bio oil

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1

I was just wondering if anyone knew if bio oil was safe to use following a mastectomy?
I have been using it then panicked a little today when someone told me they had heard it couldn’t be used after certain cancers - not sure if this applies to me as I had DCIS and no invasive cancer.
I have found it very helpful in softening my breast and reducing my scars so am loath to stop using it unless I have to. Can anyone help me? thank you

2

Hi Bunnies

Its if your tumour was ER +. Bio Oil has plant oestrogen or mimics it so it has been advised by some ONCS not to use it.

3

I stopped using bio oil after being told that it can mimic estrogen and I was ER positive 8/8 - so I have switched to sweet almond oil.

4

I asked my onc and was told ok to use. I was strongly oestrogen positive. I have used it since my surgery in November and my scars have healed really well. There is so much conflicting advice around, its very confusing.
Clare x

5

No idea about the hormone aspects, but I’ve just been told by a PS not to use Bio Oil for post-surgery massage, simply because it’s oily and clogs the pores up, causing spots and pimples. So I’m using Diprobase, it’s non-oily and soaks in well.

6

Hi
My breast surgeon advised me to use bi oil when I saw him for 2 week surgery check up and I have highly oestrogen + BC

love pops x

7

Hi
My breast surgeon advised me to use bi oil when I saw him for 2 week surgery check up and I have highly oestrogen + BC

love pops x

8

Arghhh…I sometimes wonder if we could collate all the conflicting advice from medics that we wrte about here! They can’t all be right! Massage immediately, don’t massage till all scabs have gone, don’t massage for 4 weeks, no mention of massage…same op, so many different medical opinions!!!

My Ps won’t recommend anything, but when i asked, told me lots of ladies get great results from bio oil.and that aloe Vera is wonderful in all sorts of ways.

I really can’t believe that bio oil is any more greasy than any lubricant. In fact I find it’s absorbed really quickly with massage. I’ve used it pre and post my diep and my tummy and breast are in great condition.

One good piece of advice was, whatever you use, if you notice any pink or redness developing, stop using it immediately, dont use more to try to get rid of redness!! That’s good advice!

Arghhhhh

9

Agree with nonsuch…

I have been using Bio Oil for over a year now on a daily basis and I am 8/8 ER+. My PS told me that this was the best after 4-weeks or so when scabs had healed…I will be disappointed if I have been doing the wrong thing…

Sxx

10

I’ve been using Bio Oil too, for six weeks since my recon and mx. I checked with my BC nurse and surgeon, and mentioned plant oestrogens- and they seemed to think it was fine (I’m 7/8). I am concerned to read that other people have been told ‘no.’ Not least of all because I’ve just bought two huge bottles from Costco! I use it once a day- in the morning, as it absorbs well, and use pure Vit E in the evening (mainly because it is very sticky, and not good with clothes). My scars healed very quickly, and continue to fade, and look less angry. The LD flap site on my back, which I can’t reach as well, and rely on remembering to ask my OH when he is around, is not quite as good - so the oils must be doing something.

I think I need to look into this a bit more though, it sounds very worrying - do BCC have any info I wonder?

11

I’ve been using bio oil for over a year and looked into this when concerns were raised on other threads.

As far as I’ve been able to discover, bio oil (amongst its many other ingredients) contains a small amount of lavender oil.

There’s been a widely reported study that lavender oil mimics oestrogen (causing young boys to grow breasts). Again, as far as I’ve found, this study was based on a very small sample.

My reasoning for carrying on using it is: The evidence against seems flimsy. The amount of lavender oil in it is small. I’m rubbing it in, not drinking it(!), so the amount that is likely to be circulating widely in my system is minimal. The amount of oestrogen I’m producing naturally will be far greater - and I’m taking tamoxifen to counteract the effects of that!

Just my personal opinions if it helps any one else.

Dx

12

Thanks for the sanity check DJ007, makes sense,

Sx

13

thank you for all your replies - will see what my bc nurse says but it seems may be it might not be something to worry about