UPDATE: Thank you for your support and helping us to reach our target of £20,000 for a Paxman Cooling System. With your support, we are hoping to reach a new target of £30,000 to purchase a dual patient Paxman Cooling System.

Hair loss can be one of the most upsetting and traumatic side effects of chemotherapy. It is the most visible sign a person is having treatment for cancer and can affect self-confidence and sense of identity.

We are raising funds for an additional state-of-the-art Paxman Cooling System and further above and beyond cancer care equipment.

These amazing machines, developed by Glenn Paxman as a result of his own wife losing her hair through chemotherapy, are compatible with most chemotherapy drugs and have received some wonderful results. Many people have reported that their hair loss was so minimal that using the machines enabled them to 'just feel normal' whilst undergoing treatment.

Prior to receiving the chemotherapy drug, the scalp cooler (which consists of a lightweight silicone cap connected to a small refrigeration unit) is placed on the head. Ensuring the cap fits well, the machine reduces the temperature of the scalp creating a restriction in the amount of blood reaching the hair follicles. This protects the hair follicle from the effects of the concentrated chemotherapy drugs carried in the blood stream and increases the chance of retaining the hair. The cap continues to be worn during administration of the drugs and then for a calculated time afterwards.

Scalp cooling caps have been shown to reduce hair loss, with 50 per cent of patients retaining at least half of their hair.

To fund an additional state-of-the-art Paxman Cooling System, the appeal target is £20,000 . The cap will enable more patients having chemotherapy at the Primrose Unit, to benefit from this innovative treatment that is above and beyond NHS funding - helping them regain some control and maintain their privacy while encouraging a positive attitude towards cancer treatment overall.

ELHT&Me - your local hospital charity - would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in fundraising or working in partnership with the Charity to raise funds for the appeal.

Please help us reach our target so we can offer scalp cooling systems to all our patients facing treatment for cancer.