Important Benefits of the Cold Cap for Chemotherapy-related Hair Loss

3 January 2017
 Categories: , Blog


If you have recently been diagnosed with chemotherapy and your oncologist has recommended chemotherapy, there are many side effects you might be warned about. Two of the most common ones are nausea and hair loss. While there are a wide variety of treatments for your nausea, including both prescription and homeopathic medications, until recently there was little that could be done for the hair loss.

Fortunately, cold caps work to preserve the hair follicles that are frequently damaged by chemotherapy is a viable option that has helped many patients to limit their hair loss. Therefore, the following information about cold caps will be quite useful as you create your action plan for treating your cancer. 

Cold Caps Are Easy to Use  

It is crucial understand that many of the most common and effective chemotherapy drugs are known to damage hair follicles, which then allows hair loss to occur. Given the powerful drugs and their possible side effects, it only makes sense that many cancer patients prefer not to ingest any unnecessary medications at a difficult time.  As a result, the cold cap is especially useful because it is a device that can be worn topically. 

The cap stays between -40 and -15 degrees Fahrenheit and is used for brief periods of time before, during and after your chemotherapy. However, additional research is needed in order to determine the most appropriate amount of time for each patient. If you are interested in using a cold cap, you should ask your physician or an authorized person at your cancer treatment center, as they are not available everywhere. 

Your Hair Style, Type & Cut May Impact How Effective the Cold Cap Will Be

Recent studies suggest that the amount of direct contact that the cap has with your scalp can impact how effective the unit eventually will be. It is suspected that shorter hair cuts and thinner hair allow for more direct contact, while patients with longer, thicker air have less contact. Better contact often allows for less hair loss and better protection against hair loss. 

That means that it may be helpful to get a hair cut before starting your chemotherapy or as soon as you can after starting it. Since the FDA has approved the use of a two-part cold cap for cancer patients who hope to avoid or reduce their possible hair loss, this is a viable option that deserves consideration from both cancer patients and their physicians.      

Cold caps are a revolutionary way to minimize or prevent hair loss that occurs as the result of some chemotherapy medications. If you are concerned about your future hair loss after a recent cancer diagnosis, you need to be aware of the benefits listed above about cold caps.   


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