What Does Hair Shedding Look Like With Scalp Cooling?
One of the most common questions patients ask about scalp cooling is: “Will I still lose hair?”
The answer is: possibly. Scalp cooling is designed to reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss, but it does not guarantee that you will experience no shedding.
What Does Shedding Look Like?
Hair shedding with scalp cooling can look different for everyone. You may notice:
More hair than usual in the shower
Hair on your pillow or clothing
Hair collecting in your brush
Loose hairs when running your fingers through your hair
Gradual thinning or certain areas becoming thinner
Seeing hair shed does not mean scalp cooling isn't working. The goal is to help protect as many hair follicles as possible, but some shedding can occur even when scalp cooling is helping preserve hair.
Why Do Some Patients Shed More Than Others?
Hair preservation depends on several factors, including your chemotherapy regimen, dosage, treatment schedule, hair characteristics, individual biology, and adherence to the scalp-cooling protocol. Two patients can receive the same treatment and have completely different hair-preservation experiences. Try not to compare your shedding to someone else's.
What Happens After Chemotherapy?
Shedding can continue for a period of time after your final treatment. Eventually, the follicles begin returning to their normal growth cycle and new hair can start to grow.
Regrowth may initially look or feel different from your pre-treatment hair. Protecting the follicles during chemotherapy may also support the recovery and regrowth process.
The Bottom Line
Some shedding is normal with scalp cooling. Seeing hair fall out doesn't automatically mean the treatment isn't working. Scalp cooling isn't a guarantee against hair loss. It's an effort to protect the hair follicles and reduce the severity of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
If you're considering scalp cooling, talk with your oncology team as early as possible and learn what the intended likelihood of hair retention is based on your particular chemotherapy regimen.. Scalp cooling should begin with your first chemotherapy treatment, so early planning is important.
Questions during treatment? Reach out to our Customer Care team, we're here to support you every step of the way.
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Cooler Heads provides scalp cooling services and education to cancer patients across the United States. This article is for informational purposes only. Please consult your oncologist before making any decisions about your treatment.
