Chemotherapy Its Other Battle Is With Your Skin Hair And Nails!

Chemotherapy - Its Other Battle Is With Your Skin, Hair And Nails!
By Jeffery Yoder

Many side effects of chemotherapy treatments affect your skin and hair. Even the new targeted therapies can dry your skin as well as leave a wake of acne and a series of rashes anywhere on the body.

In my particular case the conventional treatment for colorectal cancer of Oxaliplatin or Campostar had mostly a drying effect on the skin. This was controlled with regular use of Sween Cream. With the newer drugs, the addition of the acne and rashes adds a new element in side-effects and in greatly increased attention.

TAKE YOUR SKIN SERIOUSLY!

My personal experience is that the rash and acne breakout can:

1.Occur anywhere on the body (I have had both of them on each heal).

2.Stay 3-4 weeks before moving to another area.

3.Return to a previously ravaged area.

4.Be symmetrical (if you get a breakout on your right side, you will most likely have a corresponding breakout on same part of your left side).

5.Itch.

6.Be sensitive to fragrances such as colognes & lotions.

7.Cause great discomfort with your antiperspirant or deodorant.

8.Cause some loss of hair as a result of severe acne breakout in the hair or a mans beard or eyebrows.

Fortunately, these problems can be lessened through inexpensive and less time consuming methods, or the effects can be amplified with the addition of other more expensive products used with greater frequency.

The products I mentioned are not the only products that would provide the effective results. They just all have one thing in commonno irritating fragrances are added and they are very simple and pure products.

Another consideration that affects your results is if the climate in which you live has a lot of humidity. In Florida, the natural moisture would reduce the number of times a day you would need to use a moisturizer. Ones amount of natural skin oils can also affect the amount of extra care needed.

LOTIONS AND POTIONS

If you buy only one lotion or cream, buy Sween Cream by Coloplast Corporation product number 7069 www.us.coloplast.com/ECompany/USMed/Homepage.nsf/0/27289ee974cedd7685256f32006b91a7?OpenDocument. It can be found at most medical supply stores that sell ostomy supplies. Special order this if you must, because it is the most effective of the creams and is very reasonably priced. Sween Cream lasts through a number of light washings and would not require as many applications a day as some other products.

Moderately priced lotions and oils make from 100% Kukui Oil has been very effective in keeping my skin moist. The entire line of Kukui products is available at www.oilsofaloha.com Most of their products are fragrance free. The Kukui Moisturizing Cream has some fragrance and could be an issue for some individuals. However, both the Kukui Nut Oil and Moisturizing Lotion are fragrance free. It is available by Web purchase at the above address or toll-free at 800.367.6010. Delivery is prompt. I have not found this product on the mainland.

If you are able to spend more money and buy higher end skin care products, I can personally recommend Elemis products. Particularly effective is Skin Survival Cream, Absolute Eye Mask, S.O.S. Emergency Cream and Vitamin-Rich Body Lotion. Each individual is different in a different climate. So the frequency that one must apply a moisturizer each day will vary. Each product comes in very small quantities (you do not need much at all) and ranges in the $35-$50+ range each! It can be ordered at www.timetospa.com Time-To-Spa has packages that combine many of the products youll need into one convenient packet. Elemis has products for both women and men and hails from England. It is distributed through Steiner in Florida and delivery is prompt. Is it worth the extra money? Maybe not, but you are! So treat yourself!

DEFOLIATE

It may be necessary to defoliate your face every other day to get rid of the unsightly peeling of dead skin from your face. For that frequent of usage it is important to use a mild defoliate that will be gentle and doesnt contain artificial fragrances. Skin Buff and Energizing Skin Scrub from Elemis are two such products. There are other products that may be just as effective for less money. Just remember not to remove your first and second layer of skin in one application and stay away from fragrances.

HEALING TAKES LONGER

Because your skin is dry it is going to be easily damaged, cut and irritated. I have cut my hand opening a plastic lid on a bottle with the small ridges meant to increase you grip. It has taken weeks to heal! Your hands are by far the hardest part of your body to maintain. Every time you wash your hands use a lotion or cream of choice to restore the moisture that was lost during washing. Wash your hands frequently! Use lotion or oil frequently! Dont add an infection to your list of woes. Avoid hand sanitizers as they will burn all the sensitive areas and dry your skin. When going about your daily routine you will be amazed at how everyday tasks zap the moisture completely out of your hands. The solution is to moisturize your hands and wear latex (or similar) gloves when you are washing, dishes, gardening, dusting, cleaning and just about anything else you can think of. Every time you remove the gloves be sure to re-lube and put the gloves back on. Wear them while napping and sleeping at night. This will make the biggest difference, if you can stand it! About two hours into a good nights sleep, I rip them off and look for them in the morning.

HAIR INFESTATION CAUSES SPECIAL TREATMENTS

If you are one of the lucky ones that develop acne or rash in your hair or in the case of facial hair in men it can be a very uncomfortable situation. First, dont get the shears out and decide hairless is best. It doesnt work and I have been told first hand that it can make it worse trying to shave the area. Try Paul Mitchells Tea Green Shampoo www.paulmitchell.com/intro.asp. It works wonders on controlling the itch and in my case stopped the spread and just plain felt great! Paul Mitchell also makes body soap and conditioners in the Tree Green Line. This is not an ordinary shampoo/soap and neither is the cool, almost chilling feeling it leaves as it absorbs into your hair or beard!

OUCH! MY DEODORANT FEELS MORE LIKE EASY OFF OVEN CLEANER!

All of a sudden my underarms started to burn a red rash formed in and around my armpit. After feeling the increase in pain when applying my antiperspirant I knew I had a problem. I now use Sween Cream (to increase sticky surface) and Johnsons Baby Powder with Pure Cornstarch. This I apply with a cotton round sprinkled with the baby powder. So far, I have had no strange looks or wrinkled noses. It really works!

SUPER GLUE IS NOT JUST FOR PLASTIC REFRIGERATOR PARTS

I have not tried it, but it has been recommended to me to use super glue on those nasty and painful cuticle tears by the nail. Im sure its application will test ones spirituality (it has got to burn like #@!*), but it should hold it together until the tear can heal. We all know that stuff is more durable than granite.

NAIL HEALTH MUST BE MONITORED

Both foot and hand nails can be affected with grooves and white marks. There are two methods that really help and work exceptional well when used together. First, defoliate both the hands and feet, but be careful! Because it is designed for hands and feet it will be courser than what you would use on your face. This coarseness can aggravate already damaged skin. Use common sense and your feeling of pain when applying. It works exceptional well in the cuticle area to remove dead skin. This combined with emery boards can help smooth the surface of your nails.

Nail polisher such as clear base coats and clear finger nail polish can help hide badly damaged nails and go a long way to protecting them from further damage. Moreand more men are finding the benefits of manicures and pedicures. Theyre not just for women any more!

RESULTS WILL COME, BUT NOT OVER NIGHT!

The chemo you are taking is nasty stuff. In order to keep it under control you will need to work at it on a regular basis. Even when you have optimized your results, you will not look 21 again with all blemishes gone. You will still have some acne, rashes and delayed healing. I just know how much worse I felt before I found the secret to lessen the damage caused by the chemotherapy, my climate and skin type.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

In general, your hairs health is a direct result of the quality of shampoo you use, for your scalp and skin are the same. I was totally amazed at the difference of my hairs texture, luster and overall appearance by switching to a pretty pricy shampoo at $15.95 for a small bottle. But after weighing the small amount necessary and the length of time the product lasted; it wasnt as expensive as first thought. I am no longer averse to paying premium process for premium results.

REMEMBER, IF YOU LOOK GOOD YOU WILL FEEL GOOD.

I have no connection with any product in this article, except that as a customer. The opinions expressed here are my own based upon my personal experience. Everyone is different and your results may differ from these. -- JC Yoder 05/05

On June 12, 2006, Jeff passed away after a 5-year battle with colon cancer.

Since 2005, this article on skin care has been widely distributed to cancer patients by the Utah Cancer Center. Permission is granted to reproduce this article free of charge.

JEFFREY C. YODER
(1949-2006)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JefferyYoder
http://EzineArticles.com/?Chemotherapy---Its-Other-Battle-Is-With-Your-Skin,-Hair-And-Nails!&id=267556