Skin care

Radiation therapy delivered for head and neck cancer results in short term changes to your skin such as redness, irritation, pain, scaling and flakiness. It is important to take special care to ensure that your skin does not sustain any further damage or injury, since it may delay healing, cause pain or discomfort, or get infected. Most symptoms start 2 weeks after initiation of therapy and can last for up to a month after completion.

Some of the steps you can take to keep your skin healthy are:

• Use mild soap and do not rub the areas treated

• Use a moisturizing cream or ointment (except before treatment), such as sorbolene, aloe vera gel

• Do not use makeup, cosmetics, aftershave or perfume over the treated skin

• If the skin breaks or ulcerates, specialized dressings can promote healing

• Avoid prolonged sun exposure during treatment and use sunscreen after the skin has healed