How scalp cooling could save your hair during ... - Paxman Coolers

Quality of LifeHair is important to everyone’sappearance and self image.You’ll probably feel shocked, anxious and angrywhen you are told you may lose your hair as a result ofchemotherapy treatment. Some people feel that thisthreatens their feelings of self confidence and ultimatelytheir quality of life.Scalp CoolingScalp cooling is a method used to prevent or reduce hairloss for patients receiving chemotherapy. Research andstudies have shown that scalp cooling is effective acrossa wide range of chemotherapy drugs such as; Epirubicin,Doxorubicin, Taxol and Taxotere. Successful scalp coolingdepends on many factors.Why Scalp Cool?Hair loss is a constant reminder of the disease both to thepatient, their family and in the wider social environmentof work and leisure.Scalp cooling provides the only realalternative to hair lossprevention with manyprescribed chemotherapydrugs. It can result in ahigh level of retention orcomplete hair preservationwhich can improve patient'sself confidence leading to apositive attitude to treatmentand cureA word from a patientDear Sir/MadamI recently had to undergo chemotherapy at DewsburyDistrict Hospital. I was devistated to hear I would lose allmy hair as a result but could try the scalp cooler machinemanufactured by your company to minimise the loss.I am pleased to say that it worked, I lost a slight amountof hair, but no one noticed.I would like to thank all involved in the inventing andproducing of this machine. It made such a differenceto my recovery. I tell everyone how amazing this is, theycan’t believe it.Thank you from the bottom of my heart, it meant such alot to me not to lose my hair. It is now as good as new.Many ThanksAngela BatesDewsbury, West Yorks.Paxman Hair Loss Prevention System• Greatly reduces the risk of hair loss and improvespatient’s self confidence• Maintains the scalp at a constantcontrolled temperature• High level of patient tolerance and acceptability• Simple to use and easy to understand for bothmedical staff and patients• Proven success ratesInternational HousePenistone Road, Fenay BridgeHuddersfield HD8 0LET: +44 (0) 1484 349 444F: +44 (0) 1484 346 456Email: info@paxman-coolers.comwww.paxman-coolers.comAn information leaflet sponsored by Paxman Coolers LtdHow scalp coolingcould save your hairduring chemotherapyHelping to relieve the visible trauma of cancer

Scalp cooling has a majorimpact on the quality oflife for women undergoingchemotherapy. Theside effect of hair lossis distressing and is anoutward, and very visiblesign of their treatment, and isregarded as a stigma by many.Any attempts to reduce this are welcome and I feelthat scalp cooling has an important place for somepatients undergoing chemotherapy treatments.The use of the Paxman Hair Loss Prevention Systemallows a much more constant temperature to beachieved than hitherto possible. Scalp temperaturemeasurements confirm achievement of a constanttemperature. Patient acceptability is high, the systemis easily portable and does not require the use of largecooling cupboards or fridges - a great advantagewhen the chemotherapy clinic is busy.J Richard C Sainsbury MD, FRCS Consultant SurgeonWhat is Scalp Cooling?Scalp cooling is a method used for lowering thetemperature of the scalp and has been in use indifferent forms for over 25 years. Reducing the scalptemperature by a few degrees creates a restriction inthe amount of blood reaching the hair follicles therebyprotecting them from the effects of the concentratedchemotherapy drugs carried in the blood stream.What method of scalp coolingshould you use?There are two methods currently in use:Both methods require a cap to be worn prior to, duringand post drug infusion.The original method uses ice caps of frozen gel at-25°C. These are removed from the freezer and areplaced on the patient’s head. The caps have to bechanged at regular intervals due to the fact that theywarm up during use. They are heavy and extremelycold when placed on the head.The alternative method, such as the Paxman Hair LossPrevention System, consists of a lightweight silicone capwhich is connected to a small refrigeration system. Thecap is placed on the headwhich then reduces the scalptemperature in a controlleduniform manner. The capcontinues to maintain thescalp at a constant andcontrolled temperaturethroughout the treatmentcycle and importantly doesnot have to be changed. Thismethod is known to be morecomfortable and tolerablefor the patient and is a proveneffective technique.How long will it take?The cap is normally worn for approximately 30 minutesbefore commencement of chemotherapy, continuesto be worn during administration of the drugs and thenfor a calculated time afterwards, which is dependenton the types of drugs being administered. The totaltime the cap is worn ranges from 11/2 hours up to 5hours, the average being 2 to 21/2 hours.Will scalp cooling work for me?Many thousands of patients have been successfullytreated. The success of scalp cooling treatment cannotbe guaranteed as a number of factors can affect theoutcome. These include age, hair type, hair condition,the type of cancer being treated and how a patientlooks after their hair during treatment.On most drug regimes research and studies using thePaxman Hair Loss prevention System have shownsuccess rates of patients who have not required a wigof between 70% and 90%.Caring for your hairChemotherapy can cause your hair to be dry andbrittle, therefore whatever method of treatment youare receiving pay special attention in caring for yourhair and treat it as gently as possible. Use good qualityneutral ph balanced 5.5 or herbal/vegetable basedhair products and avoid applying any heat, pressure orstress to your hair.Please refer to our detailed information leaflet oncaring for your hair for further advice.Where can I obtain scalp coolingtreatment?Your consultant and/or nursing staff will be able toadvise you.