The technique of a Tucuman foundation to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy

A group of women in Tucumán created a special shelter called “El Casco Rosa” to provide help to those facing breast cancer. Through the “cold helmets” technique, they combat one of the difficult effects of chemotherapy: hair loss. It all started in 2009 in Buenos Aires, when Paula Estrada, who had also dealt with breast cancer, learned about a cold machine in the United States that could prevent hair loss during chemotherapy, a device that had not yet arrived in Argentina. And so, together with Gabriela Tosi, one of the founders, they managed to replicate the process in the country. Estrada researched and designed flexible helmets with cold gels that do not harden when frozen. These gels adhere to each other to form a helmet that adapts to the shape of each person’s head. They are used before, during and for a while after the chemotherapy session. By cooling the scalp, these helmets hinder the access of medication to the hair, which helps prevent hair loss.” When you are diagnosed with cancer you always imagine the worst, and we know that to be able to go through that situation the most important thing is the psychological part, to be able to feel the best possible, and hair for us has a symbolic value, “Tosi shared in an interview with Télam. Hair represents much more than a physical characteristic; It is a symbol of identity and self-expression. Through “cold helmets,” they not only found a practical solution to hair loss, but built a haven of empowerment and emotional strength for women battling cancer.

Original source in Spanish