Meet Holly, a cancer patient who discovered scalp cooling after her oncologist mentioned the process during a consultation. Despite having some initial anxiety about whether scalp cooling would work for her, Holly says the process was exactly as she had expected. She reflects, “I ended up saving all my hair during the first 12 weeks and then lost about 50% or a little more during AC”.  Overall, Holly was pleased to keep most of her hair, as it enabled her to go about her life with a sense of normality. 

Often, when patients are going through chemotherapy treatment, many can feel the need to wear a head covering to maintain their identity. After completing chemotherapy, Holly occasionally wears a hat, but this is only to hide thinning as she has no bald spots. 

Asked whether she has any scalp cooling haircare tips for other cap users, Holly suggests, “nothing more than the suggested washing once a week and not using any products or tools on your hair. It may take a while to get used to this new haircare routine, but if you follow these basic principles, you are likely to get the best results” 

When we asked Holly how she feels about her scalp cooling experience, she explains that “it was at times very painful”. However, Holly fully recommends scalp cooling to others and reflects that she is glad she persevered with the process, despite discomfort, as it allowed her to go out into the world and not be perceived as a cancer patient.