Cancer patients often suffer from hair loss caused by chemotherapy, which leads to severe psychological, social, and professional distress. Currently, the only effective solutions are expensive cooling caps, which may have side effects.

Brian Smith, an associate professor at the College of Engineering and the Institute for Quality Health Sciences and Engineering, developed a gel aimed at protecting hair follicles throughout the treatment period. The gel contains lidocaine and adrenaline, which temporarily reduce blood flow to the scalp and limit the chemotherapy drugs’ access to the follicles, thus protecting hair from falling out.

The hydrogel is temperature-responsive; it thickens and adheres to the scalp at body temperature and turns into a liquid that is easy to wash off at lower temperatures.

Smith said, “This unmet need, protecting hair during chemotherapy, directly impacts cancer patients’ quality of life. I realized its importance after interviews with doctors and former patients.”

Researchers hope to secure federal or investment funding to develop clinical trials on humans. Smith explained, “All gel components are safe and proven, but we cannot proceed with clinical trials without significant financial support.”

The results were published in the journal Biomaterials Advances.