Sun exposure after rads?

Hi JJ,

From the main Breastcancer.org site's page on Skin Care Tips:

What about sun exposure during radiation therapy?

• During radiation, it's best to keep the treated area completely out of the sun.
• Wear a bathing suit with a high neckline.
• Wear a cover-up when you're not in the water.
• Wear an oversized cotton shirt to cover the treated area and allow it to breathe.
• Avoid chlorine. Chlorine is very drying and can make your skin reaction worse.
• If you do swim in a pool, you might want to spread petroleum jelly (a product like Vaseline) on the treated area to keep chlorinated water away from your skin.

After your radiation treatment is done, the skin that has been exposed to radiation may be more sensitive to the sun than it was in the past. You can go out in the sun and have fun, but continue to protect your skin:

• Use a sunblock that is rated SPF 30 or higher on the area that was treated. (A strong sunblock is a very good policy for every inch of your body.)
• Apply the sunblock 30 minutes before you go out in the sun.
• Reapply the sunblock every few hours, as well as when you get out of the water.

There's also some great tips on the Summer Skin Care page.

We hope this helps! Enjoy your vacation!

--The Mods

JJ, my SIL is a care coordinator for a cancer center and she warned me that I might have back sores (from where the rads exit the body). I'm looking at the crew-neck, sleeveless "rash guard" top on Land's End, as well as the white zip-front with the 1/2 sleeves.

My Academy Sporting Goods store does have SPF 50 tops that are cut like a regular t-shirt, but I didn't like the colors.