Marlea Lyon would choose baldness over breast cancer any day, yet, she also admits that it’s hard losing your hair – especially for women. Thanks to the generous support of the Cancer Foundation, Marlea was able to receive the Paxman Cold Cap, a scalp-cooling treatment designed to mitigate hair loss in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The cap cools the scalp, restricting blood flow to hair follicles, which helped Marlea retain half of her hair.

“I don’t know if I could have afforded the cold cap,” said Marlea, who received the treatment free of charge, thanks to the Cancer Foundation grant. “I have friends who had to pay for the cap elsewhere where the techniques were not nearly as efficient as those at Ridley-Tree. Often, in other locations, the cold caps are delivered on dry ice, making the application cumbersome. There’s also a gap in time that the cap sits on your scalp, making it less effective. At Ridley-Tree everything is set for your specific treatment, making it seamless.”

The Paxman Cold Cap Program at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center is sponsored by Athena Cosmetics in partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara.

“I don’t know if I could have afforded the Cold Cap…At Ridley-Tree everything is set for your specific treatment, making it seamless.”