Almost every stylist has felt the pain of having a client confide in them about her recent cancer diagnosis. Maybe she’s asked you to shave her head during chemotherapy treatment or asked for help with a wig after she’s lost her hair. This Fall, with a cold rinse, a simple social post and a donation, you can help clients avoid losing their hair, regardless of their income status.

HairToStay, a non-profit charity focused on subsidizing scalp cooling treatments which help mitigate chemo-induced hair loss, recently launched a national social media campaign rallying individuals to take the Cold Rinse Challenge.  Symbolizing the scalp cooling treatments used during chemotherapy to preserve the hair, The Cold Rinse Challenge encourages individuals to record and post fun videos of themselves dipping, dunking or dousing their heads with cold water, while making a donation to the charity at HairtoStay.org and then publicly challenging three friends to do the same.   

Called to the Cause

HairtoStay Founder Bethany Hornthal first got involved in scalp cooling in 2010 when Dr. Laura Esserman, the director of the Breast Cancer Center at the University of California San Francisco, asked her to find funding for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) trial to bring scalp cooling to the United States.

After a five-year trial, scalp cooling cleared the FDA, but there was no public or private insurance coverage for the treatment which can be costly. Understanding how important it is for cancer patients to maintain a sense of normalcy, control and privacy during such an overwhelming life change, Hornthal launched the charity to level the playing field and make sure scalp cooling was affordable and accessible to lower income individuals. Hornthal also knew that 8% of women are likely to turn down chemotherapy due to fear of losing their hair.  

Since its inception in 2016, the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization has awarded subsidies to more than 6,000 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. Scientifically proven to significantly reduce the likelihood of hair loss during chemotherapy, the treatments represent more than just physical preservation; they offer emotional resilience and a semblance of normalcy during a tumultuous time.  

How to Take the Cold Rinse Challenge

Answer the challenge or start your own, by: 

1. Taking a video of yourself dipping, dunking or dousing your head in cold water in a backyard, body of water or sink. Be fun and creative.  

1. In the video, say: “I’m NAME and I’m taking HairToStay’s Cold Rinse Challenge to help cancer patients keep their hair during chemo. I challenge (name three people) to take the challenge and donate at HairToStay.org.” (Rinse your hair with cold water & react.)  

1. Upload the video to all your social channels, tag #HairToStay and tag the three people you challenged in the video. 

1. Go to HairToStay.org and make a donation.  

How to Involve Your Salon in the Cause

On a daily basis, salons and stylists help their clients who’ve been diagnosed with cancer navigate the changes that happen during treatment. Getting involved in the Cold Rinse Challenge is a fun and easy way to champion a beauty-related cause, while raising awareness and funds to help cancer patients keep their hair during treatment.  

Here, are some ideas for supporting the campaign:  

1. Accept a Cold Rinse Challenge from a friend or start your own. (See directions above.) Film and post your video on all your social channels, challenge three people and tag them in your post. 

2. Go to HairToStay.Org and make a donation. If you are able, consider joining HairToStay’s $1,000 Club. 

3. Invite your staff to launch their own Cold Rinse Challenges social media videos.  

4. Invite clients to participate by having their hair rinsed with cold water at the shampoo bowl after a service for a nominal donation. Post mirror talkers throughout the salon and at the front desk. Hair to Stay has mirror talkers and social media graphics available in their toolkit at hairtostay.org/cold-rinse-challenge-for-salons

5. If you have a relationship with local media, keep in mind they often are looking for stories surrounding October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Reach out and contact them and share what your salon is doing with The Cold Rinse Challenge, as well personal observations/stories from helping your own clients navigate hair loss during chemotherapy.

6. Bundle together a basket of products or a gift card, and host a raffle through to raise additional funds to donate to HairToStay.org. (Keep in mind your donation is tax-deductible.) 

7. Encourage manufacturers and/or distributors that you have a relationship with to make a donation or get involved. Multiple brands, including Kevin.Murphy, Amika, Framar and Ergo have made special products created to support the cause.  

8. On October 5, 2024, HairToStay supporters and board members met in San Francisco as HairToStay Does the Bay with a bay walk and a cold plunge! Mark your calendars and join them in San Francisco for next year’s event.

For more information about HairToStay, The Cold Rinse Challenge, or HairToStay Does the Bay, please visit HairToStay.org.