At a glance
Diagnosis: Breast cancer
Drug regimen: Four rounds of chemotherapy
Cold capping results: Retained around 70% of her hair
Heather says: Keeping my hair was important because I wanted things at home and at school to stay as normal as possible.
Heather during chemotherapy treatment wearing Penguin Cold Caps.
A school administrator, wife and proud mother of two sons, Heather Baker loves travelling, attending live music events and spending time with her family and friends.
In March 2025, her life changed unexpectedly when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I had no family history of breast cancer and no signs or symptoms, so to say I was shocked would be an understatement,” Heather says.
Heather’s diagnosis and treatment
Following her diagnosis, Heather found what she describes as an amazing medical team, receiving care through Advocate Health in Aurora, Illinois, and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
Both hospitals were some distance from her home – around an hour and a half and two hours away respectively – but Heather felt confident she had found the right doctors to guide her through treatment.
During one of her first appointments at Northwestern Medicine, her oncologist was explaining what lay ahead when she said something Heather has never forgotten:
“You will cold cap and not lose your hair.”
Heather had never heard of cold capping before.
“That was basically my only homework after that initial appointment,” she recalls. “I had no idea what cold capping was or how it worked.”
She began researching immediately and contacted Penguin Cold Caps to get everything organised before treatment began.
Why was keeping your hair so important?
For Heather, preserving her hair was closely tied to preserving a sense of normality.
As a school administrator, she sees close to 550 students every day and was very conscious of how dramatically changing her appearance might affect them.
“Keeping my hair was important to me because making sure things at home and at school stayed as normal as possible was important to me,” she explains.
“My concern was the students’ comfort level. I didn’t want them to see me bald, or wearing a wig that was obviously a wig.”
Being able to continue looking recognisably like herself meant Heather could go into school without her cancer treatment becoming the first thing students noticed.
What was the cold capping experience like?
Preparing Heather’s Penguin Cold Caps ahead of treatment.
Living in a more rural community created one particular challenge: sourcing enough dry ice for every treatment.
Heather eventually found a local grocery store able to supply it, but the logistics added another element to each chemotherapy day.
“I had four rounds of chemo, which meant four dry ice orders costing more than $200 each,” she says.
Alongside the Penguin Cold Caps, Heather also used frozen mitts on her hands and feet in an effort to help reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
The photographs from her treatment show just how much preparation went into every session: the caps being carefully brought to temperature, checked with a thermometer and fitted securely before and throughout treatment.
Despite the extra organisation involved, Heather remained committed to the process.
Heather marking the completion of her chemotherapy treatment.
What were your cold capping results?
Heather retained around 70% of her hair through her four rounds of chemotherapy.
She admits that the shedding could sometimes be frightening.
“The shedding was alarming, but I was very careful to follow the guidelines provided by Penguin,” she says.
By sticking closely to the recommended hair-care routine and cold capping protocol, enough of Heather’s hair remained that she was able to maintain the appearance and normality that had mattered so much to her from the beginning.
Her post-treatment photographs show substantial overall coverage, with her shoulder-length hair still framing her face.
“This should not be a secret”
Before her own diagnosis, Heather hadn’t realised that preserving your hair during chemotherapy might be possible. She now hopes that by sharing her experience, more people facing treatment will know that cold capping is an option worth exploring.
“I am sharing my story because I had never heard of cold capping, and only a few people I talked to had either,” Heather says. “This should not be a secret.”
Heather retained around 70% of her hair through four rounds of chemotherapy.
For Heather, simply knowing that hair preservation might be possible gives people facing chemotherapy another option at a time when so many decisions can feel as though they are being made for them.
She would also like to see greater financial support for people who choose to cold cap.
“I know there are states that have passed laws for insurance companies to cover the cost. I would advocate for that to be across all 50 states.”
Looking back, Heather is grateful that her oncologist introduced her to cold capping right at the beginning of her treatment journey.
For someone whose priority was keeping life feeling as normal as possible for her family, her students and herself, that made a significant difference.
Get in touch
If you’re preparing for chemotherapy and want to find out more about cold capping, Penguin Cold Caps can help you understand your options and what to expect.
Requst a call back to speak with a local representative and get personalized guidance for your treatment plan.
Just click here, complete the callback form and your local rep will be in touch.