Hi. I have used the cool cap throughout my treatment so far. I have had 12 weekly Paclitaxel and 2 EC chemotherapy’s. I have 2 EC left. I feel it has been working and although I have lost some hair, I still have a lot. Well, that was until the EC. I have lost so much over the past week after my second EC chemotherapy. The side effects have.been tough. I’m not sure it is worth using the cap for the last 2 treatments. It’s tough and if my hair continues to fall out it’s putting myself through it for nothing. I just don’t know what to do. People are telling me I’ve come so far, but I’ve had enough I think. Has anyone else give up at the end? Or did you continue?? Thank you.
Hi Daisy
I used the cooling cap for my chemo for endometrial cancer in 2022.
Shedding is normal.
Well done for keeping it up so far as I know that it can be uncomfortable.
It is totally your choice as to whether you continue and if you have had enough, then that is up to you.
There were times where I felt like stopping it- as my hair became thinner I remember it feeling more painful- even with the theatre cap and I did have one moment of panic where I almost turned it off myself. However a nurse came to do obs and it distracted me long enough for the numbness to hit. Once that happened it felt bearable again.
What I found was that although I had shedding- I do think that the cooling cap helped protect my hair follicles and regrowth was fast and I just had lose chemo curls rather than the tighter more unmanageable ones.
What I would say is that if you did use it for the next session and you wanted to take it off- they can turn it off straight away- if you started the session with it- it does not mean you need to do the whole session. It is very much your choice. It sounds like you have done really well to manage it so many times.
The Changing Faces of Cancer- Scalp cooling, Hair loss and Regrowth. - Macmillan Online Community
This was my experience and there are photos to show how my shedding progressed and regrowth came back in.
Good luck what ever you decide.
Jane
Hi Daisy2020
I had EC first and I cold capped the first session. I had really significant hair loss at about day 15 of the cycle and by the time I came to infusion 2 I had no hair through the central section. I hadn’t been wholly committed to cold capping anyway as I didn’t like not being able to wash my hair daily, so stopping was an easy decision for me to take. I can understand it would have been different if I had already slogged through cold capping 12 weeks of paclitaxel. Unfortunately EC is harsher on hair than paclitaxel (although I had paclitaxel a second time a year later and lost my hair then too). So I lost my hair twice but you would never know now. If I were in your shoes I would probably try one more session given you have got this far. You will need a wig liner or something like that to protect the bits of exposed skin. That way, if you don’t lose too much more you have hair for new hair to grow into, if that makes sense.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
I have metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, in remission
