Hi I finished chemo in June. I cold capped every time. Had 3x FEC and 3xT. If you are going to lose hair it usually happens just before the second treatment. I kept most of my hair, probably about 60/70% and it was well worth it for me as like you losing my hair was a very big deal. Just make sure the cap is tight and look after your hair gently. Good luck x
YES! Mine thinned a bit but if you did not know me you would never know. This is me after my last treatment. BUT I was ultra careful read below for my routine.
I had my hair cut to just past chin length and layered before I started. I also had my eyebrows tattooed.
You will need a stretchy headband
A wide tooth comb
Shampoo (any sort you don’t need anything special)
Conditioner (ordinary and a leave in)
Painkillers
A flask of hot tea/coffee
A towel
A hat/cap
Take a pain killer 30 mins before your appointment.
When you get to the hospital damp your hair and apply a about a teaspoon or a little more of conditioner and comb it through.
Let them put the cap on and start the treatment. It will feel bad for the first few seconds but then it eases off.
When it is over they take the cap off and your head is covered in ice.
Put your hat on and go home. Do not wash your hair for at least 3 days and not under a shower. Wash once in cool water, pat dry with a towel don’t rub. Then spray with ha few spurts of leave in conditioner, comb with wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE.
The roots are very weak and they more you fus with it the more comes out.
I had 3xFEC and 12 weekly paclitaxel (pfc 7 weeks) and cold capped throughout-it was non negotiable on my part
Ignore the scare stories , it is no-where near as bad as some claim - the first 10 mins are cold - then it is fine- take a paracetamol if you are concerned about pain.
Yes it takes longer but so what? I kept 65% of my hair which is all I cared about-have had 2 hairdresser cuts since finishing and hairdresser is very pleased with my hair (despite the curly regrowth coming through.!)
Hi Erica, you’ve had quite a few replies to this, but there is also a thread begun in 2013 by Meemoo on which you will find quite a few more. It’s just further down than the thread you started.
I never cold capped as I didn’t want to spend any more time in the unit than I had to.
I used the cold cap, I didn’t loose hair until my second dose of chemo, it was probably my biggest lose. I kept about 60/70% of my hair. I lost all round the edges but I kept my hair longer so it covered it.
It’s worth sticking it out, it takes longer but it made me still feel like me x
Take paracetamol and ibuprofen an hour before you think you will be ready to put on the cap
I sprayed my hair to make it damp and then put lots of conditioner on before the cap (I used simple
shampoo and conditioner the whole time during chemo and quite a while after)
Bring a hot water bottle, blanket, scarf etc
Make sure you get a really tight fit with no gaps, try different sizes if you need to and make sure its
pulled down with the Velcro straps, I used the gel caps that are kept in the freezer and changed
every 45 mins as the other type (machine which constantly keeps the cap cool) didn’t seem be a
good fit for my head! Some people put gauze around the edges to stop it touching their forehead
but I didn’t think it made a difference. Don’t be afraid to be pedantic about it as the nurses may not
be so careful but it’s not their hair!
After each round I put on a hat to go home and waited for two or three days to wash my hair
I tried to only wash my hair once a week.
I washed it over the bath with very gentle spray and as cold water as I could tolerate and used
simple shampoo and conditioner
I tried to brush it very little and only with a wide toothed comb. I didn’t use a hairdryer,
straighteners or any products on it until about 8 weeks after I had my last chemo and waited around
3 months to dye its
I slept on a silk pillowcase
You will absolutely notice that your hair will shed when you wash it or brush it but don’t give up, it
doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Mine did this from the very first chemo and my hair definitely became
thinner but, in the end, probably only lost about 10-20 % and most people would not have noticed. My
parting got wider and I was sporting a bit of a mohican for a little while when it was growing back!
It is definitely worth persevering; I hope it works for you!
