Chemo from the side of the bed

by Patricia
(Houston,TX)

Hi. I worked in oncology for more than 17 years and saw first hand the multiple hair and skin effects of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments on patients. Later, I helped my youngest sister deal with the effects of therapy for ovarian cancer as well.

The wig band product you offer is a wonderful aid for those who choose to use wigs to cope with hair loss, but I thought some might be interested in those who deal with partial hair loss and choose not to use a hairpiece. This was my sister's experience and it seemed to bother her as much as total alopecia bothers those who lose it all. She found wide cloth head bands tended to cover the especially thin hair on top and make the most of what she had left. Scarves also worked well, since they cover the thin spots and gathered her remaining long hair into a more attractive "fall" kind of effect.

She also relied on caps and hats quite a bit. A beret, for example, shows the hair you have and keeps the state of the scalp a secret. "Gimme" caps with various logos and slogans were useful and sometimes humorous. We also learned the hard way that loosely woven straw hats let that poor exposed scalp sunburn!

She was lucky enough not to lose her fingernails and toenails, but you could see changes in them and they were much more fragile and brittle. We fell back on an old product the family has used for years called "Hoofmaker." This stuff was originally to toughen horse's hooves and works really well on human "hooves" as well. It's quickly absorbed, has a very mild fragrance, which matters a lot on chemo, and it really makes nails smoother and stronger. It even works well as a hand and foot cream to fight the dry skin that also often goes with chemo. You can find it in regular stores or on line now, but you used to have to go to the farm supply to get the stuff!

Skin and scalp seem to do better when you add fish oil supplements and vitamin E to your diet, too, but some just can't tolerate fish oil. Some "odorless" types can work for some patients.

Dealing with hair loss and skin issues isn't just vanity. Looking better boosts mood, and a better psychological state actually makes your immune system stronger. This helps defeat cancer itself as well as helping to resist infections caused by chemo side effects.

Great site, by the way. Hope our experience helps someone.