Saving More Than Just Hair: How HairToStay Provides a Boost to Cancer Patients

At Boulevard, we talk a lot about how self-care professionals have the unique ability to help us look and feel our best, and about what a powerful combination that is and the transformative impact it can have on our lives. This is the essence of our industry and what makes it so special. It’s also the essence of the next organization we’re honored to spotlight in our ongoing Causes that Matter program: HairToStay. 

Sunday, June 2nd is National Cancer Survivors Day. One of the most devastating experiences people endure on the journey from cancer patient to cancer survivor is hair loss from chemotherapy. The trauma can be so severe that 8 percent of cancer patients refuse doctor-recommended chemotherapy treatments for fear of losing their hair. Those who do push through often struggle with a loss of identity and a greatly diminished sense of well-being, creating another significant hurdle on what is already a challenging road to mental and physical recovery. 

HairToStay is on a mission to make the trauma of chemo-induced hair loss a thing of the past. They are the first and only national nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income cancer patients afford scalp cooling, a treatment that dramatically reduces chemotherapy-induced hair loss. 

If you’ve never heard of scalp cooling, it’s a revolutionary treatment. An FDA-cleared procedure, scalp cooling minimizes and, in some cases, even prevents chemo-induced hair loss. By applying precisely cooled caps that lower the scalp’s temperature, scalp cooling causes blood vessels in the scalp to constrict, diminishing the extent to which chemotherapy medication can enter and destroy hair follicles. 

But the physical impact tells only part of the story — the mental impact is every bit as life-changing. According to HairToStay, 90% of scalp cooling treatment recipients report a positive impact on their sense of well-being, 83% report a positive impact on their relationship with their children, and 86% report a positive impact on their desire to be more social. 

Unfortunately, scalp cooling is expensive, and even more unfortunately, it’s not covered by most insurance carriers, making it unattainable for most low-income cancer patients. That’s where HairToStay comes in. HairToStay awards subsidies that make scalp cooling attainable to patients for whom it would otherwise be out of reach. Since its founding in 2016, HairToStay has raised over $6M and helped nearly 6,000 cancer patients save their hair and get a vital boost on the road to recovery. One of our core values at Boulevard is to make an impact. Well, that right there is what making an impact looks like. 

A non-profit organization that depends on the generosity of others, HairToStay offers many ways to get involved, including The HairToStay 1000 Club. Every $1,000 raised provides life-changing scalp cooling for someone in need. Boulevard is proud to contribute a treatment through this incredible program and we ask others in the industry to consider doing the same. Visit www.hairtostay.org today to help make an impact.