Radiation burns

connieprice1
connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hello Everyone, Of course I have another question about Connie's condition. Around her neck her skin is very dark and looks burnt. She is three 1/2 months out of treatment but this skin has become darker every week. I think we both thought this skin would peel like a bad sunburn, but so far that's not happening. It embarasses Connie and reminds her of her radiation treatments everytime she looks in the mirror. There has got to be something she can apply to stimulate this old dead skin to fall off and be replaced with new skin. If anybody has any suggestions on this issue, we would appreciate it. Thanks, Homer & Connie

Comments

  • DJG1
    DJG1 Member Posts: 121
    #2
    Neck Burns
    Hommer & Connie
    I am glad to hear Connie is doing so well. I have followed your post and prayed for her along her journey. I too had the radiaion treatments. My doctor was not big on to many drugs. He told me to puuchase COCO BUTTER Cream from the drug store. I did and applied it heavely everyday maybe 3-4 times a day. To my surprise, it worked and you can not even tell (from skin appearance) that I had the radiation. He had actually given me some samples of a prescried cream, and after a week of it not doing anything, he said throw that stuff away and go get the COCo Butter. I must admit, I thought he was crazy and how in the world coco butter was going to do anything...but it did work. Good Luck to Connie.
    Debbie
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #3
    Radiation Burns
    Hi Homer, I also had the very dark skin around my neck. I didn't apply anything special, just warm showers and a soft wash cloth to loosen and slough off the dead skin.

    Eventually it all replaced itself and you can't see anything from the burns.

    Best,
    John
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #4
    Skiffin16 said:

    Radiation Burns
    Hi Homer, I also had the very dark skin around my neck. I didn't apply anything special, just warm showers and a soft wash cloth to loosen and slough off the dead skin.

    Eventually it all replaced itself and you can't see anything from the burns.

    Best,
    John

    I used prescription
    I used prescription lightening cream and other exfoliating products. It probably would have resolved on it's own...but in addition to vanity, I am also very inpatient! I use sunscreen there almost always, it was a very bad burn (ulcers,blisters,etc) but now you can't see it.
    Good luck to you.
    stacy
  • Fire34
    Fire34 Member Posts: 365
    #5
    RadiationBurns
    Connie
    Believe this or not my wife used aquaphor and neosporyn combined the two and then wrapped my neck with saran wrap to keep the moisture in. It was a apin sleeping with the saran wrap but it worked. I had second degree burns to both sides of my neck when I was finished. Now I have baby sof skin LOL
    To get the dead skin to fall off they used Domeboro soaks first and then after most of the dead skin was off we did the above
    Wishes & Prayers
    Dave
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103 Member
    #6
    Neck Burns
    I was told before radiation that the skin could remain discolored. I finished treatment in the middle of October, 2010. I used aquaphor as soon as I got home from rads. Once healed, the color went away. I did have very dry skin in the area, use good moisturizer. I could not handle the cold in winter, wore fleece scarves and had a cap that covered my face when I needed to be outside (looked like I was going to a bank robbery!). I do not like the feeling of sweat on my neck, I use a scarf that has beads in it that holds moisture. My own air conditioner! Is your wife staying out of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing a wide brimmed hat outside? I am quite a sight, but I am not going to get burned on that new skin.
    Best wishes to you and enjoy the 4th.
  • connieprice1
    connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
    #7
    DJG1 said:

    Neck Burns
    Hommer & Connie
    I am glad to hear Connie is doing so well. I have followed your post and prayed for her along her journey. I too had the radiaion treatments. My doctor was not big on to many drugs. He told me to puuchase COCO BUTTER Cream from the drug store. I did and applied it heavely everyday maybe 3-4 times a day. To my surprise, it worked and you can not even tell (from skin appearance) that I had the radiation. He had actually given me some samples of a prescried cream, and after a week of it not doing anything, he said throw that stuff away and go get the COCo Butter. I must admit, I thought he was crazy and how in the world coco butter was going to do anything...but it did work. Good Luck to Connie.
    Debbie

    Thanks, Debbie
    Debbie, We appreciate the reply and will be getting some coco butter the next time we go to the drug store. Thank you, Homer & Connie
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #8
    KTeacher said:

    Neck Burns
    I was told before radiation that the skin could remain discolored. I finished treatment in the middle of October, 2010. I used aquaphor as soon as I got home from rads. Once healed, the color went away. I did have very dry skin in the area, use good moisturizer. I could not handle the cold in winter, wore fleece scarves and had a cap that covered my face when I needed to be outside (looked like I was going to a bank robbery!). I do not like the feeling of sweat on my neck, I use a scarf that has beads in it that holds moisture. My own air conditioner! Is your wife staying out of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing a wide brimmed hat outside? I am quite a sight, but I am not going to get burned on that new skin.
    Best wishes to you and enjoy the 4th.

    As soon as my neck could
    As soon as my neck could tolerate some exfoliation, I used a wash cloth and some sugar scrub to exfoliate. But you cannot do that if it's too tender. Sugar scrub is just what it sounds like, an exfoliating scrub made from sugar and oil. I also used a lot of moisturizer and aquaphor, and I eventually got it all off.
  • connieprice1
    connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
    #9
    Skiffin16 said:

    Radiation Burns
    Hi Homer, I also had the very dark skin around my neck. I didn't apply anything special, just warm showers and a soft wash cloth to loosen and slough off the dead skin.

    Eventually it all replaced itself and you can't see anything from the burns.

    Best,
    John

    Hi John, Well that's kinda
    Hi John, Well that's kinda what we were thinking. Connie uses a sponge during showers and so far that dead skin isn't fallin off. During treatment, she used to wrap her neck with Mepilex Transfer and when we took off the wraps, the dead skin came off with it. I really don't know if this burnt skin is from radiation or from the sun burning her unprotected skin. Wishing you a happy 4th of July, Homer & Connie
  • connieprice1
    connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
    #10
    Fire34 said:

    RadiationBurns
    Connie
    Believe this or not my wife used aquaphor and neosporyn combined the two and then wrapped my neck with saran wrap to keep the moisture in. It was a apin sleeping with the saran wrap but it worked. I had second degree burns to both sides of my neck when I was finished. Now I have baby sof skin LOL
    To get the dead skin to fall off they used Domeboro soaks first and then after most of the dead skin was off we did the above
    Wishes & Prayers
    Dave

    Dave, We will try the
    Dave, We will try the aquaphor and neosporyn wraps to see if they will work. She never did a Domeboro soak before, I will google that. Thank you, Homer & Connie
  • connieprice1
    connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
    #11
    KTeacher said:

    Neck Burns
    I was told before radiation that the skin could remain discolored. I finished treatment in the middle of October, 2010. I used aquaphor as soon as I got home from rads. Once healed, the color went away. I did have very dry skin in the area, use good moisturizer. I could not handle the cold in winter, wore fleece scarves and had a cap that covered my face when I needed to be outside (looked like I was going to a bank robbery!). I do not like the feeling of sweat on my neck, I use a scarf that has beads in it that holds moisture. My own air conditioner! Is your wife staying out of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing a wide brimmed hat outside? I am quite a sight, but I am not going to get burned on that new skin.
    Best wishes to you and enjoy the 4th.

    KT Teacher, Connie cannot
    KT Teacher, Connie cannot handle the cold anymore either. We will be looking for a Kentucky Derby style hat for the summer heat. Thanks for your reply, Homer & Connie
  • connieprice1
    connieprice1 Member Posts: 300 Member
    #12
    sweetblood22 said:

    As soon as my neck could
    As soon as my neck could tolerate some exfoliation, I used a wash cloth and some sugar scrub to exfoliate. But you cannot do that if it's too tender. Sugar scrub is just what it sounds like, an exfoliating scrub made from sugar and oil. I also used a lot of moisturizer and aquaphor, and I eventually got it all off.

    Thanks Sweetblood, We are
    Thanks Sweetblood, We are going to try all of these suggestions to see what works best. I am going to post Connie's picture so everyone can see what she looks like before cancer and in time I hope to post a picture when she is completely well. Take care, Homer & Connie
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103 Member
    #13
    connieprice1 said:

    KT Teacher, Connie cannot
    KT Teacher, Connie cannot handle the cold anymore either. We will be looking for a Kentucky Derby style hat for the summer heat. Thanks for your reply, Homer & Connie

    Hat
    Sunday Afternoon has some great hats on their website. I just type in SPF sunhats and a ton of great sites come up. I have also gotten a hat at a garden center.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #14
    Sauna bath
    In my first rad treatment it was not problem for the dead skin to go away, but not so with the second rad treatment. I was burnt badly and the dead skin just stayed there. It took many months but finally it started to lighten up. Something you might want to try if possible is a Moist Sauna bath while using on face cloth to rub the dead skin. Every chance I get these days I do one it is a great way to clean the dirt and dead skin out that builds up is our shin.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #15
    Interesting responses...
    I am a year out from the end of my treatment, and my skin is still dark from the radiation. Formerly, it appeared to be just about as dark as a baseball mitt, eeek. I guess it has faded some, because now it only appears that I have a tanned neck that reaches from mid-chin to clavicles. I use a sunblock daily and an exfoliating scrub and I moisturize often, so its not dead skin. I guess its just one of those 'new normal' things.

    Deb
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #16
    SKIN BURNS
    Hi Connie and Homer, hope your July 4th was joyous.

    I had some small areas of 3rd degree burns and allot of second degree burns near my collar bone. My Rad Onco used a dressing that looked like a foam pad that we could cut to fit the affected area. It worked very well, and I healed without issue. I forget the name of the product, but it was grey in color and came in 12" x 12" sheets that you could cut and it was also self adhering. Silvadene cream also works very well.

    Best!!

    Mike
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #17
    Hondo said:

    Sauna bath
    In my first rad treatment it was not problem for the dead skin to go away, but not so with the second rad treatment. I was burnt badly and the dead skin just stayed there. It took many months but finally it started to lighten up. Something you might want to try if possible is a Moist Sauna bath while using on face cloth to rub the dead skin. Every chance I get these days I do one it is a great way to clean the dirt and dead skin out that builds up is our shin.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo

    SAUNA
    I second Hondo's recommendation of using a sauna. I use a dry heat sauna and spray the hot rocks with water. This is also where I do allot of my neck and jaw stretching as the heat really adds flexibility for a maximum stretch with less pain. I stay in for 20-30 minutes and also get a huge sweat going to clean me out.

    Best!!

    Mike
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #18
    luv4lacrosse said:

    SAUNA
    I second Hondo's recommendation of using a sauna. I use a dry heat sauna and spray the hot rocks with water. This is also where I do allot of my neck and jaw stretching as the heat really adds flexibility for a maximum stretch with less pain. I stay in for 20-30 minutes and also get a huge sweat going to clean me out.

    Best!!

    Mike

    Hi Mike

    If you look at back at History the Romans cities were built around the hot water Sauna baths, they would just sweat it out or so to say. They also had a special tool they used to scrap there sink with and it would pull all the dirt right out, then a swing in some hot water and they were clean all the way through.

    I have a place in Honduras I go to for Sauna baths where the hot water comes right out of the ground smoking. I just think back to those old Roman days.

    When in Roman do what the Romans do.
    Hondo
  • miccmill
    miccmill Member Posts: 248
    #19
    luv4lacrosse said:

    SKIN BURNS
    Hi Connie and Homer, hope your July 4th was joyous.

    I had some small areas of 3rd degree burns and allot of second degree burns near my collar bone. My Rad Onco used a dressing that looked like a foam pad that we could cut to fit the affected area. It worked very well, and I healed without issue. I forget the name of the product, but it was grey in color and came in 12" x 12" sheets that you could cut and it was also self adhering. Silvadene cream also works very well.

    Best!!

    Mike

    Mepilex
    Mike, Glenn also had 2nd and 3rd degree burns for a couple weeks and they did a dressing with Silvadene and Mepilex.

    It worked good. I surprised how quickly those nasty burns healed.

    Lisa
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #20
    miccmill said:

    Mepilex
    Mike, Glenn also had 2nd and 3rd degree burns for a couple weeks and they did a dressing with Silvadene and Mepilex.

    It worked good. I surprised how quickly those nasty burns healed.

    Lisa

    MEPILEX
    I CAME RUSHING TO THE COMPUTER THIS MORNING AFTER MY WIFE TOLD ME LAST NIGHT THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT. (MEPILEX) BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH.

    GREAT PRODUCT, AND THE ONLY PRODUCT THAT HEALED MY WOUNDS. GLAD TO HEAR IT WORKED WELL FOR YOU ALSO.

    BEST!!

    MIKE

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