All Natural Skin Cream - Protect Your Skin Through Radiation Treatment

In our latest video, Ricky talks about My Girls Skin Care cream. My Girls Skin Care cream is non-greasy, free of perfumes, dyes and parabens. We carry this line of skin cream to help our clients who are going through radiation treatments for cancer. It's all natural and great for protecting your skin from peeling and soothing redness.

Chemotherapy and Your Nails

Just as chemotherapy affects your hair because of the rapidly dividing hair follicle cells, it also affects your nails.

You may see a line in the nail related to the cycle of chemotherapy. This line is not permanent and grows out with the nail, usually in about six months. There may even be multiple lines and indentations reflecting the different cycles of chemotherapy.

Your nails may become pigmented or discolored. They may become more brittle, so they won't grow as long as they used to and may break more easily.

The area around the nail bed may become dry, and your cuticles may fray. Don't rip or peel off the loose cuticle. Cut it carefully with a CLEAN pair of nail scissors.

The nail may actually lift off the nail bed. While this, too, is reversible, you need to be very careful, for two reasons. First, the nail is more vulnerable and may fall off. Second, because the nail is not tightly bound to the nail bed, it can become a site for bacteria to enter. So be sure to practice excellent hygiene to avoid infection.

Tips for better nail care:

• Clip your nails short. Imperfections show up less in short nails.
• Don't cut your cuticles. Use cuticle remover cream or gels and push your nails back gently.
• Don't bite your nails or cuticles, particularly on the hand on the same side as your affected breast. If you have a hard time stopping, consider wearing thin white cotton gloves around the house to help you break this habit.
• Massage cuticle cream into the cuticle area daily to prevent dryness, splitting, and hangnails.
• Wear gloves while doing chores, such as washing dishes. Excessive exposure to water can lead to fungal infections of the nail bed.
• Wear nail polish to help keep nails strong and protected from the environment (and looking nice, too). If your nails are very dry or falling off, you might want to consider a nail moisturizer instead of polish.
• Dry nails can become weaker or more brittle during chemotherapy treatment. To take off polish, use non-acetone-based remover, which is less drying than acetone.
• Don't use acrylics or other nail wraps. Fake nails can trap bacteria that may cause infection.
• If you have a professional manicure, bring your own instruments, regardless of how the salon cleans theirs.
• Ask a professional manicurist for more information on daily home care to keep your nails healthy and strong.
• Alert your doctor to any signs of inflammation or infection.

8 Skincare Tips For Cancer Patients And Survivors

CLEANSE WITHOUT STRIPPING SKIN
Avoid cleansers that use harsh surfactants or sudsing agents that actually strip the skin of its environmental protective barrier. Creamy cleansers are less alkaline than soaps and gels and may be used at night to wash the face. Consider eliminating your morning cleanse and opting instead for a gentle splash of tepid water.

RETAIN MOISTURE AND AVOID TRANS-EPIDERMAL WATER LOSS
In non-science speak TEWL is the loss of water from skin through evaporation. You can make a mist with green tea or white tea that is safe to use whenever your skin needs hydrating. In hot weather, refrigerate the tea and spritz it on cold—very refreshing! Since green teas have catechins and polyphenols that provide UV protection take a big bottle with you to the beach. Spray it on or drink it, it’s all good.

USE YOUR SUNSCREEN
Wearing sunscreen every day is the best way to prevent basal and squamous cell carcinomas, and non-nano zinc oxide is the ingredient you want to see in your sunscreen. Zinc oxide because it is safe, even for babies, and it provides full spectrum UV protection. Non-nano because the larger the particle the smaller the risk that the zinc oxide will penetrate past the epidermal barrier. Nano-particles are often coated to achieve greater stability, but the coating can break down to generate free radicals that cause cellular and DNA damage.

READ THE LABELS ON YOUR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Because we absorb 60 to 70% of what we put on our skin it stands to reason that topical substances will have an impact on our health.

This is a short list of the chemicals/ synthetics to avoid and what you can use instead:

• Triclosan. Lab studies link this ingredient to cancer. It is found in many products, including anti-bacterial hand washes and wipes. Plain soap and water works just as well.
  
• Fragrance or “parfum.” Most contain contaminated aromatic hydrocarbons that are carcinogenic. Look for fragrance-free or products with essential oils only.
  
• Parabens. Used for preservative purposes, ingredients belonging to the paraben family are endocrine disruptors. Look for paraben-free products.

AVOID DRYING INGREDIENTS AND PROCEDURES
Products containing alcohol can dry skin that may already be extra dry due to certain medical procedures. Sometimes even “moisturizers” contain denatured alcohol. Avoid this ingredient, but don’t confuse it with fatty alcohols like cetyl and stearyl alcohol, which are fine. Creamy cleansers are less alkaline than soaps and gels and may be used at night to wash the face. In the morning a splash or two of tepid water is enough.

EAT WHOLE FOODS
By whole foods, we mean foods that are not processed. Eat these as much as possible. Whole foods provide better nutrition to your body and contain the least amount of preservatives and other harmful chemicals. Quick tip: when eating out, stick to fresh salad bars and food that is grilled or steamed.

EAT A BALANCED DIET
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is important to vary your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. When it comes to selecting your entrees, the American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors:

• Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Choose healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, rather than saturated fats or trans fats.
• Select proteins that are low in saturated fat, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes.
• Opt for healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables.

This combination of foods will ensure that you're eating plenty of the vitamins and nutrients you need to help make your body strong.

LIMIT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Studies have found a link between alcohol intake and the risk of getting a number of cancers: Mouth Throat Larynx, Esophagus, Liver and Breast.

Alcohol use may be linked to colon cancer, too. In people who have already been diagnosed with cancer, alcohol intake could affect the risk for new cancers in these sites. Alcohol intake can also increase levels of estrogens in the blood. In theory this could increase the risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer coming back after treatment, but studies so far have not addressed questions like this.

Protect Your Skin During Radiation Treatment

Breast cancer patients looking to protect their skin from burning after repeated radiation therapy treatments can now find a cream that spreads easily over compromised skin when they visit Ricky Knowles Hair and Wellness in Houston Texas for help with hair loss during treatment.

"We are excited to carry My Girls Skin Care Cream because we’ve worked with the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better workshops and have seen how it benefits radiated skin when undergoing repeated treatments for breast cancer. It’s a natural fit with our mission to provide the very best products for our customers." Added Ricky Knowles, who is world renowned for his capabilities in the area of hair replacement as a result of medical conditions and chemotherapy.

Due to an evidence-based study on topical agents conducted by the Oncology Nursing Society in 2011, many radiation oncologists and clinicians are aware of the protective benefits of calendula, a key ingredient in the plant-based, fragrance and dye-free My Girls Skin Care Cream.  My Girls Skin Care Cream is sampled at more than seventy hospitals and radiation treatment centers in the U.S. as a result of breast cancer patients using it with successful results.

Ricky Knowles Hair and Wellness is the first retailer of its kind in Houston, Texas to stock My Girls Skin Care Cream locally for patients. Radiation oncologists and clinicians like it because it helps patients avoid treatment delays associated with radiation burns but also because its’ non-greasy and non-staining creamy texture spreads easily over compromised, burned skin.

“Our patients love My Girls Skin Care Cream.  They say it feels wonderful when applied to the affected skin areas and helps so much with the healing process.” Lynn Vache', Chief Therapist, Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

My Girls Skin Care Cream is formulated in Hungary and distributed by Radiant Sun, a company launched in 2008 to help people maintain a healthy appearance during and after treatment for cancer.

To find out more about protecting your skin during radiation treatment, contact Ricky Knowles Hair and Wellness at info@hairandwellness.com, or call 713-623-4247.