The nurse combed conditioner into my hair and tried out the best size for me. It’s important that the cap fits as well as possible to ensure the scalp is fully covered with no gaps to avoid patches of hair loss. The cold cap itself is then covered with a “rugby scrum like cap” to secure it in place as tight as possible.
Once back in the ward it is linked up to a machine and I could feel the cold bubbling into the hat. I knew the first 10-15 minutes was to be the worst so I warned Adrian if I closed my eyes and went into a zone of my own not to worry about me, it was just my way of getting through the initial dreaded brain freeze.
I was really pleasantly surprised by my experience of the cold cap, don’t get me wrong, it was cold – but more a “sticking your head in a cold bucket of water” cold than the unbearable brain freeze I had expected. I am a real cold creature and I don’t like the cold at all but at no stage (even in the first 10-15minutes) did I feel any pain, it was just cold, but not uncomfortable.
I know everyone’s experience of this is different so all I would say is if it’s something you’re considering, don’t discount it due to the horror stories and fear of the pain. My advice is to give it a go and see how you get on yourself – if you find it too uncomfortable then stop (don’t put any extra pressure on yourself) but you might just find that it’s not as bad as you thought!
For me, my dilemma over the cold cap was always more about whether it was worth it or not, if I was going to lose a certain amount of my hair anyway, possibly in patches and not able to colour it, wash it much or blowdry it – what was the point?
The good news is they now say you can wash your hair 2-3 times a week which is a lot more manageable. They still recommend that it’s better not to dye your hair but many women do use organic dyes and I’m afraid I’m going to have to be one of these – not dying it really isn’t an option for me so I just need to take the risk!