to your friends and loved ones about your feelings, especially if they’ve been through it themselves. You may also want to purchase a wig, hat, scarf, or other headwear that makes you feel comfortable before losing your hair. You can read more tips here.

Learn how to contribute to other cancer research here!