CLEVELAND — Ashley Collins’ home has the normal chaos of any home with a one year old child.

What You Need To Know

  • Scalp cooling may prevent hair loss during cancer treatment

  • The process involves wearing a tight-fitting cap at very cold temperatures during chemotherapy

  • Two northeast Ohio women are raising funds to help others save their hair during cancer treatment

“My goal at the beginning of treatment was to be okay by his first birthday, which is Valentine’s Day,” Collins said.

Collins said she is grateful for the normalcy after having been diagnosed with breast cancer when her son was four months old.

“I have a very strong family history of breast cancer. My mom passed away from breast cancer. My aunt and my grandma both had it. So, my sister and I have been getting yearly mammograms for a while. When I was pregnant with him, I couldn’t get one, so I had to wait for my yearly one until after he was born. I got it as soon as I could after I had him,” Collins said.

That’s when the cancer was detected.

She knew chemotherapy could leave her ill and exhausted, but there was one more thing she worried about.

“I was a new mom. I was still getting acclimated to everything. I remember going into the pediatrician for one of his checkups and started breaking down crying. I thought he wasn’t going to recognize me if I lost all my hair,” Collins said.

Collins’ neighbor had recently undergone cancer treatment and suggested she try scalp cooling. She was able to save all her hair.

Her friend offered to show her tips and tricks and offered her help during treatment.

Scalp cooling involves wearing a rubberized helmet tightly on the head during chemotherapy treatment. The helmet is filled with a liquid that is circulated at a very cold temperate.

Dr Shimoli Barot, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic, said the success rates vary depending on the type of chemotherapy being received.

Collins said she knew it was working when she began to lose hair everywhere else but her head.

“My eyebrows, my eyelashes, any hair on my arms, legs, under my arms, it was all gone. It was doing its job,” Collins said.

The cap requires it to be worn tightly on the head after dampening the hair and applying conditioner.

“When you’re cooling your whole head, it’s freezing cold. Takes about 10 minutes, then you pretty much go numb,” she said.

Collins was so grateful to her neighbor that she wanted to find a way to help others going through the same thing. She and her neighbor are hosting a golf outing to raise funds for those who may not be able to afford the caps.

“To offer a little bit of hope and a little bit of normalcy, to try and save your hair, I think is 100% worth it,” Collins said.