You may develop a skin reaction while having external radiotherapy. If this happens, it usually begins after about 10 days.
How your skin reacts will vary depending on the amount of radiotherapy you have. Some people may find that the skin in the treatment area becomes red and sore or itchy. Or, it may become darker with a blue or black tinge. Sometimes the skin will get very sore and it may break and leak fluid, although this doesn’t happen very often. If your skin gets very sore, your treatment may have to be delayed for a short time to allow the area to recover, although this is very rare.
If you have a skin reaction, it will usually settle down 2–4 weeks after your treatment has finished. But the area may stay slightly darker than the surrounding skin.
Managing skin reactions
During your treatment, you will usually be advised to:
- wear loose-fitting clothes made from natural fibres, such as a cotton T-shirt
- wash your skin gently with soap, or aqueous cream, and water and gently pat it dry (aqueous cream should not be used as a moisturiser)
- avoid rubbing the skin
- avoid heating and cooling pads
- avoid shaving, if possible
- not use hair-removing creams or products, including wax
- use a moisturiser that is sodium lauryl sulphate-free (your radiographer can give you more information about this)
- use normal deodorant, unless your skin is broken
- avoid the sun and use a high sun protection factor (SPF) sunscreen (your radiographer can give you more information about this).
If you develop a skin reaction such as soreness or a change in skin colour, let the radiotherapy staff know as soon as possible. They will advise you on the best way to manage it.
After your treatment has finished, you’ll need to protect the skin in the treated area from strong sunshine for at least a year.
Once any skin reaction has settled down, you should use a suncream with a high SPF of at least 30.
You should also wear close-weave clothing and a wide-brimmed hat if your head and neck area has been treated. It’s important to remember that you can burn through clothing if you’re out in hot sun for a long time. Your radiographer can give you more information about this.
You can usually go swimming once any skin reaction has settled down. This is usually within a month of finishing treatment. Remember to use a waterproof suncream if you’re swimming outdoors.