What is cooling therapies during chemotherapy?

Cooling therapy constricts (narrows) the blood vessels below the skin where hair and nails grow. Experts think that this allows less of some chemo medicines to get to these areas. This may reduce the impact of chemo on these cells.

Cooling therapy means applying cold to your scalp, hands, or feet while you're having a chemotherapy treatment. It may help reduce problems that some chemo medicines can cause with your hair, skin, and nails. A cooling cap may help reduce hair loss. Frozen socks or gloves may help reduce problems with the nails.

You wear a cooling cap or frozen gloves or socks at the treatment center. You wear them during treatment, and for a time before and after treatment. Cooling therapy works best for certain chemo medicines and types of cancer. Ask your doctor if it might work for you.

Ask your doctor if using a cooling cap could help prevent hair loss.

Cooling caps chill your scalp before, during, and after chemo treatments. Experts think that the cold may constrict, or narrow, the blood vessels of your scalp so that less chemo medicine gets to the area where the hair grows. The cold may also slow growth of the cells in the area so they are less affected by the chemo.

The cooling cap could help limit hair loss for some people who get certain types of chemo treatments. It doesn't seem that using a cooling cap makes your treatment less effective.

You can check with the place where you will get your chemo treatments to see if cooling caps are available. You may also be able to rent one and bring it with you.

There are several types of cooling caps. One type is a tight-fitting ice pack. Another type is a cap that has cold liquid circulating through it during treatment.

Using a cooling cap can be expensive. If you have insurance, check to see if it covers cooling caps.