NAŠA ŽENA, a Slovenian magazine, recently published an educational and anecdotal article shining a spotlight on the personal scalp cooling and chemotherapy experiences of three women in the country: journalist Damjana Seme, actress Tina Gorenjak, and Martina Glavina, one of the first to access scalp cooling in the country.
“When I found out I would need chemotherapy, losing my hair was an additional shock.”
- Martina
Martina Glavina, a Slovenian cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, didn’t expect that a passing reference on a TV programme would change the course of her cancer treatment. However, when actress Tina Gorenjak spoke about scalp cooling, that’s exactly what happened, and the idea stuck with Martina.
Faced with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen and no scalp cooling equipment at her local hospital in Nova Gorica, she reached out to Sanolabor, the Slovenian distributor for the Paxman Scalp Cooling System. With persistence and strong self-advocacy from both her and her oncologist, a cooling unit was delivered from Ljubljana ahead of each session.
Martina started cooling from her very first treatment. “I was hoping until the last moment that I might be spared losing my hair,” she told NAŠA ŽENA magazine. Though she ultimately lost most of it, she says she has no regrets. As a huge trauma for her, her cancer experience is something that will stay with her forever. To Martina, just like every other chemotherapy patient, “It’s not just hair”, it’s a part of her self-image.
Research shows that even through hair loss on more aggressive regimens, cooling the scalp provides protection to the hair follicles, promoting regrowth and even preventing persistent alopecia.
Her experience didn’t end with the treatment. Today, Martina works with trichologist Klaudia Piskar to support hair regrowth and navigate the emotional aftermath. “I know I will never look like Martina again, but I will be a better version of myself,” she says.
Journalist Damjana Seme received her cancer diagnosis at a time when scalp cooling wasn’t available in Slovenia. For almost two years, she chose to keep her diagnosis private to avoid pity or fear. She even kept her illness from her children, relying on wigs and scarves to conceal the changes that chemotherapy was inflicting.
But for Damjana, the moment she started losing hair was unforgettable.
“That was the most painful and paralysing thing for me. I couldn’t get over it. I still can’t. I think it is a bigger wound for me than the one I was left with from the surgery.”
- Damjana
The privacy, shelter from pity and protection for her children are all motivational factors when a patient choses to scalp cool. Unfortunately for Damjana, the treatment was not available to her at the time and highlights how simply retaining some hair gives patients control. Loss of hair becomes a visible marker of illness and one that strips away normality and privacy in a way few other side effects do.
Tina Gorenjak, a Slovenian actress, whose TV appearance encouraged Martina to scalp cool, confessed in the article that hair wasn’t a priority concern for her when diagnosed. However, her mother, concerned about alopecia asked the doctor about how to avoid it.
By chance, UKC Maribor had just begun introducing scalp cooling, and her oncologist offered her the opportunity to try it.
Even knowing her chemotherapy was particularly aggressive, Tina gave it a shot. She even turned the situation into a moment of empowerment.
“At some point I decided to have a real 'party' - I put on make-up, good music, shaved and did a real photoshoot.”
- Tina
The results of her scalp cooling experience surprised even her, and Tina noticed the regrowth element especially. “I can say that I never lost all my hair because of the cold cap, and the regrowth afterwards was fast and lush.
“It’s not just about hair. It’s about being heard.”
There is a common thread that weaves through these stories. One of self-advocacy, the power of awareness and the need for holistic approaches at the forefront of cancer care. The stories of these brave women show how none of them were presented with the option to scalp cool in the first instance; Tina’s mother speaking up on her behalf, Martina’s persistence to get a system delivered locally and sadly, Damjana’s needs for privacy, normality, and protection unmet.
Trichologist Klaudia Piskar, who has worked with many post-chemotherapy patients, explains the nuance of this within the magazine.
“It’s not just about hair…It’s about being heard.”
- Klaudia Piskar, Trichologist
These are just three inspiring stories among many. In Slovenia and beyond, patients are becoming aware that they don’t have to accept hair loss as an inevitability of chemotherapy. With access to scalp cooling, they have a choice.
