Chemo & Cold Capping

 Every stylist dreads the moment when a client reaches out to say she has a cancer diagnosis and will be facing chemotherapy as part of her treatment. Between tears, she is inquiring about shaving her head and purchasing a wig. Wouldn’t you like to be able to stop her there and say “Wait, there’s another option. You might be able to save your hair!”?

You can do exactly that, and you don’t need any expertise - you just need enough awareness to send your client to www.rapunzelproject.org, where she can learn about two very similar methods for hair preservation during chemotherapy - cold caps and scalp cooling - and how she can

access this treatment. A quick inquiry email to info@rapunzelproject.org is the fastest way to get information back, including options, vendors, links, phone numbers, costs, and possible financial assistance.

Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast-growing cells. Unfortunately, hair cells are among the fastest growing cells in the body, which is why hair loss is such a common side effect of chemo. Scalp cooling involves the use of a special cap or set of caps, cooled to a very cold temperature and worn for a number of hours before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment. The extreme cold constricts the blood vessels leading to the hair follicles, limiting the amount of drugs that reach the hair cells and allowing most patients to save most of their hair. The chemo drugs stay in the body for several days, but reach the hair follicles later on, after the body has had time to dilute their strength. On average it is estimated that 70-80% of patients who use cold caps save enough hair not to need a wig.

“We know that cold capping is not for everyone, but patients can’t make a choice if they don’t know there is a choice to be made”, says Nancy Marshall, cofounder of The Rapunzel Project. “For many patients, protecting their identity and sense of self, and their privacy while dealing with an illness, is empowering and truly a game changer. There is some truth to the concept that when you look better, you feel better. For many patients, capping dramatically improves their quality of life during their cancer journey.”

Making sure patients are aware, before they start treatment, that they can cold cap for hair preservation, is critical. The process is only effective if used from the start. Please tell your clients to reach out to info@rapunzelproject.org as soon as they know they need chemo.

Insurance coverage is available in some cases, financial assistance is also available to qualified patients.

And hopefully a harbinger of things to come, as of 1/1/26, New York State will be requiring private insurers to cover the cost of scalp cooling! A second state is now working on similar legislation - tell your legislators that this is a cause that matters!