Does Scalp-Cooling Work?

Hello lovelies

I had my first FEC on Monday, feel OK so far just a little bit tired and occasionally feel queasy at the thought of certain foods, I am aware I mustn’t be lulled into a false sense of security and that worse side effects WILL follow sooner or later so I am going with the flow.

I am just being inquisitive here - how many of you have opted for the scalp cooling and did it make any difference as to whether you kept your hair? I have a wig and some scarves on standby and am prepared to lose my hair despite the scalp cooling but just wondered what your own experiences were?

Thanks

Hello!

I had 3 FEC and had the cold cap - I then stopped using it as I moved onto weekly taxol over 12 weeks and couldn’t face any more chill! My hair stayed all through my chemo although got thinner and thinner. I shaved it off at the end as it was in such a state!!

I wore scarves a lot as it went v thin on top - I think it will always thin, but not sure how mich for different people etc

I probably would use it again as I think it meant I kept my hair for longer. I think people that don’t lose it pretty quickly in the first few weeks…

Liz x

I am just having 6 cycles of FEC with each cycle being 3 weeks apart (only 5 more to go hooray) so I shall persevere but I think I’d still prefer to shave it off, as you say really thin hair can look a state, although I realise it’s a very individual thing and some people would rather hang on to every last strand of their hair for as long as possible - personally if mine is destined to fall out I shall shave it off at the first sign of thinning/balding, not the last.

I have read on another thread that the “hair down below” started falling out after 10 days and I shan’t be upset if and when this happens to me but not gonna throw the razors away just yet.

Hee hee - yep hair down below didn’t last long at all!! Annoying though I was still shaving my legs for months!! Typical.
I thought I’d be more upset by the hair thing than I ended up being really - funny old thing chemo, as once you start it you are so focused on getting through it that the hair thing mattered less when it actually happened in some way.

Hope you continue to feel ok - horrible red epi, yuck! Still have nightmares about that giant syringe thing. It is such an odd thing to have to go through

ss

I used the very cold cap throughout my chemo, 4 x fec and 4 x tax. My hair did thin but nobody really noticed. A few of the ladies wore wigs and looked fantastic, some didnt bother and still looked fantastic!

Am I right in thinking Epirubicin, in any combination, is the one mainly guaranteed to cause hair loss?

From what I have read about the cold cap, it’s less likely to work on long, thick hair. Mine has been longer than shoulder length all my life and I can’t begin to imagine going short, let alone losing it. Having stupid random thoughts like, accept chemo (including Epi), may improve 10 year survival prospect, and even then hair will still be shorter than it is now.

I hate statistics!

For those who did have Epi and used the cold cap successfully, how short/thick was your hair at the beginning? Lyn x

My hair was quite short, sort of collar length bob, I had it cut into short style, and it is quite fine, not thick. I think what you read about long, thick hair and the cold cap could be quite accurate unless anybody knows different??

I had very thick waistlength hair which I cut to mid back length prior to chemo(4xFEC,4xTaxol)It thinned a little on the FEC but still looked great…until the Taxol! It really started coming out after the first dose and although it was only sheer stubborness that made me continue with the cold cap til the bitter end,I’d hardly a hair on my head!! I’m sure I would have kept it if I hadnt had Taxol.Good news is three and a half years later and its almost back down to my waist again!

Anyway good luck to all you girls on the coldcap!
love Josie x

Hi

I have shoulder length hair, it was very thick before my 3xFEC and 3xTax. It thinned quite a bit, had a very small bald patch that no-one else could notice. Wore my hair up most of the time, and nobody could tell the difference.

It started coming about 2 weeks after 1st FEC, shedded for about a week - then stopped. That remained the pattern pretty much for the whole chemo time. All other hair vanished completely - but all back with a vengence now…

Good luck for those who try it, I was lucky and very very thankful that it worked for me.

Best wishes
Ali
xx

I used cold cap for my first AC treatmeant. I had very thick short bob but hair started coming out on day 16.
I took my husbands trimmers to it on the morning of my second treatmeant as it was near enough gone anyway.
I was less upset than I thought I would be and I bought a nice wig to compensate.
I thought when I was wearing the cold cap that because my hair was so thick the cold did not reach the scalp,I did question it at the time but nurse assured me it had good contact so perhaps people with thinner hair might have more sucess.

I have alway used the cold cap when hair loss has been indicated. At the start of treatment I had my hair cut short as I think that does make a difference to the effectiveness of the cold cap. The first time was ECF (not the same as FEC) Epirubicin, Carboplatin & fluoruracil and my hair thinned evenly all over. A couple of years later I had 8 rounds of taxotere, was told it would be total hair loss, and cold cap would be pointless. Being me I said I wanted to try it anyway, and I didn’t lose any hair. At least not on my head, just everywhere else. I do wonder if the modern cold caps are as effective as the old method. We used icepacks moulded over a polystyrene head which were kept in the freezer. These were ‘scrunched’ down over your head to fit as closely as possible. You were then swathed in towels and blankets - one to keep you from drowning - the other to keep you from freezing!!! Sounds barbaric now doesnt it?

dawnhc