Suggestion for skin issues from radiation

GRAVEY
GRAVEY Member Posts: 83
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hi,
Just wanted to share what I used to deal with the irritated flaky skin from the radiation. They didnt want me to use anything before my treatments, didnt want anything blocking the radiation rays, but one of the nurses suggested to me a product called Badger Balm, I know this stuff sounds weird, but it worked wonders for me and is a natural product, I would use it even before treatments. It is olive oil and some other natural things, but what it would do is soften up all that dead skin, and within like 2 or three good applications, all that horrible looking skin around my neck was gone.
You can find this product at Cracker Barrel restaurants of all places, but you may be able to get it online, I havent looked it up.

Hope this helps,
Gravey

Comments

  • fishingirl
    fishingirl Member Posts: 188
    #2
    What worked very well for me
    What worked very well for me was prescribed by Oncologist MD, was called Flamazine (silver sulfadiazine). When it was at it's worst. Then later, I used Glaxal Base. I had no problems.

    Cindy
  • white42876
    white42876 Member Posts: 20
    #3
    GRAVEY
    Thank you for posting this! My dad is 27 treatments into 35 for tongue cancer and his neck is looking pretty raw. I know he has used a couple different creams and they help a little but I will check out the Badger Balm. If it works it would be a godsend!

    Thinking positive!

    Lisa :)
  • Dazey
    Dazey Member Posts: 91
    #4
    white42876 said:

    GRAVEY
    Thank you for posting this! My dad is 27 treatments into 35 for tongue cancer and his neck is looking pretty raw. I know he has used a couple different creams and they help a little but I will check out the Badger Balm. If it works it would be a godsend!

    Thinking positive!

    Lisa :)

    skin
    My rad doctor was very concerned about my skin prior to treatment and told me I had to wear open neck clothes - nothing on the neck - nothing on this area where the radiation is aimed" - I am very fair skinned, so I understood his concern and did as I was directed (didn't want him yelling!). I followed his guidance and the "burning" was minimal - I put no creams on it. On the last day of treatment, I told him it was starting to irritate me, so he said I could use aloe. There was some reddening, but I have had sunburns worse than that. I know that another patient, a male, kept wearing shirts that closed around the neck and he experienced much more burning. I don't know if this helps, but wanted to share my experience. Dazey
  • kkw62
    kkw62 Member Posts: 12
    #5
    skin
    Our dr prescribed an ointment called BiaFine. It worked wonderful and his neck looked great during treatments and to this day. Best of luck! K
  • GRAVEY
    GRAVEY Member Posts: 83
    #6
    white42876 said:

    GRAVEY
    Thank you for posting this! My dad is 27 treatments into 35 for tongue cancer and his neck is looking pretty raw. I know he has used a couple different creams and they help a little but I will check out the Badger Balm. If it works it would be a godsend!

    Thinking positive!

    Lisa :)

    Hope it works for him.
    Hope it works for him. toward the end of my treatments my skin started to really get red and dried out and flaky. After using the balm a couple of days, it softened and moistened that dry dead skin and I was able to wash it off using a wash cloth in the shower(best place to do it because it gets all over the place) and within a couple of days my neck looked pretty much normal again.

    Gravey
  • Landranger25
    Landranger25 Member Posts: 210 Member
    #7
    kkw62 said:

    skin
    Our dr prescribed an ointment called BiaFine. It worked wonderful and his neck looked great during treatments and to this day. Best of luck! K

    Aloe Vera
    I used Aloe Vera sunburn gel. The green gel stuff with lidocaine added in. The lidocaine helped take the "burn" out and aloe made my skin feel better. Was great before bed as I was able to fall asleep with no stinging or pain on my neck.

    Mike
  • delnative
    delnative Member Posts: 450 Member
    #8
    kkw62 said:

    skin
    Our dr prescribed an ointment called BiaFine. It worked wonderful and his neck looked great during treatments and to this day. Best of luck! K

    Biafine
    Dittos on the recommendation for Biafine, a prescription cream. (Don't put it on before a treatment or it'll act like barbecue sauce. Not good.)
    I have exceedingly fair skin, given my Scottish heritage, and I sunburn very easily. I had a red neck once I finished my six weeks of rads (but I'm something of a redneck anyway) but I came through just fine. I saw other patients who weren't using Biafine and some were really very badly burned.
    Best of luck.

    --Jim in Delaware
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
    Dazey said:

    skin
    My rad doctor was very concerned about my skin prior to treatment and told me I had to wear open neck clothes - nothing on the neck - nothing on this area where the radiation is aimed" - I am very fair skinned, so I understood his concern and did as I was directed (didn't want him yelling!). I followed his guidance and the "burning" was minimal - I put no creams on it. On the last day of treatment, I told him it was starting to irritate me, so he said I could use aloe. There was some reddening, but I have had sunburns worse than that. I know that another patient, a male, kept wearing shirts that closed around the neck and he experienced much more burning. I don't know if this helps, but wanted to share my experience. Dazey

    I'm with Dazey
    I too am very fair skinned, blonde and blue. But I fish a lot and my skin takes a good deal of sun (I use sun screen and block a lot)...

    Anyways, during my 35 radiation treatments my skin around all sides of my throat and neck started turning pretty dark and eventually dry and peeling.

    Like Dazey, I pretty much only wore tank tops and kept the area open and exposed. It never really got much worse than a bad sun burn with peeling. When it really started peeling and itching I just took warm showers. It was never open or seeping which I have seen some people that have. The showers seemed to help me more than anything and was soothing to me also.

    JG
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #10
    delnative said:

    Biafine
    Dittos on the recommendation for Biafine, a prescription cream. (Don't put it on before a treatment or it'll act like barbecue sauce. Not good.)
    I have exceedingly fair skin, given my Scottish heritage, and I sunburn very easily. I had a red neck once I finished my six weeks of rads (but I'm something of a redneck anyway) but I came through just fine. I saw other patients who weren't using Biafine and some were really very badly burned.
    Best of luck.

    --Jim in Delaware

    FYI
    I have been told that Biafene is no longer a prescription medication.

    Like you, I endorse it heartily.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • naturenaw
    naturenaw Member Posts: 26
    #11
    radiation skin burns
    As far as radiation neck burns, what worked best for both my daughter and me was Aquafor. It's an over the counter ointment with no odor whatsoever. It was VERY soothing and worked wonders on the purple neck I got from radiation. I kept wishing I could have found as effective of a soother for the burns on the inside of the throat!

    But I think you would not want to put the Aquafor on until after your treatment or check with your doctor about putting it on.
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #12
    white42876 said:

    GRAVEY
    Thank you for posting this! My dad is 27 treatments into 35 for tongue cancer and his neck is looking pretty raw. I know he has used a couple different creams and they help a little but I will check out the Badger Balm. If it works it would be a godsend!

    Thinking positive!

    Lisa :)

    what worked for me
    White, I used Aquraphor and it worked magic. My neck was so raw from 35 rad trmnts that I couldn't move my neck without herrendous pain. Your radiologiost may have samples. I wish your dad the very best and I will pray for you and your family.
    Sincerely,
    Debbie
  • Tanager75
    Tanager75 Member Posts: 89 Member
    #13
    naturenaw said:

    radiation skin burns
    As far as radiation neck burns, what worked best for both my daughter and me was Aquafor. It's an over the counter ointment with no odor whatsoever. It was VERY soothing and worked wonders on the purple neck I got from radiation. I kept wishing I could have found as effective of a soother for the burns on the inside of the throat!

    But I think you would not want to put the Aquafor on until after your treatment or check with your doctor about putting it on.

    Skin
    The doc told me 100% Aloe Vera. It was clear, no smell and was soothing. I was directed not to have any type of cream or gel on before rad treatments. I used the Aquafor after the treatments stopped, I found it to greasy while my neck was really sore. As suggested, check with your doctor about possible remedies mentioned on this site.

    Peace,

    mark
  • white42876
    white42876 Member Posts: 20
    #14
    debbiejeanne said:

    what worked for me
    White, I used Aquraphor and it worked magic. My neck was so raw from 35 rad trmnts that I couldn't move my neck without herrendous pain. Your radiologiost may have samples. I wish your dad the very best and I will pray for you and your family.
    Sincerely,
    Debbie

    Debbie
    Debbie,

    He is using the Aquaphor and he loves it! He just finished his last rad yesterday and his neck looks great! Thank you so much for the well wishes and the prayers!

    Thinking positive!

    Lisa :)
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #15
    Tanager75 said:

    Skin
    The doc told me 100% Aloe Vera. It was clear, no smell and was soothing. I was directed not to have any type of cream or gel on before rad treatments. I used the Aquafor after the treatments stopped, I found it to greasy while my neck was really sore. As suggested, check with your doctor about possible remedies mentioned on this site.

    Peace,

    mark

    i used aquaphor in the
    i used aquaphor in the begining. i ended up darkening and peeling and bleeding by the end. about half way thru i used radiaplex, and it worked well. my insurance did not cover it, because it was still considered experimental. it was worth the $30? a tube.

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