15 things you should know about scalp cooling
Prior and During Treatment
1. Be proactive. If you feel the cap isn’t tight enough on your scalp, please notify your nurse.
2. It is important that the cap is touching the crown of the head.
3. The chin strap may be uncomfortable but this is important for close fitting of the cap. Loosening it may prevent the cap from touching the crown and hair loss could occur. If it is causing you discomfort, ask your nurse to use some gauze as a cushion between your chin and the strap.
4. You should feel scalp cooling evenly throughout the scalp. If you do not, alert your nurse right away.
5. You can use a blanket or neck scarf and drink plenty of warm drinks to help with the coldness.
6. Consult your medical team for pain relief before the treatment if you are concerned you may get a headache.
7. If you have thick braids or hair extensions, please remove before using the scalp cooling system.
AFTER Treatment
8. You could go for toilet break after the pre infusion (30mins) period is completed. Keep the break to less than 10 mins for maximum benefit.
9. You may see ice on your hair after completion of the treatment.
10. Avoid harsh hair treatments like colouring, extensions, braiding, curling, straightening, etc.
11. Brush your hair gently to minimise stress on the fragile hair. You may wash your hair with a mild shampoo to avoid sensitivity and irritation to the scalp. Reduce the brushing and washing frequency as needed.
12. Moderate hair loss (30-50%) is expected while using the cap.
13. If you don’t feel you have to wear a wig or a head cover, it’s considered a success.
14. You may experience hair re-growth during your treatment period while having scalp cooling.
Side Effects
15. Common side effects other patients have experienced during scalp cooling:
- Complaints of coldness / cold related discomfort
- Headaches ranging from mild to severe
- Heavy feeling on the head
- Forehead pain
- Neck pain that comes and goes
- Light-headedness or dizziness (during scalp cooling and / or following removal of the cap at the end of scalp cooling)
- Complaints of uncomfortable sensations