Hair cut before chemo and cold capping

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy
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Hi I’ve got thick hair around boob length. I’m going to try cold cap, mainly for my daughter who is very attached to my hair. I’m going to have it cut shorter before I start. When I go to the hairdressers they always ‘thin in out’ because it’s so thick. Do I want them to do this just before I loose a load? Would it make any difference? I’m probably just grappling with loosing it tbh and there may not be any answers- but other peoples’ experiences could be useful. Thank you :smiling_face:

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Worth asking your Onco Team re: how much hair you “Need” to remain for cold capping @willow11 .

I went bald. So I initially went to pixie, then a number1. Then, as my hair started to fall out, I used a lint roller throughout the day to catch the hairs before they covered my house.

I also used a silk bonnet from Primark during the nighttime, to catch hairs at night.

You may find a bonnet is useful during the day/night, even with with cold capping, as you may still lose hair. Success for CC is if you keep 50% of your hair.

But if you are cold capping I am aware ladies have said they needed hair to protect their scalp. Some have stated, as their hair did fall out, it became tricky/,uncomfortable, if they had significant loss, as cold cap, on bald patches got too much for some ladies to cope with.

I met one lady who lost 80% of her hair.

I met another who kept 80% of their hair. Its a lottery.

I talked to one lady with very thick hair who needed it thinning to allow the cap to work properly, and another who had very thin hair who found she didnt need her hair trimming.

So the Nurses will be your best bet for thoughts on trims.

One company, Paxman, do a predicted summary for hair loss dependent on type of chemo drugs. Some drugs have minimum hair loss, where e.g. EC has significant hair loss.

The website is:

Hope this give you some food for thought. :heart:

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Thanks that is great. The calculator is really interesting to have a look at- Ive had not seen that before. Thank you. :folded_hands:

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One of those gems we find browsing this Forum @willow11 :wink:.

I kept a note of the webpage. Thinking it may come in handy for someone else one day. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes::heart::bouquet:

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Hi @willow11

I had really thick hair, past my shoulders prior to starting chemo. I had intended to have it cut a bit shorter but never got round to doing it.

I’m on Docetaxel chemo and when my oncologist told me i would lose my hair i was devastated even though i expected it with chemo. I decided to give the cold cap a try (i did it mainly for my children’s sake too). I have my 5th treatment of 6 next week and i’d say I’ve lost around 50% of my hair.

The cold cap has got more difficult the thinner my hair has got but it’s bearable. I do wish i’d had mine cut shorter before starting chemo. I think the thickness did help me as even though i’ve lost lots i still have a lot left.

Sending you lots of luck with your treatment and cold capping :growing_heart:

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Thanks so much for your reply. It’s really useful to hear people’s experiences. I’m going to speak to the nurses but think I will get it cut shorter but ask them to keep the thickness. Thanks again, good luck with your treatment too! :heart:

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I didn’t cold cap, so my advice is probably worthless, but my instincts say that the more thickness you have, the more of an insulation it will create on the head. Would it make it more comfortable from that point of view I wonder? It is definitely one to ask your breast nurse. Good luck. xxx

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I cold capped and saved around 60% of my hair.

I used Daniel Field products which may have helped.

I did have to baby my hair during chemo:

Sleep with a silk pillowcase

Pat water over my hair with jug to clean it

Use a wide tooth comb, not tugging the roots

I still had the big shed too.

I don’t regret it at all but it takes work. I managed to just need wide hair bands. My hair loss was throughout vs bald patches

All the best

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Hello,

I had long thick red hair, I was advised to cut it prior to chemo, i found this hard but did as advised.

I have had one chemo infusion of EC and cold capped but unfortunately ive already started shedding a lot of hair, I regret cutting it as would have preferred to have had my as it was for longer but everyone responds differently so it’s hard to tell.

I will discontinue coldcap.

I wish you the best of luck whatever your decision

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