Post-Cancer Skin Revival
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When undergoing life-saving chemotherapy for cancer, the impact on your skin might be the least of your concerns. However, once treatment is complete, patients often face lasting side effects like a sore, sensitive, and itchy complexion.
These changes not only cause discomfort to the patient but also influence the patient’s perception of their body and body image, which is why it is important to address these issues through a proper post-cancer skin revival regime.
Types of Skin Disorders after Cancer Treatment
- Xerosis: Cutaneous xerosis, or severe dry skin, involves an increase in skin and/or mucous membrane dryness. Typically, this presents as simple dryness of the skin, primarily affecting the extremities and trunk. In severe cases, it can result in fine scales and rough skin, causing sensations of tightness and discomfort.
- Skin Rash: This is a common manifestation that follows a typical timeline, peaking in severity during the initial 1–2 weeks of chemotherapy. It presents papules and pustules, intense itching, pain, and sometimes sudden bleeding from the lesions.
- Pruritus: Itching can result from dry skin or internal organ effects from treatment, often accompanied by generalized discomfort.
- Ulcerations: Cutaneous ulcers involve tissue loss affecting deeper skin layers with a limited tendency for spontaneous healing. While they may be caused by the tumor itself, they are frequently associated with chemotherapy treatment.
- Hand–Foot Syndrome: This syndrome is a relatively common dermatological reaction to anti-cancer therapies, characterized by painful scaling and sloughing along with extensive inflammatory erythema on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
- Mucosal Disorders: Oral mucositis is frequent and presents with mouth redness and a burning sensation, often causing pain that interferes with normal food intake. Inflammatory ulcerations can occur in various areas of the mouth.
- Hyperpigmentation: Hyperpigmented areas mainly affect acral regions but can be generalized. They typically resolve after treatment completion and may be accentuated by sun exposure, necessitating sunscreen use.
- Photosensitivity: This condition renders the skin highly sensitive to sun exposure, requiring specific protectors. Sensitivity is induced by ultraviolet A (UVA) light, primarily causing phototoxicity rather than photo allergy.
Other Skin Problems
Additional facial alterations or imperfections that impact personal self-image may include:
- Hypersensitivity to certain cosmetics, resulting in reddening.
- Color changes, including vascular or brown spots.
- Alteration of pores, making them more noticeable.
- Facial telangiectasias.
- Increased flaccidity (more prominent cheekbones and sunken eyes).
- Dull tone and loss of luminosity.
Methods for post-cancer skin revival
There are no specific active ingredients tailored specifically for the skincare needs of cancer patients.
However, our plastic and cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Salil Bharadwaj, recommends specific minimal or no-toxicity skincare products that focus on repairing the skin barrier and respecting the natural cycle of epidermal renewal:
Oils and Butter: Plant-derived oils and butter offer several benefits to the skin due to their natural compatibility and ability to provide protection, moisture, and skin regeneration. Commonly used oils include murumuru, shea, cocoa, mango, and kokum butter, as well as olive, borage, jojoba, argan, babassu, baobab, macadamia, and kukui oils, among others. Rosehip oil is particularly valued for its regenerative properties, especially in supporting skin healing. Oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are of particular interest because they help prevent skin dryness, flaking, and eczema while also supporting the health of the epidermal immune system.
Vitamins: Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining, repairing, and forming new epidermal cells, regulating keratinization. In its acidic form (retinoic acid), along with vitamin C, it supports collagen synthesis. However, due to its potential irritancy, retinoic acid is not suitable for oncological skincare formulations as it may exacerbate irritation and compromise the skin barrier.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are essential for protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage and scavenging free radicals that can deplete the skin’s natural antioxidant defenses, helping rapid post-cancer skin revival. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy generate many free radicals, so it’s important to restore the skin’s balance post-therapy. Common antioxidants include superoxide dismutase, a natural skin enzyme requiring selenium and zinc, which can be obtained through diet.
Hydrophilic Film-Forming Substances: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a key component of the skin’s extracellular matrix, offering remarkable properties in wound healing, including rheological, viscoelastic, and moisture retention capabilities.
Peloids: Peloids are products composed of solid substrates like clay or mineral water sediments mixed with mineral-medicinal water. They are commonly used in spas to treat various dermatological conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, and burns, offering relief from itching and erythema.
Plant Extracts and Botanicals: Plant extracts like marshmallow, Roman chamomile, marigold, mallow, and black elder have calming, anti-inflammatory, and skin-regenerating properties. These extracts are beneficial for soothing and repairing the skin.
Furthermore, our cosmetic surgeon also believes that it is vital to use topical medications like corticosteroid creams and Biafine, which contain trolamine, for inflammation reduction, although they are not classified as dermocosmetics.
Get in touch with Dr. Salil to understand more about the approaches you can follow for post-cancer skin revival.
