Is Cold Capping Painful and Covered by Insurance?

I have had nothing but a POSITIVE AND REWARDING experience with cold capping … it’s paid for by my infusion clinic and once you get used to the process, it’s not a big deal to me since I kept most all my hair (about 30% loss, no one would know) and have 3 txs left of Taxol … not painful, it’s actually soothing bc the cold feels good to me , idk !

I cold capped and it was covered by a grant! I used Penquin Cold caps and about 70% of my hair survived Taxol, but then I had 4 rounds of AC, 16 infusions total & 2-3 months afterwards last I was almost bald losing 90% of my hair esp around the sides or in patches. Weirdly, I had some long strands in the top & back of my head though. And I never did go bald totally. And others have reported a pattern of side balding like myself post capping with Penquin while it worked very well for others. Check out some of the cold capping communities on Facebook, very helpful prior to deciding! Best Wishes!

Eh…it wasn’t painful but it was annoying! The whole process of getting it on and then having to keep it on after treatment was a lot. It might have felt worth it if I had kept all my hair but it still thinned a lot around my hairline so it looked far from my normal hair.

My insurance didn’t pay for it and it ended up being about $500/month. I’ve heard others have had luck getting their insurance to reimburse them for it.

For me, while it was noticeably cold for about 15 mins, I didn't find it painful. I was given acetaminophen, I think, ahead of each treatment to help ward off any headache pain. I didn't have any. My insurance didn't cover it. I had 4 treatments and it cost $2,000 in total.

My oncologist told me it was an option my insurance wouldn't cover.

Cold capping experiences vary widely among patients - some describe it as uncomfortable but manageable, while others find it more challenging, often depending on individual pain tolerance and the specific cooling system used. Insurance coverage for cold capping can be inconsistent, so it's worth checking with your insurance provider directly and asking your oncology team if they can help with prior authorization or documentation that might support coverage.