DigniCap Approved By FDA

Cancer and chemotherapy treatments are one of the greatest challenges a person can face. Compounding the struggle to overcome cancer are a host of secondary issues, including the loss of hair, which can have a stigmatizing and isolating effect, especially traumatic for women. To help resolve the hair problem, a group of researchers in Sweden developed the DigniCap, a breakthrough treatment to help cancer sufferers significantly reduce hair loss.

The Tech Info Group was intrigued by the functionality of the cap and found that DigniCap is a specially-designed silicone cap that works by chilling the wearer’s head before and during chemotherapy treatments. By cooling the scalp, the blood vessels connected to hair follicles temporarily shrink, and thus absorb less of the chemotherapy medicine. Created by Dignitana SA in Sweden, the company has been very proud to help contribute to a cancer sufferer’s ability to preserve and retain their dignity.

“For many people with cancer, losing their hair is much more than an issue of personal vanity. Losing hair is often a very unpleasant reminder of the disease, and can significantly undermine their confidence, strength, and well-being, adding an additional challenge for people already battling cancer,” a statement on the creator’s website reads.

The device was first tested and marketed in Sweden, Mexico, and several other countries around the world. After demonstrating that the majority of cancer patients who wore the DigniCap significantly reduced or completely eliminate hair loss, the breakthrough technology was finally approved for use in the United States. Costing between $1,500 and approximately $3,000, hospitals and cancer clinics can now offer patients a unique non-surgical method of retaining their dignity, well-being, and hair when administering chemotherapy.

On December 8, 2015, the FDA approved the DigniCap for use throughout the United States. After carefully studying the use of the DigniCap with 122 women undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, the FDA recognized that the device can be highly effective with helping patients reduce hair loss. In their official announcement, the FDA reported that use of the DigniCap can be of “significant benefit” to a person’s quality of life.

The DigniCap is a special silicon device placed on the scalp, with hundreds of computer-controlled contact points that constantly adjust and measure the temperature of hair follicles. A special safety sensor ensures that the scalp temperature at any given point never drops below 32F (freezing), and an outer insulating layer of neoprene helps regulate the temperature. The device is also designed to provide gradual cooling to avoid major discomfort, slowly reducing the scalp temperature until it is just above the freezing point.

Although the device works by significantly chilling the scalp, patients who have worn the DigniCap have reported only mild discomfort. In comparison with losing significant amounts of hair due to the toxicity of chemotherapy, the vast majority of patients who tried the DigniCap reported that the minor discomfort of wearing it during treatments was more than compensated for by being able to retain their natural hair.

Prior to the invention of the DigniCap, many cancer patients had to resort to wigs, artificial hair pieces, or concealing headgear in order to compensate for the loss of their natural hair. By wearing the DigniCap prior to, during, and for 90 minutes after a chemotherapy treatment, cancer patients now have a significant chance of preserving their full head of natural hair.

The device is a great support to patients undergoing such treatments. DigniCap is now on sale in two versions. one specifically for the United States and another for the rest of the world. The difference between the models is the different voltages used in America compared to other countries.