Chemo-related hair loss? Try "cold cap" therapy

Chemotherapy can be a powerful treatment for many kinds of cancer. Unfortunately, one of its unwelcome side effects is hair loss.

There's no doubt that the benefit of preventing cancer recurrence outweighs the negatives of hair loss. Still, losing your hair can be a challenging side effect. Not only is hair loss tough on self-image and comfort, it's also a reminder of your cancer diagnosis. Hair loss is a very big deal for many patients.

What if you could minimize this hair loss?

Researchers have discovered something that may significantly reduce hair loss due to chemotherapy. It's a scalp-cooling device sometimes referred to as cold cap therapy or cooling caps.

Two different studies followed women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. In each study, one group of women used a scalp-cooling device before, during and after their chemotherapy sessions. The remaining women did not.

The studies found encouraging results. Among the women who used the cooling cap, 66% in one study and 50% in the other study kept at least half of their hair. Among the women who didn't use the caps, none of them maintained half of their hair.

How do "cooling caps" work?

Chemotherapy works by killing rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells. But chemotherapy can't differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells that divide quickly, like those that grow hair. When chemotherapy attacks hair follicles, it causes hair to fall out.

The scalp-cooling process constricts blood vessels in your scalp. This constriction is believed to reduce the amount of chemotherapy that reaches your follicles. The cold also decreases the division of cells in hair follicles, making them less likely to be targeted by the chemotherapy drug.

What are the downsides?

• Scalp cooling may be cost prohibitive. Currently, it isn't typically covered by insurance.
• It doesn't work for all cancers. Scalp cooling is not recommended for certain types of lung and skin cancers or blood cancers like leukemia. The caps aren't designed for kids, so pediatric cancers are out, too.
• Treatment is less effective for certain hair types. Thick hair tends to insulate the scalp, so it's harder to cool. Kinky or tightly curled hair may need to be thermally straightened or worn in small braids to get the best effect.
• There are mild side effects. Some people report headaches, scalp pain and chills.