What does it really feel like to cold cap?
Published: December 7, 2022
We’re often asked how uncomfortable the cold caps are to wear – many people are worried they will find them unbearably cold.
The caps need to be frozen to a certain temperature in order to work, and therefore they will be cold. It’s difficult for us to tell you exactly how you will find them because every person is different. So, we asked out customers to tell us how it felt for them to give you a better idea.
This is what they said.
Liesl
“Yes, the caps are cold, but they’re not intolerable and any discomfort I had was minimal and absolutely worth it to save my hair.”
Bernice
“Before we started, I was worried about how I’d cope with the cold and whether I’d find it too painful. But I didn’t need to worry. I only experienced a bit of discomfort from the initial cap at the start of each chemo session. But this only lasted a few minutes as my head adjusted to the cold – after that, it was fine.”
Cheryl
“The caps are definitely cold, and the first five minutes are the toughest. But once you get past the initial few minutes, your scalp becomes numb, and it becomes much more tolerable.”
Sophie
“I was nervous about how I would cope with tolerating the cold. I’m generally a cold person and was worried I would be shivering the whole time with a brain freeze. But it was absolutely nothing like that. The first cap was always the worst, but you become numb to the cold after a while, and they really are tolerable.”
Christine
“On my first day of chemo, I was more nervous about the cold capping than I was about the chemo. I had heard so many different opinions – it’s painful, it’s so cold, take blankets, drink hot tea, etc. But while it wasn’t exactly pleasant, I never felt that it was painful, and I never needed to lay under blankets or drink tons of tea.”
Josie
“It was definitely cold and a bit heavy, but not painful. After a few minutes, your scalp feels numb, and I found warm blankets and an electric heating pad helped a lot.
Leila
“I expected it to be very uncomfortable – generally, I’m not too fond of the feeling of being cold. However, while it wasn’t an enjoyable feeling, it was very doable and well worth the results.”
Bronwen
“Initially the thought of wearing the caps was a bit overwhelming, but after the first one it become easy and so manageable. It was also a very good distraction, helping to keep me occupied while the chemo was being administered.”
Dina
“It does require commitment and perseverance, it is cold, but in the end, it was worth every last layer of clothing and warm blankets to retain my hair.”
Victoria
“Using the caps feels ok. After the 2nd or 3rd cap, your head is pretty numb, so you don’t feel anything except the weight of the cap.”
Nicole
“The chemotherapy treatment alone is a scary prospect, and I wasn’t sure how I’d cope with the cold capping on top. Yes, it was very cold. It takes a few minutes for your head to cool which is uncomfortable, but once the temperature of your scalp has lowered, it was more than tolerable. But one thing I will say, despite the slight discomfort, it was by far one of the best decisions I made during my cancer journey”
If you’re thinking about cold capping with Penguin and are worried about whether you’ll be able to cope with the cold, why not ask one of our customers.
Request a call back, and we’ll put you in touch with someone who has successfully saved their hair with Penguin Cold Caps. You can have an open and honest discussion about what it’s really like.