Radiation Skincare Check List

palmbreeze

Dear all,

I have a very sensitive skin and have not had any sunburn experience. I'm starting radiation this Friday and have learned a few life saving Skincare products recommended by you ladies, my RO and from researching on internet. I wish to collect your thoughts on the following products. In your experience, how well did the following products work for you? I hope this one stop shop list with your validation will help other newbies like me to go through the radiation with minimum skin side affects.

What do you use and how often you use them to be effective? Please add if yours is not on this list.

1. Over the Counter Skincare (gel, cream and or ointment)

a. Oronine

b. Briron calendula

c. Aloe

2. Deodorant (vegan and free zinc/aluminum)

a. Toms

b. Secret Crystal Clear

c. Arms & Hammers

d. DeodeMom

e. Sweet

f. Thai

g. Dessert Essence

Annie54

I use what the RO gave me.....At first, Radiaplex gel and then Biafine creme when I developed some radiation dermetitis (itching!) on my chest. She's not a big fan of aquaphor as she says it clogs up in the pores. She ok'ed it for night time use as long as I washed it off in the morning.

I also use pure aloe from the plant. I found a large aloe leaf (2 ft by about 6 inches) at whole foods in the produce section for $3.99. I cut a big chunk, strip the skin from one side and put it all over my breast. It has no smell and sinks into the skin fast. Must be helping because I've done 23 of 25 whole breast radiation treatments and will start my 8 boosts on Friday...... my skin is pink....nipple has turned gray in color with large brown freckles on it and my under arm is a bit sore - but otherwise I've done well. No major pain or fatigue. RO said skin could keep changing for 2 weeks past radiation (peeling etc) but should calm down and be getting back to normal at 1 month posts rads.

Good luck!

Annie

palmbreeze

Thank you Annie for sharing your insights. I bought some cold pressed aloe whole leave gel from amazon in preparation for the radiation. Is there harm to apply the gel prior to the radiation session?

Annie54

I was told nothing on breast for the 4 hours before radiation. I would lube up at night before bed, take a shower in the morning and wash off any residue. My appt was at 10:10 am so I would wait to put the cream on right after my rad treatment, and then lube up again in the late afternoon - so around 3 times a day.

Annie

dbld

My RO gave me a jar of Udderly Smooth body cream to apply twice daily for skincare. Next I was advised to use otc 1% hydrocortisone for itching. When I began the boost, I was prescribed clobetasol propionate, which was very thick and hard to spread across the skin. I eventually started using Keys MetaCare Natural Intensive Therapy Cream with the clobetasol propionate. After one week, my RO discontinued the clobetasol propionate and told me to continue with the Keys MetaCare. I am healing nicely following a moderate burn with no broken skin. I highly recommended the Keys MetaCare and wish I had used it from the start.

My RO recommended Tom's deodorant, which I have come to prefer over my previous brand.

SophiaMarie

I've used aloe with essential oils for hydration, followed by either a calendula gel or hyaluronic acid cream, followed by an emu oil/Tamanu oil/vit E/calendula oil/essential oil blend. I put this on immediately following rads and then once or twice more before bed. In the morning before treatment (more than two hours before) I just used either calendula gel or a skin therapy gel from my acupuncturist.

I also saw an acupuncturist once a week. It has helped so much with pain!

dlb823

I also have extremely sensitive (although not fair) skin. I started off with Aloe Vera Gel, recommended by my rad onc, and it was fine to start. I also tried a sample of Aquafor for a few days, and it was okay. But then I got the best tip from a fellow rads patient. She had extremely fair skin, and she was totally sold on the Emu Oil she was using, which I later found out our rad onc recommends for those with fair skin. So I switched to that and had no problems other than a bit of "sunburn" in a very small area that didn't happen until the last couple of days.

A probably equally good choice, IMO, is any natural cream with a high amount of calendula in it.

I used Emu Oil immediately after my early a.m. session, around dinner time, and at bedtime.

I used Trader Joe's natural deoderant, which I suspect is probably made by Tom's.

Hope this helps. Deanna