There is now a treatment called 'Cold Cap Treatment' (it is most popular in Europe so not as many people from other places are so familiar with it) that can keep your hair during chemotherapy treatment. For those who don't know what chemotherapy (aka chemo) is, it is a very commonly used treatment for various types of cancer. It works by destroying cancerous cells. Anyways, this treatment is very strong and can be hard on the body so there are some unpleasant side effects. A common side effect of chemo is hair loss. This can be upsetting to some patients and even their families, BUT the cold cap treatment can help them with hair loss. Basically a specialized frozen cap is tightly worn on the head before, during, and a few hours after a session of chemo. This cold cap treatment is believed to work in two ways. One way believed is that if you "put the hair follicle to sleep" it won't be so sensitive to chemo. The other way is that it may constrict blood vessels that go to the head, therefore limiting the amount of chemo that goes there. It's seriously amazing that a cancer patient's hair can be kept. Unfortunately it isn't covered by insurance (although sometimes people get lucky). Since it isn't always covered, it's very expensive at approximately $2,000 (USD). In the future it may be covered!
(Sorry this was so long. It's just super interesting and I felt I had to share it)
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Facts: A Collection
CasualeA collection of interesting, cool, and sometimes strange facts that you may have never heard of!
