Survivor's Blog September 20, 2013- Nail Care during chemo ( more things your doctor does not tell you...)

Hello Everyone-


I am feeling a little bit better today, still exhausted but, better! I decided I had the energy to give myself a manicure and pedicure. Every girl should be able to feel feminine once in a while. For me it is very hard to feel beautiful or even presentable during chemo. After all, I have no hair on my head, my limbs are all swollen and so is my face! I also have a very visible set of scars. One of my scars actually covers an implanted port. My nails look awful! I tried Sinful Colors Polish in Grey Leather and it was beautiful at first. Now it is a big eyesore! As a cancer patient, I cannot go to the salon to get my nails done- the risk of infection is too high. So I have to do all my beauty routine at home.

I thought today might be the day that I let new cancer patients in on a few things your doctor will never tell you about your nails:

1. Depending on what type of chemo you are on your nails will flake like crazy.

2. Certain kinds of chemo will cause your nails to try and leave your fingers on a regular basis. They lift up just as if they were acrylic and leave you with a sore, sometimes bloody mess.

3. If you have Lymph edema in your legs or arms you can no longer cut your nails, trim your cuticles, or do anything that might cause a cut!!! If you do cut yourself you run the risk of a big infection that will not heal  because your lymphatic system no longer functions.

4. Your salon routine is a thing of the past. You cannot go to the salon during chemo due to the risk of infection. If you have lymph edema you may never be able to go to the salon for a mani/pedi again!

So here are my tips for giving yourself a manicure or pedicure during chemotherapy treatment. These tips are ongoing for anyone who has Lymph edema ( since you will still have Lymph edema post chemo treatments.

1. If your nails are actually lifting, wear rubber gloves anytime you have to have your hands in water for more than a minute. When my nails were at their worst I even wore gloves in the tub

2. If you can trim your nails- keep them as short as possible.

3. If you cannot trim them due to lymph edema, invest in one of those three sided Emery boards and keep them filed as short as you possibly can.

4. Keep a coat of polish on at all times- this slows the flaking and the lifting.

5. Use a super concentrated thick hand cream on a regular basis, so that you keep from getting hang nails or dry cuticles that could become infected.


I hope these tips will help someone out! Please remember, I am not a doctor. The tips I am providing are just tips I used to help myself during my treatment.