As the hair cells stop growing or dividing, the hair becomes thinner and gradually falls out unless the treatment ends. Chemotherapy can affect 90% of the hair and hair loss can take place fast. Within the first three weeks of treatment, the hair may begin to degrade in condition.

Baldness is a common side effect of drugs used during chemotherapy. Even if it is only temporary, some patients do find it disturbing so they would refuse treatment. More than three decades ago, however, experts discovered a simple method of how to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy—that is through scalp cooling.

Scalp cooling is a method of contracting the small blood vessels in the hair follicles so that only less blood that carry chemotherapy drugs flows through the follicles. Hair fall becomes less likely.