In view of the comment by dotchas that she was told she had burnt because she had moisturised first, I do wonder about the wisdom of putting any sort of grease on the skin, as it’s like basting when cooking, which makes the food go brown. I really don’t know what to do now, as I have naturally dry skin. I had started using aqueous cream prior to starting rads next Tuesday, but am I setting up problems?
I know most of you seem to moisturise first, but I wonder now what to do.
At the planning meeting, they said they will go through all the instructions at the first treatment, but that seems a bit late. I want to know before I go.
Has anyone with fair, dry skin NOT put anything on their skin beforehand, and not burnt?
Hi my skin is fair and I have had 22 rads with 8 to go. I used aqueous cream before starting and still put it each morning and night. Just slap it on and don’t rub in, that’s what my instructions were. My appointments are late afternoon.
My skin has held up really well and the staff check it every day. I saw the doc last week and she gave me another cream for under the breast where it was getting a little sore and it is working a treat.
What was clear to me though is that it is different for everyone. We all have individual treatment plans. One lady I got to know in the waiting room (get used to the waiting room!) had fewer treatments than me but her skin was very red and sore.
I would go with the aqueous cream and get skin in good condition before you start. You will have a chat with staff before you start and a chance to ask any questions. They told me that any skin probs would be after about 14 sessions anyway.
Different hospitals tend to give different advice. After reading posts on here about using cream beforehand, I asked my h ospital (the Western General in Edinburgh). Their policy is NOT to use anything beforehand, or indeed during the treatment, unless the skin then starts to become sore in which case they would advise.
I had 16 rads and 4 boosters, and can honestly say that the worst my skin got was a little bit itchy near the end of treatment. It also looked a bit darker than the rest of me, but that faded within a few weeks. Rads really is OK, so please don’t worry about starting. I was amazed by how quickly it took each day - you spend more time stripping off than you do on the bed.
I have olive oily skin I was told to use aqueous cream daily and use simple soap products during treatment to help with drying and sensitivity of skin,I was not expecting to burn as i was told you’ll be fine your colouring will help, sadly I burnt badly and had an infection in burn, I still use aqueuos cream and it has really helped heal skin. I have an area 8inches x8inches of deeply tanned skin last rad was end of june,I found rads to be so much easier than expected.
Tiredness suprised me I didn’t expect to be as tired as i was.
Individual treatments are different and it may be down to doses and how much chest area you are having done.
All my probs started 2 weeks after end of treatment.
Hi, I had 23 rads, 15 and 8 boosters. I didn’t start using the aqueous cream till i started, i had sort of moisturised beforehand when i remembered! i have fairish skin but did not burn at all! Finished just over a week ago and have a suntanned boob!
I too just slap on the cream twice a day and dont rub it in.
But as She says dont worry its fine!! hopefully you will be ok!
love debs xxxx
Hi Ann
I started using the cream the 1st day of my rads and thereafter twice daily, have been told to continue this for another couple of weeks. I have had hardly any skin reaction and I am quite fair skinned. My boob does look sun tanned in places and it is darker over the nipple area, but at no time have I been sore.
Rads really are not that bad and as some other ladies have said try not to worry too much about it.
Good luck for Tuesday I will PM you to see how you get on.
the planning meeting is plenty of time to decide what you want to do… you dont actually get radiotherapy at the planning meeting they use a simulator… your rads will start a few days or weeks after planning.
as for the basting idea there isnt actually any research to support this and basically the research says it makes no difference whether you use aqueous cream or not… some people just come out with something they ‘think’ but it can be totally unfounded.
the research link i posted on the other thread basically states that there wasnt any difference to the outcome and whether you got burnt or not…
im at the same unit as dot and they do actually give you aqueous IF you get burnt or start to go red… if there was anything to support it caused burning then this is the last thing they would be advising your to do.
Sorry I seem to have worried you.I have to say that the radiographers in my unit gave me some weird advice.They were wrong to suggest to me I burnt because of aqueous cream.I was told by the rads nurse to use it.I just wish that the radiographers read up on research and understood their own hospitals policies and the reasons behind them,and sing from the same hymn sheet as the nurses!
Remember I burnt because I was given an increased dose to my skin.
Don’t worry too much about rads,the procedure is a doddle and any skin reactions (which are likely to be less severe than mine) are temporary.
Love
Dot
xxx
I was told before starting rads not to put anything on my skin. They told me that it was their advice to every patient and that they would prescribe a cream if the skin becomes too red of if it breaks. So I am not putting anything… I just had 4 rads (21 to go) and of course my skin is as good as new, but will see how it develops. I am not too worried about it. I will go with the flow !
Lulu - I had my planning meeting nearly 3 weeks ago and I start rads on Tuesday. They didn’t give me any advice and when I asked about skin care, I was told they would tell me everything at the first session.
Well, from what you all say, it just depends on your hospital and they really don’t know either way. It is obviously an individual thing as to whether you burn with or without cream.
I was trying to discover what happened to any of you with fair, dry skin, and whether you had put cream on or not.
I think I shall carry on putting it on until Tuesday and then see what they advise. As you say Dot, it would be helpful if they could all advise the same.
I know a radiographer who suggests that people eat a tablespoon of tomato puree (on a cracker maybe) as apparently there are skin protecting properties. I have forgotten what they are but I know that this has been trialled somewhere. She reckons that this may help for everyone, esecially the very fair skinned but no idea whether the science is sound (and she is a very strange eater.)
It works for sunburn too, apparently. You start before if possible to build up whatever it is that is involved!
I remember seeing a programme on TV about the benefits of tomato in preventing sunburn. Some research was done and as I recall you had to eat quite a lot of tomato puree on a daily basis to make a difference but it did work. Worth a try perhaps…
I was told by my Onc that they’d done a bit of research into the benefits of aqueous cream versus aloe gel and found that the aloe gel can be quite drying. I didn’t put any cream on in advance because no-one mentioned it to me and I didn’t read the leaflet they gave me until the day of the radiotherapy.
Personally I’d like to use something without any chemicals in but the radiographers have said that other things may react with the radiotherapy.