Make-Up Artist Shares Her Story Of Scalp Cooling To Help Others

Nadia Brown, who describes her long, glossy brown hair as ‘her thing’, tried scalp cooling in a desperate attempt not to lose her hair whilst undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

She wore the Paxman Scalp Cooling System during her 12 chemotherapy sessions and as a result, didn’t lose any of her hair.

Nadia, who works at the Patricia Brown Clinic alongside her mum Patricia, explained that amazingly, her hair continued to grow throughout the treatment, something that helped her to remain positive and in her opinion, achieve positive results.

She is now in complete remission from cancer. Exactly one year after she started having tests for Lymphona, she is determined to share her story to help others keep their hair.

She hopes that raising awareness of scalp cooling and sharing her own cancer journey will provide valuable advice and support to anyone who is using it currently or who may be considering it.

Nadia said: “I’ve come across ladies who didn’t want to use scalp cooling and have lost their hair and others who don’t have cancer but who say they wouldn’t have bothered with the cooling cap as ‘your hair grows back’.”

“To these people I say, it’s more than just saving your hair, it’s about not letting cancer take anything away from you. The cold cap is a huge step in our fight against cancer and I want everyone to know about it so they can make a choice whether to use it or not. It’s about being in control.”

Nadia explained that her hair had always been something she had been happy with and there was no way she wanted to lose it.

She added: “My hair has always been my 'thing’. People are always telling me that when they think of me, they think of my hair first! It’s always been long and very thick, so the prospect of losing it, especially to something like cancer, was unthinkable.”

Hair loss is a well-known side effect of many chemotherapy regimens, with many patients reporting it to be the most traumatic aspect of their treatment. Scalp cooling provides the only real alternative to hair loss, resulting in a high level of retention or even complete hair preservation, improving patients’ self-confidence and creating positive attitudes towards treatment.

The cooling cap works by lowering scalp temperature before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy. Liquid coolant passes through the cap extracting heat from the patient's scalp, ensuring the scalp remains at an even, constant temperature to minimise hair loss.

The cap is made from lightweight, silicone tubing, which feels soft and flexible, moulding to the patient’s head, providing a snug yet comfortable fit during treatment.

Nadia added: “I drove the nurses daft during my four-hour chemotherapy sessions, asking them to check if the cold cap was working. I hardly felt anything. The first few minutes were a little cold but after that, nothing. In the first few days after treatment I'd check my pillow as soon as I woke up to see if I'd lost any hair. I washed it the morning after my first chemo and hardly dared to brush it just in case. As time went on I was always careful with my hair but I was able to blow dry and style it as usual.”

Nadia believes the Paxman system wasn’t just about keeping her hair, it also helped her remain herself through what she describes as her ‘darkest times’.

She added: “What some people don’t understand is that saving your hair is not about vanity. For me, it was about being a young person who was put in a situation that was out of my control. I would have given anything not to have cancer, but life happens and I got it. The cold cap stopped cancer from taking my hair away from me; it let me look in the mirror in my darkest times and see me. It allowed me to carry on with my life looking and feeling like me.”

“I didn’t have to walk into somewhere looking like the stereotype of a cancer victim. It allowed me to tell who I wanted to tell, as I still looked like me, and it meant cancer wouldn’t take anything away from me. I had the determination to fight but I know I wouldn’t have handled this as well as I have without what the cold cap has given me.”

The Paxman Scalp Cooling System is the world-leading hair loss prevention system for chemotherapy patients. It has been used by over 100,000 patients in 32 countries and is responsible for helping patients to keep their hair and retain a feeling of normality during chemotherapy.

Richard Paxman, Managing Director of Paxman, said: “Nadia’s story is like so many others we hear each day, week and year. I understand from personal experience the devastating effect losing your hair in chemotherapy has on a person, and we want this to stop. We want everyone, wherever they live to have the choice of whether scalp cooling is right for them. That’s why it is so refreshing for people like Nadia to share their personal experiences and hopefully give advice and support to others in a similar situation.”

The Patricia Brown Clinic - is located on Stafford St, Stoke-on-Trent. It has been open for 50 years mainly as an Electrolysis Hair Removal Clinic. The family have owned it for 15 years but have worked there for over 40 years. Nadia joined the team during her last year at college and today offers clients a range of beauty treatments, as well as a mobile wedding make up service.

Nadia has written a blog about her experiences called Cancer and Me – http://www.patriciabrownclinic.co.uk

She is also hosting a fundraising event in September to raise money for the North Staffordshire chemotherapy ward where she was treated.