Wellness

[kismet]

Has anyone used a Cold Cap during Chemo and do you think it has helped with little or no hair loss?  Would you recommend it?

[LindaSal]

@kismet I am coming up on seven years that I finished my treatment for breast cancer.

Not sure how long this device has been around, I've never heard of it.  I was curious and did look at it for a bit online.  It does seem expensive enough but that aside I wonder about side effects as going through chemo is already a big ordeal for your system to deal with.

Not sure I would trust it but that's just me, I do tend to be very cautious.   Losing your hair is a difficult part of it all but when I look back after going through surgery, chemo and radiation for a total of 9 months my hair loss did not seem like a big deal to me anymore.

[wagirl]

the cold cap has been around for many, many years. I went thru 5 months of chemo in 2012 and asked about it but was told that it wouldn't work for me--I had some pretty heavy duty drugs for breast cancer--I did put my fingertips and feet in ice tho--thought that might help me prevent neuropathy--but that didn't work either. but I have heard that there is more info on the cap now so google it. Losing your hair is really daunting and I dreaded that the most---but in the long run--when my hair finally, was gone, it was very relieving not to have to worry about it. It was done and nothing I could do to stop it--heavy  burden on my shoulders was  lifted. It did grow back very fast after treatments and I had 3 adorable wigs that I wore that looked great. 

[wagirl]

@LindaSal --just wanted to say congrats on 7 years of thriving!!!  It will be 10 years for me in April of this year. yes, I agree--after all the tests and scans and surgery and chemo and rads --the hair loss was easy to deal with, altho I dreaded it.

Had 5 months of strong chemo and 33 days of rads----will finish my meds this year too.  What a wild ride, right!!?

[Love my grandkids]

@kismet  Congrats on your 7 years. I am coming up on my 5 years but I have no idea if it works. I was very lucky that my chemo caused no hair loss at all. It did, however, affect me in that I didn't have to shave my legs for months so that was another benefit!

[Shelbelle]

Hair loss depends on which drugs are used. Breast cancer chemo almost always causes hair loss, sad to say. 

[HerRoyaLioness]

Have heard of the cold cap, but did not try it. The only thing I did was chew on ice during treatments for mouth sores and I did not get them

I wanted the chemo to do its job on every cell that I had, be it my fingers or toes or head., but then again I had 2 heavy duty chemo for breast cancer, which were brutal.

My hair started falling out by the handfuls before the second treatment.  I took 2 support friends with me to get my hair buzzed and it was not as traumatic as I thought it would be. As a matter of fact it turned out to be very low maintenance which was a good thing. I had a quality wig that looked the same as my hair, but I became very comfortable not wearing it too.  9 years cancer free this month!

Wishing you well!

[kismet]

Thanks for the info.  I had breast cancer 15 years ago and didn't need chemo.  My daughter was diagnosed a few months ago with breast cancer.  Strange thing is there is no BRCA gene but we both got it.  She was just told she needs chemo and was debating about the cold cap.  Now she's thinking maybe it won't work for her since it doesn't for some.  I would like to say that breast cancer does cause pain.  I had pain and she did also.  My tumor was smaller but was missed on my mammograms but my surgeon said after reviewing my yearly mammograms that he felt it was slow growing and started about 5 years earlier.  No digital mammograms back then.  My daughter's was fast growing and very painful so it is important to check out any pain in the breast.  She's had the tumor taken out and then had surgery by a plastic surgeon for a newer procedure.  It's hard to see a daughter go through this especially with covid and a low immune system.  She's strong and she'll get through it for her kids.  I've helped her so far with what she would have to go through but with the chemo I know nothing.  I am so glad she has such a good team at the hospital there for her.  

[Drythe]

MAYO has a bit about Cold Cap on line.

Best Wishes

[wagirl]

@Love my grandkids --I lost the hair  EVERYWHERE.  It came back except on my legs--sometimes I find a stray hair but mostly am hairless on my legs---so haven;t shaved in 10 years---