Q. My friend has cancer and is recovering from chemotherapy. She’s lost her hair, and rather than use shampoo (there’s no hair there to wash!), she’s begun using her regular shower soap. Is this wise?

A. Your friend needs to keep cleansing her scalp with her regular shampoo. She may, inadvertently, be creating her own problems. Our body soaps frequently have much fat in them (for “creaminess), and this fat can plug the pores where her new hair with exit the scalp. This new hair will be very delicate at first, much like a babies. It won’t be able to “push through” the clogged pore. Encourage her to use her regular shampoo…or perhaps treat her to a new bottle!