Oncology and Esthetics
As an Oncology Trained Esthetician and someone who has went through anti-cancer treatment, I have a heart for educating and loving on others who are going through or who have gone through such treatments. I had no idea how many different kinds of cancer and treatments
there were. How many side effects from both the cancer and the treatments, both during treatments and long after treatments are over. Although I can’t share everything I’ve learned through my training, I want to share some interesting things people can implement at home!
Let’s talk about touch and massage. The benefit of touch, in and of itself, is beyond measure. Although we need to be understanding of the fact that it should be a gentle, calming touch versus deep tissue. Did you know that we need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 to maintain, and 12 for growth or during a crisis?! The other thing I learned is that if you have had any lymph nodes removed, you should never have massage done in that quadrant of the body again as it could
cause lymphodema. As someone who loves getting massages, this was a huge disappointment, but I’d rather know and prevent getting that. The other thing we need to be careful of is friction on hands and feet. We need to keep everything well hydrated, but people undergoing anti- cancer treatment are susceptible to hand foot syndrome, which can be exacerbated by friction, so again we must use a light touch when applying moisturizing elements.
Since we’re talking about hydrating the skin, now would be a great time to discuss body oiling! What a way to pamper your dry, thin, dehydrated skin. You can use your choice of coconut oil, sesame oil, almond oil, or sunflower oil. You’ll want to shower and then apply the oil of your
choice. Do not dry off. Put on a robe and wait 20 minutes. Jump back in the shower and rinse but do not wash off. (You may want to put a towel down to prevent slipping.) Then pat dry. Repeat this every day for 2 weeks. You will be amazed at how baby soft your skin will feel! For those going through radiation treatments, I’d recommend applying Calendula Oil to the area being treated. Remove the oil with soap and water 4 hours prior to treatment and leave
clean and dry. Reapply after treatment. This oil will help protect the skin and minimize the external burning. Tea Tree Oil is a good alternative, if you cannot find Calendula Oil. For those who have undergone surgical procedures, Tamanu Oil can be feathered on the scar to reduce and smooth the scar. Be sure the scar has completely closed first. It is recommended by physical therapists to gently massage scars once they have healed, so why not use Tamanu Oil to help them lay flat!
The last thing I want to share with you has to do with skin cancer. Did you know that the cases of skin cancer have increased over 500% since the 1970s? The reason is because of sunglasses! Our irises have a detection mechanism in them that signals the brain when they detect sunlight. The brain then signals the melanocytes to get to work to protect the skin from dangerous UV rays. The lesson is this: Wait just a few minutes after entering the sunlight before putting on
your sunglasses, so your eyes have time to signal your brain to signal your natural solar defense team (melanocytes) to get to work!
