Hair capping, often referred to as cold capping, is a method used to reduce hair loss caused by certain types of chemotherapy treatments. These devices work by cooling the scalp during chemotherapy infusions, which helps protect the hair follicles from the damaging effects of the drugs. This cooling process constricts blood vessels in the scalp, reducing the amount of chemotherapy drugs that reach the hair follicles.
How Cold Caps Work:
- Cooling the Scalp: Cold caps are devices that are worn on the head and are designed to cool the scalp to a specific temperature.
- Vasoconstriction: The cooling process causes the blood vessels in the scalp to constrict, limiting the amount of chemotherapy drug that reaches the hair follicles.
- Reduced Damage: By limiting the drug exposure to the hair follicles, the damage that typically leads to hair loss is minimized.
Key Facts About Hair Loss and Chemotherapy:
- Chemotherapy and Hair Loss: Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy. This is because chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells, including those in hair follicles.
- Timing of Hair Loss: Typically, hair loss begins about three to four weeks after the first chemotherapy session.
- Cold Caps to the Rescue: Cold caps offer a solution to help mitigate the hair loss often associated with chemotherapy treatments.
Summary
In summary, cold capping, or hair capping, utilizes specialized cooling devices to minimize hair loss caused by certain chemotherapy treatments. The process involves cooling the scalp during chemotherapy infusions to reduce drug exposure to hair follicles, therefore, preserving more hair.
