Chattanooga, TN
Cold Capping
what is it?
Cold capping is a drug-free, non-invasive method of scalp cooling that has been shown to effectively reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. The treatment involves placing a specially designed cap filled with a cold gel onto the scalp.
This cap fits snugly around the head and cools the scalp’s surface. The cooling process slows the activity of the hair follicle capillaries, putting them into a temporary resting state. At the same time, it triggers vasoconstriction—narrowing of the blood vessels—which limits blood flow to the scalp.
As a result, the hair follicles absorb less of the chemotherapy drugs, helping to preserve hair during treatment.
The evidence from OHio health
A review of outcomes with the Penguin Cold Cap system found strong effectiveness in reducing chemotherapy-related hair loss. Overall, three out of four patients kept more than 75% of their hair, and over 90% retained at least half of their hair. Results varied by drug type, with success rates of 71.4% for doxorubicin-based regimens, 95.7% for paclitaxel, and 96.6% for docetaxel. The study’s overall success rate of 92.1% is consistent with, and in some cases exceeds, findings from earlier research.