Scalp Cooling

What is scalp cooling?

Scalp cooling (also called cold capping) is an option that may help reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. Scalp cooling can be used by adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy to treat solid tumor cancers such as, but not limited to, breast, ovarian, other gynecologic, lung and prostate cancers.

During treatment, you wear a cap system for a short time before, during and after your chemotherapy infusion. The cap connects to a cooling unit that circulates coolant through the inner cap to lower the temperature of your scalp.

Lowering scalp temperature can help protect hair follicles and may limit the damage chemotherapy can cause to hair.

Summa Health offers the Paxman Scalp Cooling^® system to patients. It consists of:

• A small, compact cooling unit located at the infusion site. Summa Health has units available for use at all infusion sites (Akron Campus, Barberton Campus, Medina Medical Center and Stow-Kent Medical Center).
• A blue, silicone inner cap that sits directly against your scalp.
• A gray, neoprene outer cap with a chin strap and bungee cords to help keep everything in place.
  
  

How do I get started? 

If you’re interested in scalp cooling, we’ll schedule a cap fitting a few days to a week before your first chemotherapy treatment. During this visit, a nurse will help you find the right cap size.

Caps come in four sizes: small, medium, small/medium and large. After your size is confirmed, you’ll receive a new backpack with your cap, a cap cover, hair-prep supplies (shampoo, spray bottle and comb) and educational materials.

Cost of Scalp Cooling

Most insurance carriers now cover scalp cooling. Contact your insurance company to ask about your out-of-pocket costs. If approved, your plan may pay up to 100%. If you do not have insurance or scalp cooling is not a covered service with your insurance company, you may opt to pay as a self-pay for scalp cooling. The cap fitting visit is a one-time charge of about $5,380. For each chemotherapy visit that uses the scalp cooling machine, there is a $200 pre-cooling charge and a $50–$150 post-cooling charge.

Outcomes

Several factors influence scalp cooling outcomes:

• Chemotherapy received
• Cap size and fit
• Individual response

When effective, research has shown that patients have a 53% chance of retaining half their hair, depending on the chemotherapy drug.

Scalp cooling is a personal decision and success can only be measured by each individual patient.

Things to Consider

• Scalp cooling cannot save 100% of your hair.
• You will have to change your haircare routine, eliminating heated styling tools.
  
• Scalp cooling will add time to your treatment appointment, about two hours on average.
• The first 15 minutes may be uncomfortable as you get used to the cap.
• Hair shedding will happen during treatment and for some time after.
• Scalp cooling has been proven to result in faster hair growth even after significant hair loss.
• Different chemotherapy drugs have differing side effects, with some being much harder on the hair follicles than others. 
• Some chemotherapy medications are more likely to cause increased hair shedding/loss. 

Side Effects

• Chills
• Dizziness
• Headache 
• Nausea
• Sinus pain
• Skin tissue disorders
• Skin ulceration
• Itching

If you are interested in scalp cooling, talk to your oncologist during your next appointment.