Medical Oncologist
Emotional support
Body image and chemotherapy
Hair, weight, skin and nails are the four patients notice. Not every drug causes hair loss, weight moves in both directions, skin darkens and dries, and nails ridge or lift. Most of it settles after treatment, though not always completely, and none of it is trivial to the person living with it.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
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The short answer
How does chemotherapy change how you look?
Hair, weight, skin and nails are the four that patients notice. Not every drug causes hair loss, weight moves in both directions rather than only down, skin darkens and dries, and nails ridge, darken or lift. Most of it settles in the months after treatment ends, though not always completely and not always quickly.
None of that is trivial. Being told the changes are temporary while watching your reflection stop looking like you is not comforting, and it is worse for younger women, for anybody unmarried, and for anybody whose household has not been told about the diagnosis. This page takes that seriously rather than telling you to focus on getting well.
Ask which changes apply to your drugs
Hair loss in particular varies completely between regimens. Knowing whether it will happen to you, and roughly when, is far better than dreading all of it at once.
Prepare before it happens, not after
Buying a wig or scarves, cutting hair short, and telling the people who need telling is much easier done in advance than in the week it starts coming out.
Say plainly that it matters to you
Staff sometimes skip past this, assuming it is secondary to treatment. It is not secondary to you, and saying so is what gets you practical help and a referral if you want one.
Show any cream, oil or cosmetic product to your team before using it on treated skin.What changes
The changes patients notice most
- Hair
- Whether it happens, how much and when all depend on the drugs. It affects eyebrows, lashes and body hair as well as the head, and it regrows afterwards, sometimes with a different texture or colour.
- Weight
- Down through sickness and a poor appetite, or up through steroids, fluid and inactivity. Patients are often surprised by gaining rather than losing, and nobody warns them about that.
- Skin
- Darkening, dryness, sensitivity to sun, and darkening along the vein used for infusions. The sun sensitivity is the part worth acting on, because it prevents further change.
- Nails
- Ridges, dark lines, brittleness, and sometimes a nail lifting or coming off. Keep them short and clean, and report pain, redness or discharge around a nail bed promptly.
- The face
- Steroids can round the face, and it is one of the changes patients find hardest because it cannot be covered. It settles once the steroids reduce.
- Visible signs of treatment
- A port under the skin, a line, surgical scars and vein marks. Clothing can cover most of it, and a conversation with your team about what will be visible is worth having in advance.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistPractical
What genuinely helps
Preparation, not acceptance.
Sort out head cover before the hair goes
A wig, scarves, caps or a dupatta arrangement you are comfortable with. Chosen in advance while you still have your own hair to match, rather than urgently in the week it starts.
Ask about
- Whether your drugs cause hair loss
- Roughly when it usually starts
Cut it short first, if you want to
Many patients find a short cut before it starts makes the loss less distressing and easier to manage. Some shave it entirely and describe that as taking back a decision.
Protect the skin from the sun
Shade, full sleeves, a scarf and a hat. Sun sensitivity during treatment is real and the darkening it causes takes a long time to fade. Ask which products are suitable for you.
Report promptly
- Pain, redness or discharge around a nail
- Blistering, peeling or a spreading rash
Keep nails short, clean and unpainted
Short nails catch less and hide less. Avoid cutting cuticles or having pedicures during treatment, since both create small wounds at exactly the wrong time.
Decide in advance what you will say
One short sentence for colleagues, neighbours and relatives, and permission for yourself not to explain further. Rehearsing it removes a great deal of daily strain.
Ask your team
Questions worth asking early
- Do my drugs cause hair loss, and when
- Will my eyebrows and lashes be affected
- Am I likely to gain or lose weight
- Which moisturiser and soap are suitable for me
- Which sun protection can I use
- What nail changes should I report
- Will the port or line be visible in my clothes
- Is there a counsellor I can talk to about this
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which changes you will get or how long they will last. That depends on your drugs, your doses, how long the course is and your own body, and your team can give you a far more useful answer than any general page.
It also cannot promise that everything returns to exactly as it was. Hair frequently regrows with a different texture, some skin darkening takes a long time to fade, and nails can take many months. Most of it improves substantially, which is not the same as nothing having happened.
Nobody should be told this does not matter
Patients are told to be grateful to be alive and that appearance is trivial by comparison. Both things can be true at once. Distress about how you look is a reasonable response and there is support for it.
Be careful what you put on treated skin
Oils, herbal pastes, bleaching creams and cosmetic treatments pressed on patients during treatment can irritate skin that is already fragile. Show anything new to your team first.
Ask for counselling if it is affecting you badly
Particularly for younger patients, for unmarried women facing family questions, and where the changes have made somebody withdraw from people entirely. This is a recognised reason for support rather than a vanity.
What to do next
Ask which changes apply to your own drugs and when. Arrange head cover before you need it, protect your skin from the sun, keep nails short and unpainted, and decide your one sentence for other people. Ask for counselling if it is weighing on you.
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Commonly believed
Four things patients are told
"Everybody loses their hair on chemotherapy."
It depends entirely on the drugs, and some regimens cause little or none. Ask whether yours does and roughly when, because dreading all possible changes at once is worse than knowing which apply to you.
"You will lose a lot of weight, so eat as much as you can."
Many patients gain weight instead, through steroids, fluid and inactivity, and nobody warns them. Ask which is likely for your treatment rather than assuming the direction.
"Oils and herbal pastes will protect the skin and hair."
Several irritate skin that treatment has already made fragile, and some interfere with radiotherapy if you are having it. Show anything you intend to apply to your team first.
"You should be grateful to be alive and not worry about appearance."
Both things can be true at once. Distress about how you look is a reasonable response to a real change, and there is practical help and counselling for it rather than only a lecture about perspective.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about appearance during treatment
Will I definitely lose my hair?
Not necessarily. It depends on the drugs, so ask your team whether yours cause it and roughly when it starts. Where it does happen, it regrows after treatment, sometimes with a different texture.
Should I cut my hair short beforehand?
Many patients find that helps, and some shave it entirely and describe it as taking back a decision. There is no right answer; do whichever feels more like your own choice.
Where do I get a wig?
Ask the nurses or the medical social worker at your centre, who will know local options and any charitable schemes. Arrange it before the hair starts going, while you still have it to match.
Why has my skin gone darker?
Darkening is a common effect of several drugs, including along the vein used for infusions, and sun exposure worsens it. Cover up, stay in the shade, and ask which sun protection suits you.
My nails are going black and lifting. Is that serious?
Nail changes are common and usually settle after treatment. Keep them short and clean, avoid cutting cuticles, and report pain, redness or discharge around a nail bed promptly.
Can I use cosmetics and hair colour?
Ask your team, because skin is more sensitive during treatment and some products irritate it. Hair colouring is generally best left until some time after treatment finishes.
How long until I look like myself again?
Hair usually starts regrowing within a few months of finishing, and skin and nails take longer. Most changes improve substantially, though not always back to exactly as before.
I cannot face people like this. Is there help?
Yes. Ask for a counsellor or psycho-oncology support, which is available at many centres and rarely requested. Withdrawing from everybody is a good reason to ask rather than something to manage alone.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Patient stories
Hear it from people we have treated
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Sources
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Your feelings and cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Coping emotionally with cancer
- American Cancer Society — Emotional, Mental Health, and Mood Changes
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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