January 2026 in “Supportive Care in Cancer” This narrative systematic review reports that gel-based, cryogel, and silicone-based cooling caps offer cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional machine-operated systems for preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss, particularly benefiting low-income and low-resource settings.
7 citations
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December 2015 in “Journal of thermal biology” This study used numerical models to explore the cooling power required by different scalp cooling devices to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss, finding that coolant temperature significantly influences scalp tissue temperatures.
39 citations
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January 1994 in “European Journal of Cancer” In this study, scalp hypothermia with the Theracool™ cooling machine was largely ineffective for preventing alopecia in breast cancer patients undergoing a chemotherapeutic regimen including cyclophosphamide and anthracyclines.
62 citations
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February 2011 in “Expert review of dermatology” This review discusses the incidence, reversibility, and impact of chemotherapy-induced alopecia and concludes that scalp cooling is the most effective prevention method in most cases, though some questions remain.
38 citations
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September 2017 in “Oncologist” This source reports that scalp cooling is currently the only safe and FDA-cleared method to potentially reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss, with about a 50% chance of maintaining sufficient hair to avoid needing a wig.