Why do head cooling devices help people recieving chemo?

[bullitnut]

I have read a lot of articles regarding cooling devices of late that state they help prevent or minimize hairloss caused by chemo. Why and how do they work does anyone know?
I know it sounds crazy but does your head get hotter during the chemo?.....just trying to figure out why keeping your head cool can help patients in this situation *nl

 

[TomT91]

Found this at macmillan.org.uk. Cooling reduces blood flow to the hair follicles. With chemo in the blood, less of it ends up in your scalp when it's cooled. Interesting.


How scalp cooling works

Every hair on the body grows out of a hair follicle. Small blood vessels in the scalp supply the cells of these follicles with food and oxygen, and carry away waste products. Any chemotherapy drugs in the bloodstream will also be carried to the hair follicles.

When blood vessels in the scalp are cooled, they become narrower, and so less blood flows through them. Cooling the scalp during chemotherapy means that less of the chemotherapy drug reaches the hair follicles. This means the hair is less likely to fall out.

There are two widely available methods of scalp cooling. One method uses a hat known as a 'cold cap', which is filled with a gel that can be chilled. The hat must be fitted snugly around the head to work properly. The other method uses a small, refrigerated cooling system to pump a liquid coolant through a cap that is attached to the cooling system.

 

[bullitnut]

That's awesome Tom thanks for explaining this....ive wondered how it worked for a while now and wasn't sure if it was just a gimmick However it does sound like in theory it will work and it makes more sense when explainedZ:B.