Cold Cap Before and After Photos
Hi Ladies--
I'd like to start a thread for PHOTOS ONLY. This will be a great reference for newbies or those who are considering cold capping. Discussions and questions about cold caps can be found in the forum: Cold Cap Users Past and Present, To Save Hair under Managing Side Effects of Breast cancer and It's Treatments.
Please post:
1. Before and after pic
2. Chemo regimen you were on
3. Brand of cold cap
Comments
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4 TC (Taxotere/Cytoxan) using Penguin Cold Caps: Lost 55-60% on sides underneath and overall volume
After 3 rounds
5 months PFC
February 2018---I have NOT cut my hair since before diagnosis. Ended up losing about 70-80%. This is 9 months of regrowth.
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Good for you! Wonderfu
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Four TC (Taxotere/Cytoxan) using Penguin Cold Caps (PCC) first treatment 4/26/17, last treatment 6/29/17. At one week post chemo, I've lost maybe 10% of hair so far. I will post more results later. I've been told people with longer hair have more success. I'm not sure why but don't cut your hair before, during, or after except for a slight 1/4 inch trim. My hair has grown a good 1 inch since April.
First pic is from Prior diagnosis, Dec. 2016
2nd pic is one week after 1st treatment. Showing chemo curl.
3rd pic is one week before final treatment
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I had a mane of thick blond hair that i could barely clip in a very large clip. I cut it to chin length prior to chemo. I recommend cutting it. If you are doing AC T. It's too heavy for washing and stuff and I think you should be prepared you Can't save it all on the tougher chemo regimens. You can only hope to keep enough to stay out of wigs. And believe that regrowth will be better for the caps! I had a very large area of balding the photo below is two days prior to me last Dose dense taxol. This was my low point below. I lost most of my hair at the end of treatment. Hair is regrowing fast. I lived with this amount bald for about 6-7 weeks then thankfully it filled in.
Regrowth below did happen fast. Though I have less of that length below now 3.5 months later. My regrowth is amazing fast and thick.
Beginning to regrow below.
3.5 months pfc. My little bun is what is left the old hair below. I lost at least 80 percent all over thinning.
Below How I'm wearing it 3.5 months pfc
Below is today July 8 2017. My last chemo was march 23. I just finished rads two days ago now I'm sick with a cold and really tired and burnt. Yaya treatment over! My new hair doesn't want to add length because it's curling back. Not sure where I'm going with my hairstyle
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these pics are after one TC treatment. Day 20, most of the shedding started at day 18. Sides and front you can't really tell, the top is a problem. Tmrw will be my second TC tx. I will update fotos after my hair wash!
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Hair before the first shed:
Hair Day 24 (started shedding Day 17, haven't really stopped, but slowed a little) - 3 Days after round #2 TC:
Day 24, Top of Head (some thinning near the back part):
Hoping the shedding stops soon. Already making a plan B (getting Topix, scarves and a wig).
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Hi ladies! I was prompted to this thread to show my results and offer some hair hope. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but was on a chemo protocol that many breasties use for treatment. I did 17 rounds of taxol/carboplatin weekly. I surmise that I lost 10%-20% of my hair volume, but my hair continued to grow on treatment. I am still shedding but the amount gets smaller and smaller with each wash.
These caps were a GOD SEND. I used penguin cold caps. I am officially 6 weeks PFC. My eyebrows are finally coming back as well. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. KEEP GOING.
Before Chemo
After my 15th round of chemo
6 weeks post final chemo
I believe my shedding is pretty negligible at this point, so my 6 week photo is the final product.
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Sherry, looks great what kind of chemo did you have? Penguin caps did a great job.
You had taxol?
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Meow - yep in my post I delineated that I did 17 rounds of weekly taxol/carboplatin
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I've just done 2nd chemo this week and will do weekly paclitaxel more 16times . I too much care about shedding everyday so I feel so happy when I saw your great pictures . Thank you so much. I coud spend the timewith hope during chemo.
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I'm going to post a series of photos. Before, during and after so far.
Before picture taken a week before Chemo started in late November 2016.
I had just oodles of hair. Much thicker than most people. I could barely get the biggest barrette around my hair. And the barrette I could get around my hair was 5 inches long and I can hardly ever find them. I was about 95% brown and 5% grey/white. And I had bangs back then.
Chemo Started Nov 28, 2016
I used Penguin Cold Caps and my husband did them every time, sometimes with the help of a friend of mine.
My regimen was 2 hours before chemo, + chemo, which was 2-3 hours + 5 hours after chemo.
I did Dose Dense A/C for 4 sessions, every 2 weeks. Then I did Dose Dense Taxol for 4 sessions every 2 weeks. There was one Taxol session that was delayed by a week due to illness, so the dates don't quite match the days.
My chemo was 105 days long (4 + 4) +1 extra week due to illnes
Day 53 of chemo Jan 19,, 2017 (below) losing hair since Day 21
Day 61 of chemo Jan 27, 2017 (below) -- still losing hair
Day 79 chemo (top of head) Feb 14, 2017 (below) -- still losing hair
Day 91 Feb 26, 2017 (below) -- still losing hair
Day 106 March, 14, 2017 (1 day PFC) still losing hair
Day 106 (1 day PFC) March 14, 2017 top -- still losing hair
March 27, 2017 (2 weeks PFC) (below) - still losing hair
March 27, 2017 2 weeks PFC (below) top You can see how thin it is (no new growth) -- still losing hair
March 31, 2017 2.5 weeks PFC (below) - still losing hair
April 21, 2017 5.5 weeks PFC (below) -- still losing hair -- looks like I had a haircut before this picture
April 21, 2017 (5.5 weeks PFC) below top-- still losing hair
June 9, 2017 (3 months PFC) still losing hair (below)
July 1, 2017 3.5 months PFC (below) still losing hair)
July 1, 2017 (top) 3.5 months PFC - still losing hair (below) -- but new growth is hiding the bald spots (coming in mostly white) given up on bangs, as I didn't have enough hair for bangs anymore.
September 7, 2017 5.5 months PFC -- still losing hair (below) I have about 5% of my original hair at this point. I washed it every week until 2 months ago, then every 2 weeks for a month and now I am almost 1 month no hair washing (using dry shampoo). I lose A LOT of hair every time I wash. I'm going to try to wash once a month until December, when I might have enough new growth to have a short cut.
September 7, 2017 5.5 months PFC - STILL LOSING HAIR, (below)
I had one haircut months ago. Here is a picture of Nov 2016 and today Sept 7, 2017 - new growth (I am told) is almost 2 inches.
Left (before chemo) Right 5.5 months PFC
This is 7 months post final chemo. I had my hair cut at 6 months. There is the hair that stayed thru chemo and underneath it is the hair growing out. It looks like teased hair with the hair growing in under it. Apparently those curls are from Cytoxin.
Once I hit the 6 month mark PFC, I finally stopped losing my hair. I had it cut, I shampoo whenever I want. I lost more hair PFC than during chemo. I have finally stopped losing hair!
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Here are a few pics from my experience with Penquin Cold Caps.
I started chemo on May 15, 2017. 4 rounds of TC, once every 3 weeks.
Before (May 5, 2017): I have curly hair but usually blow it straight.
Wearing my hair curly and unstyled.
My part is thinning a lot.
shedding, shedding, shedding........
No more comb over or Toppik for me. Time to wear a hat.
Now that's what I call a "comb over"
I think that's as bad as it gets. 2.5 weeks til last chemo
Look at all that gray hair. 3 days after last chemo.
I just needed to see what was going on. This was the only way I could think of to measure how much hair loss I was having.
9 weeks PFC. I colored my hair with Tints of Nature a few weeks ago. Still wearing a hat.
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rdsm - thanks for sharing the pictures. How is it doing now, starting to grow back in? I guess you are just over a month from last chemo?
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I am 3.5 months post PFC after using PCC. Today I colored my 5 to 6 inch very gray/white roots with Madison Reed Tuscany medium brown hair color today. It felt so good to color those roots even though I did not get 100% coverage! I'm still shedding but I'm hopeful it will taper off. I did not shed during my chemo from April through June 29th but it started 2 weeks after I finished TC.
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It looks good. My hair seems to taking a hit with my hair color, I have to color atleast once every 6 weeks. Probably should look for a gentler coloring product. I am not even doing chemo but the years of AI has made my hair dry and dull. I guess I am lucky I didn't lose my hair but the texture is different.
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thanks for sharing
God bless you
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Pam--your hair looks amazing. I was wondering if you notice it getting thinner as the months pass? Mine was amazing in January, a bit thinner in March, even more in May and now I feel like I have 30% left of my old hair and my new hair is almost 3 inches so I'm sporting more of a mullet. I don't see any shedding, it;s more from comparing pictures that have been taken. I had long thick hair like you. Now I see through the back and the original sides are almost nonexistent. I wear hats or my halo most days.
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Pamela23, tried to reply but I am blocked. Not ignoring you! I think if you click the block button again it should unblock? That's just a guess.
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pamela23 - I actually thought of that of that the other day. I am shedding old hair and I shed a lot more since chemo ended 6/29/17. I was wondering what happens when all of my old hair comes out! Will I be left with short hair that has just started to grow. I'm not sure but if I continue shedding I could end up with shorter and thinner hair! I'm trying to keep it since my son is getting married July 2018 but I may have to fill in with extensions because I do not like short hair on me. I read that it takes two years for hair to grow 12 inches, which is just to my shoulders. I just keep taking it one day at a time. The lady here in town that help me with my cold caps was very successful and she has hair to her waist. Her hair thinned out but she still has very long hair. She finished her chemo in August 2016. So I am hopeful!
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Pam, I'll check in with you in a few months. I didn't notice until about May when I looked back at my pics from February. Now even looking back at my May pics, I'm SO much thinner. More new hair than old. My halo is amazing and I just keep wearing a hat. It's the front and sides that are short plus you can see through what I have for length. But it's growing in thick and healthy!! Just not the look I wanted. Thank goodness it's slow that it's not noticeable unless I see pics. I almost forgot what I used to look like until I put on my halo extensions. I almost don;t identify with that length anymore.
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I hope these pictures are useful to anyone interested in cold capping. I used Penguin Cold Caps while on Taxotere/Cytoxan. In my opinion, the brand of cold caps you use doesn't guarantee good results. I paid for new PCC rental, PLUS I paid additional $350 to a “Penguin Cold Cap Technician EVERY TIME I cold capped" and still lost 80% of my hair. I finished chemo on 5/30/17. Here are my results:
Before chemo:
PFC - May 2017:
3 months PFC - August 2017 - my hair continued to shed quite a bit for at least 3 months PFC:
9 months PFC - February 2018. The bottom of my hair is fluffy, but thin:
My tiny pony tail:
I will update after I color my hair on April 17, 2018. I will be using Oway HColor (Italian hair coloring), as it is supposed to be better for my health.
3/21/18 - I am adding the amount of hair I shed during major sheds in response to PM's I have received. the following pictures show my worse shed days when washing my hair. The first bag (day 19 after first TC infusion) shows my first big shed after washing, the second bag 2nd wash, etc. I tried not to wash often because it frightened me and made me cry every time I washed. I also noticed that my hair kept shedding quite a bit during 2 or 3 days following every hair wash and then it would stop shedding. It was the SAME PATTERN, no matter how often I washed. Sometimes I waited 2 weeks between hair washes or even longer. The hair in the bags is as tight as an SOS Steel Wool soap pad — very tight, but THICKER! I continued to shed large amounts of hair for more than 3 months PFC. I don't have more pics, but it doesn't mean that this is all I shed. Also, I didn't save the hair I shed during 2 or 3 days post wash:
I placed a JUMBO EGG next to the bags of hair for comparison purpose:
6/12/18 (1 year 12 days PFC) — I finally colored my hair and I am wearing a 12 inch HiddenCrown halo. I had a trim to remove the ends of my hair. The halo was just styled, not cut. My hair stylist is a breast cancer survivor, who teaches the “Look good feel better" class at the American Cancer Society. It's nice to have hair again and look normal:
This is the 12" HiddenCrown halo I am wearing on the picture above
6/12/18 — My hair with no halo:
6/12/18 - My ponytail shows my hair is still thin:
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I am done with chemo and was on carboplatin, taxotere, projetta and herceptin. I used penguin cold caps and have lost about 15-20% of my hair. I was done at the end of January and anxious to cover my roots. I've been using safe color sticks and sprays but just want to be done with. I'm supposed to wait 3 months before I use a plant dye on my hair and 6 months for chemical. Has anyone colored their hair sooner then they should have and if so, any hair loss after?
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When did you start shedding, and how long did the shedding last? What was the amount like?
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crushingcancer--there was someone from the Nov 2016 group who colored hers at the 3 month mark and she said it didn't make a difference to her. She would have posted about it on the cold cap forum after January of 2016 if you want to look for her post on that thread. I can't think of her name off hand.
lipstickwarrior--shedding started for most of us at 19-21 days after 1st infusion. It's considered a "big shed" meaning you'll get a lot of combfuls of hair coming out. After that, it's more a constant shed and a couple combfuls upon was days.
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lipstickwarrior - I added pictures to my original post showing bags of hair during worse shed days, due to PM requests. Good luck to you
Pamela23 - I saw your current picture on the other cold caps forum. Your hair looks cute, but I totally understand missing your long hair. Thanks for creating this topic. I am ready to purchase, either a 16” Hidden Crown Halo or a 14” layered Halo Couture. Could you please post a picture of you wearing the halo? Either on this or the other cold caps forum is fine. Did you layer your halo?
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Pamela23,
Can you direct me to where you posted pics of your latest hair? We are at about the same time. I had curly hair starting in September and now in March the curls are growing out. I can post a current picture if you are interested. I thought my hair was hopeless, but I just got a haircut and it looks much better. My hair that is coming back is still not the length that I cut my hair in September. So I keep getting haircuts until it is all the same length.
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Cali58- I am about 4 weeks pfc, kept about 60% of my hair and have a 3” bald spot on crown that just today saw some baby bird fuzz sprouting from it. Through a program here in AZ, I had more than half the cost of a human hair topper covered. It’s like a thin wig attached to a yarmulke with little clips. I went to my stylist and she very gently dry trimmed my own hair, then blended the topper and my hair together. I wear it pretty much all the time in public & have noticed no additional shedding.
Maybe 40% of people I know are in the loop regarding my health and I have to tell you, I have been positively showered with compliments on how good my hair looks. Quite the boost after months of combover ugly!
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I am 3 months post chemo. Still have about 60% of my hair but it's thin and patchy on top. I decided to buck it up and purchase a volumizer/topper piece. That way I am not constantly worrying my hair fibers and comb overs are covering my patchy spots..especially in bright light or wind. Was also worried about having one inch sprouts everywhere on top when its growing out. I LOVE MY PIECE. It's human hair and was custom made in China ( I went through Bigger, Better Hair Salon in Dallas). They color matched it to some of my favorite pics of my hair then installed it.(mesh piece with the hair on it placed on scalp, pull some of my real hair through it then through a tiny grommet that he clapped it closed) It's "permanent" except I will go back every 4-6 weeks to have it tightened and every other time he takes it completely off and re installs it onto new hairs. IT FEELS SO GOOD TO HAVE VOLUME AGAIN!. The piece should last about a year and a half, by then my re-growth should be long enough to blend into my own hair.
Going out a few nights after installation
Right after installation and cut
On way to the salon for installation
Part of scalp right after washing0
