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Skin Care during Radiation?
Next month I'll have three weeks of radiation. (up from one , but I'm grateful for the change made by my radiation oncologist, who said he noticed something on my biopsy. His goal was to help me live another twenty years.) Someone on this loop commented that she used "fresh aloe vera." Does that mean a plant? If so, where do you buy it and how do you prepare it? Thanks for any other additional skin tips. My 3 weeks will be between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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If youre going thru radiation, consider using aloe vera gel after each treatment… 4-5 tomes a day.
Score an aloe vera leaf and slather the gel all over the breast. Stay shirtless for a out 30 mins.
At night or in lieu of real aloe vera, use Lily of the Desert 99% aloe gel.
It really works. I did the for 30 days. Drs amazed. No redness and my breastless chest looks like a babies.
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1 ReactionWhen I had radiation, my surgical scar began to crack. I went to a wound care center and they applied an agent called Santyl with a plastic mesh over it and then neatly covered it. 3 days later, the skin was renewed with no burning or itching. I highly recommend this for radiation burns. I informed the radiologist they needed to be informing patients of this. Good luck.
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2 ReactionsHi there,
Everyone’s skin reacts differently during radiation, so it’s always best to double-check any product with your radiation nurse. Many people use simple, fragrance-free moisturizers and avoid anything with perfumes or essential oils.
For aloe, “fresh aloe vera” usually means the gel directly from an aloe plant leaf. Some people find it soothing, but definitely ask your care team first, as recommendations can vary.
Wishing you comfort during your treatments.
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1 ReactionThe doctor recommended Mepitel One strips, it is basically a sheet that you wear, I found I had to replace it weekly, but it really worked well for me, very very little burn to deal with, she said that it doesn't work for everyone so that might be something you want to talk to your doctor about as well
If you are large-breasted and you have radiation directed to the underside of your breast, I would recommend wearing the ComfortSlings products as soon as you begin treatment. I wore a ComfortSlings sling nearly 24 hours a day from the beginning of my radiotherapy.
Several times during the day I lay on my back and applied colorless, odorless gel to my entire breast, including the underside. I remained in position until the gel was fully absorbed (it took seconds), then immediately tucked the ComfortSling beneath my breast. With continuous protection from moisture and abrasion, the need for other products was virtually eliminated. By the treatment’s end, my skin had darkened slightly at the radiation site, but was otherwise unchanged. I had no pain, no broken skin.The protection the sling provided in eliminating perspiration and preventing skin-to-skin abrasion combined with the soothing gel was priceless. http://www.ComfortSlings.com
I used Miaderm lotion twice a day for the five days before I began my 16 sessions. Once I began radiation, I was prescribed Mometasone by the radiologist to use twice a day and then continued the week after treatment was complete. My skin did very well with only a slight pink tone to a small area. Wishing you all the best.