Cold cap therapy
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Chris
Member Posts: 813 ✭
Just wondering who has used the PAXMAN scalp cooling system to reduce hair loss with chemo, and how successful it was or wasn’t? I’m on weekly paclitaxol treatments, and have decided to give this cooling system a try. I missed the first week as there was a lack of enthusiasm regarding it. However at my second chemo session yesterday a different nurse was very enthusiastic and I figured it was worth giving it a go. With breast cancer 10 years ago it was still very new and not easily available and so I lost my hair and it took months to return and then it was extremely curly at first.
Chris
Chris
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Hi @Chris, Yes @kezmusc did use it very successfully. You could look her up on here and see her discussions as I know she has put a lot on here about it - including some great tips. I tried the Paxman and I lost my hair - so much came out, that I couldn’t hide it. However, I would definitely recommend that you try it because everyone has such different experiences and you won’t know until you try. I also read a lot about the system on the actual paxman website so that I knew what I had to do. The best advice I would give is make sure the cap fits properly all over your head as I think mine didn’t fit the way it needed to. I also think the nurses are getting more and more experienced using it. If you find it uncomfortable, take Panadol beforehand and ask for a warm blanket too.Even though it didn’t work for me, I think it is absolutely worth trying. You will know quite quickly if it is working. I also arrived at treatment with my hair damp so it was easier to put the conditioner through. I also bought one of those really wide toothed combs to use as you will need to be very gentle with your hair.I am sorry to hear you are going through this again but I hope you get to keep your hair this time. Take care x0
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Thank you so much for your reply. I have had a lengthy discussion with kezmusc and I have since been online looking at Paxman. I really appreciate your help and I’m sorry you didn’t have success with it. Because I missed the first week, I expect to be in the same boat as you, however, if it can protect my hair follicles to prevent the wiry tight curls, I will be happy enough with that. I wear my hair short anyway, and it seems that hair regrowth after the Paxman caps is still a lot sooner than using nothing.
Many Thanks.
Chris0 -
That’s great Chris that kezmusc was able to help. I definitely think your hair grows back quicker. Even if your hair thins I reckon I would stick at it and put a scarf around it. Keep us posted with how you go. Take care.0
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Dear Chris,
I used the cold cap very successfully. I never wore the wig I purchased in advance.
The machine was a different brand 'Dignitana'.
I can send photos via Private message if you want.
Good luck!
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Hi Abbydog, any info you think might help would be greatly appreciated, including photos. Many thanks. It’s a while since I used this site, so can you send me a private message please, or do you need my phone number? I am spending this weekend thoroughly researching anything that might be of use while going through this treatment. I have already decided that I am the best person to fit the caps. Last week I didn’t go prepared, as it wasn’t something I hadn’t given much thought to, mainly due to the negative feed back I’d had. As a result I was unprepared, and I want to know as much as possible this time. I did miss the first session, which is a bit of a concern, but I am having the paclitaxol as weekly infusions, so hopefully due to the fact that I had only had 1/3 of the full cycle I will keep my fingers crossed that it will still work. The nurse who helped still thought it worth a try.
Chris
P.S. I do wear my hair short, as in my photo. This is a wig, but it suited me well enough for me to decide that short hair works ok for me. I haven’t bought a wig yet, though I have been online looking. I would go for short again, as my first long hair wig wasn’t that easy to maintain.
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Can you private message your phone number? I would be quicker.0
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Hi @Chris
I have just done 4 AC cycles with Paxman cold capping (and following the rules re hair washing, silk pillow slips etc) and I still have hair! Enough for people who don’t know me to not know. My hair is much thinner, but I’m happy with what I have.@Abbydog was awesome with advice and support when I was starting out (and has continued to be. She rocks!)I start paclitaxel (for 12 weekly rounds) this week and will continue to cold cap. The team have been wonderful about it with the head of the infusion ward encouraging me each time and reminding me that even if my hair doesn’t do so well, what they also know is that the new hair grows in without the chemo crinkle and generally faster and thicker for those who cold cap.So for me, with a really hard core chemo routine, I’m saying “success”!0 -
Hi Ausmum2, thank you for your very encouraging reply. I’ve had long conversations with Abbydog and she has been so helpful as has been Kezmusc. Both have had great success, and as a result I am prepared to give it a good try even though I missed the first session. If I can avoid the tight ‘old lady frizzy perm’ stage I will also call it a success. When I lost my hair 10 years ago with TC, I was bald for close to 6 months after chemo before I started to grow back hair, then there was the 2 or so years of waiting for my old hair to come back. Both of these ladies have given me lots of help and info about doing it just right. One thing I have learnt since my first session, is that I will be the best person to sort out my cap and do the preparation. The nurse was good, and I had no idea, but now that I do, I think we will both benefit from me preparing it. The nurses are busy, so I’m sure they won’t object.
im so glad you have had success too. 10 years ago it was very new, and the jury was out on how well it worked, so it seemed like a lot of pain for questionable gain. I also had a friend who did it 8 years ago and she didn’t get a great result and told me she wouldn’t recommend it, and then my oncologist wasn’t terribly enthusiastic, hence the reason I missed the first round. How I wish I had last weeks nurse the week before. Anyway I wear my hair quite short, so if it does disappear it shouldn’t take too long to grow out again if I can miss the long bald period.
Many thanks
Chris0 -
Dear Chris,
Did you have success with the Cold Cap?
I hope that you doing well, other than your hair too.0 -
Hi Abbeydog, thanks for following up with me. Yes, I did have good success with the cold cap. Because I had 12 one weekly sessions, I got pretty good at putting my hat on. I did however miss the first session due to lack of enthusiasm from staff. I did lose about 40% of my hair, however it started to regrow quickly and although a bit thin, I never needed to wear a wig like I did last time. If you didn’t know that I was having chemo, you wouldn’t guess that I was. I was very happy with the result and the speed of regrowth. The only thing that surprised me were the curls. They were not as tight as following my breast cancer, but they were curls none the less. They appeared once I started cutting my hair after my chemo. Now 18 months later, I’m still rocking the curls, though more just waves now. Thanks for your earlier recommendations. If I’m unlucky enough to require chemo again, I would definitelyuse the cold cap. It was cold and extended the sessions, but I feel that it was well worth the effort. I liked to put on the cap myself as I think I was better at doing it than the nurses. I had more time and could feel when I had a good fit.
Many thanks. I hope you are doing well too.Chris0 -
That's good to hear you are doing well.0
