I had the first chemo yesterday and opted for the cold cap. It was hooked up to a machine. After reading in the internet and speaking to the nurses there I was expecting it to be awful for the first 20 minutes or so, so much so that some take paracetamol and others can’t stand it and discontinue use.
I’ve blasted myself with cold water at the end of my morning shower for about a year off and on, so knowing that I wanted to try the cold cap I made this into a habit for about the month before. It is also meant to boost your immune system. When I washed my hair I would have the cold water on my hair too. In the past (but not the last two years) I’ve partaken in open water swimming which is pretty cold some times.
My experience with the cold cap was totally fine. I had a thick body warmer and a blanket to keep my body warm which was definitely needed but my head itself wasn’t that bad at all. I even asked the nurse if she could make it colder! This being said, I don’t know if it actually worked and will save my hair! Maybe I have a hot head or the machine wasn’t working as it should. I also have pretty thick hair so maybe that provided some insulation. I will update with results as time goes on.
Sandra