Support the whole patient: the psychological value of the scalp of the scalp in the treatment of breast cancer

When I received a diagnosis of breast cancer, my life fractured in A before and after. I suffered five months of chemotherapy, unilateral mastectomy and proton radiation. I lost a breast. I lost my life that I thought I was building. And I almost lost my reflection.

But I haven’t lost my hair.

This unique detail rejected as cosmetics brought an immense psychological weight. Because for me, and for many others, the hair was not only the hair. It was identity. It was the agency. It was one of the last external symbols that still looked like mine in a season when so much had been removed.

Studies show that up to 14% of patients with breast cancer plan to delay or completely avoid chemotherapy due to fear of hair loss. This statistic is both astounding and unsurprisingly. Hair loss is often the first visible signal for the world that you are sick and it changes not only how others see you, but how you see yourself.

In text threads with other women in processing – hair loss was a common subject. It appeared early and often, generally with sorrow. Some women have been devastated by the speed with which it happened. Others shared that their children reacted differently to them once their hair had disappeared. Some said their partners had struggled to adapt to change. Many have found uncomfortable or unnatural wigs and did not want to wear them, but did not feel safe or seen without them. What struck me the most was how many women said they had not even experienced the scalp cooling was an option. The choice had never been mentioned. Cost and access were also significant obstacles, especially for women of color, women with limited financial means and those who sail alone. Most times, I saw how something that could have supported their mental and emotional well-being was simply not offered.

This is what struck me the most.

Before starting chemotherapy, I looked for all possible means to preserve both my health and the feeling of identity throughout the treatment. I first encountered the scalp cooling thanks to the suggestion of a friend and a Google search. When I met my oncologist, I was relieved to learn that it was included in the patient education session. I was lucky, not everyone said it is an option.

During my search for rabbit terrains, I found a lot of chatter online. The answers were heartbreaking; Many women had never heard of it. Others said they were told that it was too expensive. Some have been informed that it would not work, or that it was not worth it.

The truth is that the scalp cooling is a health equity problem. This technology approved by the FDA can reduce the hair loss induced by chemo, but with costs of $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 or more, it was treated as a luxury. And for women in marginalized communities, it is often entirely out of reach.

Now we hold at a pivotal moment. With new CPT codes recently approved by AMA (which should come into force in January 2026), the scalp cooling has a chance to become standard care (not additional). But the implementation will not occur alone. Most hospitals are not yet equipped to invoice. Insurance companies are slow to move. And patients still don’t know that there are.

When I started using the scalp cooling, I didn’t know if it would work. I just knew I had to try. And every time I looked in the mirror and I always saw myself, it reminded me that I was more than I was going through. Who counted. It anchored me.

Cooling of the scalp does not eliminate the trauma of cancer, but it reduces a piece. It gives patients a moment of grace in a world of clinical boxes. This allows a woman to stand at work, with her children, or simply in her own skin, without immediate explanation.

If we really believe in the treatment of the whole patient, we must recognize that survival is not the only measure of success. Preparing the feeling of a woman, her dignity, her identity, her autonomy is just as essential. This technology should never be a privilege. It should be a right.

Because when you fight for your life, you shouldn’t have to fight for your reflection.

Photo: Natali_mis, Getty Images

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