Skincare For Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments can create side-effects that are tough on your skin. All too often, these skin issues are unexpected and sometimes are left untreated by people who just assume that "it's just part of the deal"... but it's not!
A proactive skincare regimen is a vital part of a holistic approach to battling cancer. And in fact, good skincare can actually help with many of the side effects that you'd normally never associate with your skin.
A Northwestern University Study tracked two groups of cancer patients - one with a proactive, high-quality skincare routine and one group with no skincare. As one would expect, the group using skincare reported healthier skin and fewer skin-related side effect. But the amazing finding in this study was that people using good skincare habits reported significantly less nausea, fatigue and vomiting! Doctors believe that protecting your body from "micro-infections" with good skincare allows your body to save more energy to battle the other side effects.
What You Can Do:
Be Aware:
Being aware of the potential skin issues is half the battle. Everyone has heard about potential nausea and hair loss, but most people are unaware of what may happen to their skin. A 2010 study by Supportive Care in Cancer found that nearly a third of cancer patients reported unexpected Dry Skin and Skin Irritation. Simply by being aware of the potential side effects, people battling cancer can minimize the psychological stress often caused by these skin issues.
Prepare:
A good preventative regimen of gentle, pure skincare can help avoid or minimize many of the side-effects of treatment. Regimens begun after skin issues have started can be quite effective as well, but it's always best to start a good regimen before the appearance of any skin issues.
What to look for in skincare during chemo:
1. Gentle & non-drying
Much of the skincare on the market is designed to promote younger-looking skin, and one of the main ways to accomplish youthful skin is to exfoliate, peel & strip away the top layer of skin cells. Many skincare lines contain alpha-hydroxy, acids, and other agents designed to peel away skin cells. When you are undergoing chemo, heavy exfoliants and harsh scrubs are not appropriate.
2. Hypo-allergenic
Chemo can play games with your nervous system. You may develop strange reactions to things that have never bothered you before. The last thing you want to do is bombard your skin with new potential allergens.
3. Avoid harsh chemicals, dyes, or perfumes
Your average skincare is designed primarily by a marketing team. They care mostly about what products will look good on TV and will appeal to the senses. To that end, they load their skincare with perfumes, dyes and other harsh chemicals. During chemo, you should avoid those perfumes, dyes and heavy metals that can cause irritation and other adverse reactions.
4. Moisture & hydration are key
Some skincare is heavy with drying agents and "anti-oil" ingredients - included to prevent shiny, oily skin. During chemo, skin tends to be dry without any help, so look for skincare that delivers moisture, rather than stripping it away.
Why Lindi Skin
Since 2003, Lindi Skin has been delivering the leading skincare line designed and produced specifically to meet the unique needs to people undergoing cancer treatments. Our safe, gentle, hypo-allergenic line was designed and tested by a team of oncologists working closely with a team of dermatologists. Over the past decade, we've been endorsed by thousands of users and dozens of doctors to be safe and effective in caring for the skin of people who are battling cancer.
It's tough enough dealing with cancer treatments. We want to make it easy for you to take care of your skin.