Hi. I finished a week of radiotherapy at the end of June. I went quite red on the first day and got redder during the week, but nothing too dramatic. About three weeks after, I started getting redder and more sore. Over the the last few weeks, the colour has become reddish/brown but is showing no signs of going and I can see very clearly where the radiotherapy was. Is this normal? I’m feeling quite nervous that it will never fade. I have extremely pale skin and was quite nervous how it would react. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it likely to fade in time? Thanks for any replies.
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I had the 5 day rads on my right boob and did go red then brown, like a suntan. It eventually faded after about 5-6 months (it was 2 years ago so can’t quite remember exactly). I wasn’t particularly sore though. I would imagine it is quite normal but if you’re worried, contact your BC nurse or, if you have a BC-savvy GP, get him/her to take a look.
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Hi sam1, I went very red a few hours after my first session. It got slighty worse and more hot during the 5 session. Radiotherapist and BCN said it was a reaction as it was high doses. It took several weeks before it almost disappeared. I got a bit of blistering a couple of weeks after. Even now, just over a year later, I can still see the outline. As already been mentioned, you can always speak to your bcn if concerned x
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Thank you. That’s reassuring.
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Thanks. I hope it will start to fade soon.
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Hello
You are almost there…well done
My experience of the radiotherapy on my cooked boob ( 14 sessions) left me with a red then very tanned boob, pink armpit and brown nipple which 10 months after has finally receded with lots of moisturiser and massage to a more normal colour!
I never blistered but half way through they gave me tubes of medihoney to slap on which was lovely and helped the redness and itch and irritation so ask for it and use alongside moisturiser
I did get some pimple like black spots which i assume were burnt hair follicles and a bit of my boob underneath felt like leather for about 3 months but all ok now
My nipple took the longest to recover and my armpit hair has never come back
The radiated boob is now a smaller cup size but haven’t been professionally measured and its more upright than its sister
My hubbie says it looks fine but they are now very different
Id say my 40FF has reduced to a DD on the radiated boob but I can cope with that and the lumpectomy scar…they are my fxxk you cancer medals 
and if at some point i want the other reduced to match i will but for now im ok with the way they look
Please talk to your radiotherapy team or breast team as there are lots of things they can help you with
Good luck
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Thanks for your reply. I’ll try the medihoney. I bought a tube of it before the radiotherapy, but only ended up using E45. Thanks again.
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My last RT treatment was the 24th April, I only had a small itchy rash afterwards which 3 months on is still somewhat itchy. I had. WLE on the 31st January and my breast is still a pretty shade of blue from the material they inject into you. I am though very pale skinned, virtually bleached white and will probably always stay blue. I apply Dr Organics Aloe Vera gel when the RT rash gets itchy.
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Hi, I started with a really itchy rash a week after I finished radiotherapy & also had red burn in the shape of a flat iron. I have smothered the area with moisturiser twice a day & now, a month later, the itchiness has stopped & I just have a few red spots & the red burn seems to be fading too.
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Thank you for replying. I hope the blue fades away.
Thanks for your reply. My burn looks like a flat iron too. It’s very clearly defined.
Hi
Just wanted to say, the blue dye they inject into the breast/nipple area, does fade, mine took approximately 2 years (my hubby called it my (blue tit) as in bird. The radiotherapy effects/reddness/turning to a tanned skin has also faded too, just left with tattoo dots as a reminded- now 3 years later.
Take care
Wendy
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Thanks.
@purplerose - I can relate as my dads nickname for me was his little pidgeon, my husband remarked “the pidgeon has turned into a blue tit”. It helps to laugh at yourself.
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I’m in a similar situation to you - I now have a smaller, scared (14 cm incision to remove tumour) perky right boob which is very different from lefty but I’m ok with it - might have to reduce Lefty as I have back and knee problems but it won’t be for a year or so and if I ca manage without I probably will. I also completed radiotherapy - 15 sessions in all at end of July but because of size of breast/hot weather, sweat , then skin degradation my underboob has been a real raw mess, 3rd degree burns and layers of skin lost. I couldn’t manage it at all, had a spell in hospital and they got on top of the problem so thats healing but now my undearm has gone the same way but I am coping better with managing it - plus its a smaller area. I’m glad that the worst of the bleeding and seepage is over but not sure if it will scar - the whole radiotherapied area is red and hot , my nipple is made up of cracked, dry skin and the breast skin texture is very different , plus I have the blue area from my op on 12th June. But as I say to myself almost daily ’ this too will pass’ !
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Oh my word that sounds sooo painful @jelloise , bless you for being so brave about it ! Burns are so painful. I’ve also just finished 15 days of radiotherapy.
My boob area isn’t too bad but the other 2 areas they zapped; one on the left of my collar bone and the other right on the middle above my cleavage are very red , sore and starting to look like they may blister. I’m using the medi honey they gave me but everything else stung too much . Even the Aloe gel stung. Not sure what else to do ?
If it gets worse I’ll send a photo to the BCN nurses .
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