Chemo Cold Caps

ering information from doctors, the internet, friends, and friends of friends. It was through this process that we were introduced to cold caps or, scalp cooling. Cooling of the scalp to reduce blood flow by vasoconstriction during peak periods of chemotherapy infusions– blood vessels that would otherwise carry the drug agents received into the body during chemotherapy– restricts attack on the hair follicles, but leaves the infusion free to work in the rest of your body. Scalp cooling began decades ago with applications as simple as bags of crushed ice applied to the head, and has progressed to include shaped cryogel packs as well as air- and liquid-cooled options. Scalp cooling to reduce the effects of chemotherapy-induced alopecia, or hair loss, has been widely used in Europe and Asia, and is now gaining acceptance in the United States. These blood vessels that would otherwise carry the drug agents received into the body during chemotherapy are thus restricted from attacking the hair follicles but are left free to work in the rest of your body.