Understanding Cold Caps (scalp cooling) and chemotherapy
A cold cap (scalp cooling) is one of those things that until you are faced with the possibility of losing your hair you probably won’t have heard much about. It’s a method of cooling the scalp which can be used with some forms of chemotherapy (not other treatments) to try and help reduce hair loss.In my experience, there is quite a lot of hear-say or information passed on by personal experience about this subject. As with most things, some information is correct but some is inaccurate .
You may hear comments such as…”I had the same chemo drug as you and wasn’t able to have the cold cap - so it’s not worth you asking…only women can wear them…you have to cut your hair into a bob length…the machine ones are much better…” and so on.
There are clear facts available about how a cold cap works and who it is best suited for. It really is worth investigating so that you can consider your options clearly. Below are two main categories of information broken down into question and answers. This will explain the cold cap in detail, sorting the fact from the fiction. It will help you decide if a cold cap is something that may be suitable for you and help you discuss options with your nurse or doctor.
If you then decide to use the cold cap, we have written helpful information about taking care of your hair and scalp during treatment.