Am I going mad or did I read somewhere that you can’t have a professional manicure or touch the nail beds/little bits of skin at side of nails during chemo?
I’m doing the whole painting my nails a dark colour (navy blue for me) and I’m not a nails painted at all, not my forte and they’re short. Looks awful when I do it
When I get a bit of money I’d like to go and get all this cuticle business sorted out professionally so i have a fighting chance of making them look half decent.
hi
I have my nails and toes done every 3 weeks or so, I have gel nails which last for up to 3 weeks. going again in about an hour to have fingers and toes done. Best thing is that they are dry instantly.
x sarah
Funnily enough, I asked this very question of my chemo nurses yesterday as my daughter is taking me away this weekend for a few of nights and the place we are staying has a spa.
I was told that manicures and pedicures were perfectly alright as long as they didn’t massage hands and feet beforehand with anything except plain almond oil.
I really wanted a back and neck massage but the advice was no deep tissue massage, plain almond oil only and BTW I would be lucky to find a therapist who would do it while I was having chemo.
Thanks - glad I can have that done. I’d heard that massages have to be done by therpists that understand chemo/recent surgery needs too. The Haven know how to do these if you have one nearby at all. I’m considering talking to them about it and seeing if I can get in there in Week 3 for a pamper - will do me the world of good to get a good massage and relax and it’s free.
What a lot of conflicting advice we get about massage.
I’m booked in for FEC6 tomorrow, and I have already got myself lined up for an hour’s massage immediately beforehand at the Fountain Centre which is attached to the cancer unit, to get me nice and relaxed. And I go for really firm ones, none of this namby pamby gentle stroking stuff, get right in there with the thumbs and elbows!
I don’t understand what the issue is with not having a firm massage. Surely the poisons are getting into all the little crevices by circulating through the bloodstream, what harm could a firm massage do more than the poisons are already doing? I believe they just use plain oils rather than essential oils which COULD have an impact, is it just dependent on the oils used rather than the massage itself?
All of the spa breaks I looked at recently said no massages for those receiving chemo, so I gave up on the idea.
I think the problem with a manicure is when the cuticles are pushed back. The skin on the fingernail comes away from the nail making it easier for germs to get in and so becomes an infection risk. I would of thought it would be ok as long as the cuticles are left alone.
Hi El Katrano
I am the same as Cromer Crab, I have a layer of gel every three weeks and my nail lady treats others who have had chemo. I would be lost without it as it is a treat and it is one part of me that looks nice and polished!!!
Hi I’m Beeing treated at the Marsden but live in btn does anyone know if I can get a massage up there I’ve not been offered anything wld be nice to get something
Thanks again all Informed by my OH that money is soooo tight that we can’t afford £10 for a manicure - we’re down to living off £60 a week now to feed outselves and pay for household items so really it would be an “extravagance”.
B*mmer.
Going to try and get in at The Haven in Leeds for a massage and hopefully they’ll also do manicures.
What a pain that we can’t even afford a measly tenner, I worked so so so hard over the past 5 years to get my career off and be the breadwinner and provide, get our house, really really hard and I’m back to square one, can’t even envisage a return to it all straight after treatment because it’s so cutthroat and stressful
I’m going to get myself booked in for manicure as soon as finances allow. It’ll be nice to have some pampering of some description!