How long you have to scalp cool for is dependent on the chemotherapy regimen you have been prescribed. There are three stages in the scalp cooling process, which are outlined below:
Stage 1: pre-infusion cooling - this should last for 30 minutes before your chemotherapy infusion begins. For patients with thick hair, we recommend an additional 15 minutes of pre-infusion cooling, making it 45 minutes for stage 1.
Stage 2: infusion cooling - this cooling stage covers the duration of the infusion of alopecia causing chemotherapy drugs, the time of which varies depending on your regimen. This also includes cooling during the infusion of any additional drugs used in combination.
Stage 3: post-infusion cooling - the length of this stage is also dependent on your chemotherapy regimen, however for the majority of drugs, post-infusion cooling should last for 90 minutes. Your clinical time will advise you if your regimen dictates a shorter cooling time. Once all three stages have been completed, we recommend waiting 5-10 minutes to allow the cap to warm up slightly before removal.
For more information on post-cooling times for your regimen, use the scalp cooling outcomes calculator - click here
