Hair And Skin Care Tips When You Are Going Through Chemo

Chemotherapy is one of the primary treatment options for most cancer diagnoses. If you are currently being treated for cancer with chemotherapy, you may have noticed that you are experiencing issues with hair loss, skin problems, or feeling flush and overheated. These are all considered to be normal, though definitely bothersome, side effects of chemotherapy. However, just because these are common side effects of chemo treatments, this does not mean that you cannot try to combat those symptoms as much as possible to get some relief while you go through chemo. Get to know some of the ways that you can better care for you skin and hair while you go through chemo so that you can feel some symptom relief.

Wear Cold Caps

Cold caps are one of the best skin and hair care items that you can invest in when you are going through chemotherapy. Cold caps are also often referred to as cooling caps and are designed to help reduce hair loss in people going through chemo.

These caps are tight-fitting head caps that are filled with a cooling gel substance. The gel is cooled before you wear the cap. These devices can and should be worn before, during, and after chemotherapy sessions to help reduce hair loss. And, of course, they can have the added effect of keeping you feeling cooler while you are going through chemo so that you experience fewer hot flashes during those times.

Use Fragrance-Free and Paraben-Free Creams or Lotions

Many people experience dry and irritated skin when going through chemotherapy and cancer treatment in general. Rashes are also a common problem associated with chemo. To help relieve the discomfort and help clear up rashes, you will want to use soothing creams or lotions. However, you want to avoid as many unnecessary chemicals coming into contact with your skin as possible, as they can cause more irritation than relief.

Look for creams and lotions that are listed as fragrance-free and paraben-free. The fragrances in lotions and skin creams are often created using artificial chemicals rather than natural essential oils because it is less expensive to do so, but the possible side effect of this is skin irritation, especially when chemicals inside of the body from chemo are already causing irritation.

Parabens are chemicals used in beauty products to reduce bacteria. While they are more common in body washes, soaps, and the like, they may also be used in lotions and creams. Parabens are a controversial chemical additive, as many people believe them to be unnecessary and to cause various health issues, including skin irritation and hormonal disruptions. To avoid additional skin issues when you are trying to find relief, also look for lotions and creams that are labeled paraben-free.

With these hair and skin care tips in mind, you can better handle the side effects of chemo and hopefully find relief from those side effects as quickly as possible.