When a woman is diagnosed with cancer, one of the first people she turns to is her hairstylist to create a plan—usually a “chemo cut” or head shave—for when she loses her hair. Now, imagine a world where that’s no longer part of the cancer journey. Today, that’s possible, thanks to Scalp Cooling, an FDA-cleared process that helps reduce the likelihood of hair loss during chemotherapy. Non-profit HairToStay, a 501(c)(3) organization—along with their partners in the beauty industry, including salons, brands, distributors and schools—is making sure Scalp Cooling is available to all women, regardless of income.
Now through the end of the year, HairToStay invites beauty professionals and their clients to take the Cold Rinse Challenge, one part of the Chill for a Cause Campaign, to help raise funds for this important cause. Simply invite your clients to finish their experience at the shampoo bowl with a cold rinse to symbolize the sensation of scalp cooling treatments, grab the reaction on video (if they’re willing), have them make a donation at HairToStay.org and then challenge three friends to do the same. Upload the video to your social channels and your client’s, tag #HairToStay and tag the three people challenged in the video.
In the video, suggest the client say, “I’m NAME and I’m taking HairToStay’s Cold Rinse Challenge to help cancer patients keep their hair during chemotherapy. I challenge (name three people) to take the challenge and donate at HairToStay.org.”
It’s easy to promote the Cold Rinse Challenge to your guests via email and social media, and printing the mirror talkers, POS signage and posters using the templates in HairToStay’s free Tool Kit.
“About 8% of women refuse chemotherapy for fear of losing their hair,” says Bethany Hornthal, founder of HairToStay. “Scalp Cooling represents more than just physical preservation; it offers emotional resilience and a semblance of normalcy during a tumultuous time.” Since its inception in 2016, HairToStay has awarded subsidies to more than 6,100 patients across all 50 states, providing up to $1,500 in financial assistance to eligible patients who otherwise could not afford the scalp cooling treatment.
“As a hairstylist, scalp cooling user, subsidy recipient, and now a member of the HairToStay Team, I know how deeply personal hair is to one’s sense of self,” adds Anjuli Hoffman, a 30-year-old hairstylist at Apsara Cutting Edge in Philadelphia and a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at age 28. “Unfortunately, because scalp cooling is often not considered medically necessary by insurance companies, many patients do not have access to it. Although this technology may not be a cure for cancer, it is crucial in maintaining mental well-being during the rigorous process of cancer treatment for many patients. I’m immensely proud to be part of HairToStay, the only national non-profit dedicated to making scalp cooling both accessible and affordable for cancer patients across the country."
To participate in or sponsor the Chill for a Cause campaign and the Cold Rinse Challenge, visit HairToStay.org.
