This week Warrnambool’s St John of God Hospital became home to the region’s first hair loss prevention system.

The scalp cooling machine, or “cooling caps” come in five sizes and are being offered to breast and prostrate cancer patients to be used during chemotherapy treatments.

The machine is the result of several donations.

SJOG Nurse Unit Manager, Day Oncology, Laura Levett said the caps are worn to maintain scalp temperatures for the duration of the treatment.

“The temperature ranges from 19 to 22 degrees,” she said. “They reduce the blood flow to the area by 20 to 40 percent, making the hair follicle less susceptible to damage.”

While results vary within the 32 countries currently using the machine, Ms Levett said success rates were positive.

“There’s good research to support at least an above 75 per cent success rate,” she said. “Yes it may feel like an ice-cream headache for the first ten minutes but with many patients expressing concern over hair loss, this is a positive alternative.”