The Basics
The Three Basic Steps Are:
Step 1 – Cleanse
A facial cleanser will remove dirt and dry flaky skin and help stimulate circulation.
Look for products that say GENTLE, for SENSITIVE SKIN or for ECEZMA
Ideally, use a facial cleanser twice a day – morning and night
You can use a gentle body wash for the rest of your body
Have flaky skin, black heads or ingrown hairs?
Consider a gentle exfoliator once a week to get a deeper clean. Use it right before cleansing to leave the skin looking smoother, clearer and brighter. Again – look for a gentle option during treatment and try testing on a small area first.
Step 2 – Moisturizer
Moisturizer is hands down the most straightforward and effective way to keep your skin in top shape – apply after washing and patting dry your face.
While most men generally have oilier skin than women, treatment can have an drying effect your skin, so staying hydrated (both inside and out!) is fundamental.
Don’t forget LIP BALM – your lips may be extra dry or chapped during treatment. Keep things simple with a hypoallergenic lip balm with an SPF to keep you moisturized and prevent burning during the day.
Step 3 – Sunscreen
This is an absolute must-have!
One of the most prevalent side-effects of treatment is sun sensitivity
It is essential to wear daily sunscreen protection with a minimum of SPF30
Some Extras to Consider:
Hand Cream
Hydration is a key element in maintaining your skin during this time. Keep a hand cream by your sink.
Body Cream & Lotion
Having a body moisturizer will more than earn its place in your daily care while undergoing treatment. Dryness, irritation and possible skin cracking are all things you want to avoid so laying on the lotion is more than worth the effort. Apply after you shower or bathe, and throughout the day as needed.
Tinted Moisturizer & Concealer
There are some great tinted products out there that are very light-weight and natural. These products help minimize any redness, uneven skin tone and/or dark circles under the eyes. Always look for fragrance free hypo-allergenic products when picking up your grooming essentials as treatment can make even the most robust of skin a little more sensitive.
Experiencing side effects?
Learn how to minimize and manage them in our Shaving & Men’s Skincare Workshop.
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Electric Razors or Wet Shaving During Treatment
During treatment your skin may be more dry, red, or itchy and will be more susceptible to cuts, bruising and infection, so it’s important to examine your shaving regimen.
Electric Razors
Many care teams recommend electric razors during cancer treatment. They’re less likely to nick the skin and will help avoid infections, especially when your skin is extra sensitive or your immune system is weakened.
Razor Blades and Wet Shaving
If you prefer to stick with a traditional razor and a wet shave, read our tips to help make it as safe and soothing as possible. Don’t forget to ask your medical team’s advice about shaving while in treatment.
Tips for Shaving with a Razor During Treatment
Shower before shaving or apply a warm towel/face cloth. This warms the skin, opening the pores and softening the hair cuticles.
Apply your chosen sensitive skin shaving gel or foam, ideally using a shaving brush, and make sure you generate a warm, rich protective lather. (Using a shaving bush softens and lifts the facial hair off the face helping to maintain good levels of hydration and lubrication).
Use light, gentle strokes, letting your razor do the work.
Facial hair grows in many directions so you’ll shave both with and against the grain. Shave in the direction that feels most comfortable.
Rinse your blades often.
After Shaving
Rinse with cold water. This will remove shaving cream residue, tighten pores and cool the skin.
Moisturize the whole face and neck area with a mild moisturizer.
Old dogs can learn new tricks.
Learn comfortable shaving techniques in our Shaving & Men’s Skincare Workshop.
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Sun Care and Safety during Cancer Treatment
Radiation and chemotherapy treatments, as well as some medications, can increase your susceptibility to sunburn and skin damage. Sun care is especially important when you are undergoing treatment.
Receiving Radiation?
As a general rule, no sun exposure is a good idea when you’re receiving radiation treatment if the site of the treatment is exposed skin. Your doctor may not want you to put sunscreen or any cream on while you’re receiving radiation treatment as the skin is prone to injury at that time.
Sun Safety During Treatment
Apply sun protection daily and liberally – a dollop about the size of a golf ball – to all exposed skin, such as the lips, ears, scalp, sides, and back of neck
Get in the habit of applying sun protection every morning, about 20 to 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply often – about every two hours
Remember that you’re still exposed to UVA/UVB rays even in shady areas. If you’re indoors, windows do not protect against UVA rays
Stay inside during the intense-sun hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wear clothing especially formulated with SPF when you have to go out into strong sun.
Have more skin-related questions?
Find practical answers in our Shaving & Men’s Skincare Workshop.
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Eyebrows
The benefit of shaping and filling eyebrows: helps balance the eyes and flatter all other facial features.
If your eyebrows are sparse or have fallen out completely, you can define them or recreate them using a simple pencil technique.
How to create natural-looking eyebrows
Follow these 4 easy steps:
- Hold a brow pencil straight up against your nose, parallel to the inside corner of your eye. Draw a dot on the brow bone at this point. This is where your eyebrow should begin.
- Looking straight ahead, place the pencil parallel to the outside edge of the coloured part (the iris) of your eye. Place a dot where the highest point of the brow line should be. This is the arch of the brow. Use the orbital bone as guide to finding the highest point.
- Place the pencil diagonally from the bottom corner of your nose past the outside corner of your eye and draw a dot. This is the end of your brow. Be sure it’s not lower than the beginning of your brow, as this will create a down-turned expression.
4. Connect the dots into a brow line with light, feather-like strokes of colour, making the brow fuller on the inside corner and thinner as it moves out.
Eyebrow Tutorial
Eyeshadow
The benefit of eyeshadow: Brightens your look and helps define eyes.
Choose a neutral matte eyeshadow palette
Sweep a light shade over the entire lid and up to the brow
Apply a darker shade in a sideways v on the outer corner of the lid starting from the lash line and extending into the crease
Apply a highlight shade under your brow if desired
Blend well to soften the effect
Eyeliner
The benefit of eyeliner: works to define the lash line and create the illusion of full lashes.
Using an eyeliner pencil, draw small dots close to the root of the lashes on the eyelid.
Holding the eyeliner on a slant, starting from the inner corner of the eye, connect the dots at the very base of the lash line.
Using a cotton swab, gently blend. Use a little of the darker eyeshadow over the eyeliner to soften the look and help it last longer.
Make sure to avoid applying liner to your waterline
Mascara
The benefit of mascara: Restores a full look to thinning lashes.
Apply first to the top side of the lashes and then to the underside
Brush the mascara wand lightly across the lower lashes
Avoid waterproof mascara
Let's try this together.
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Colour Accents
Your cheeks and lips are two places that can be hard hit by treatment side effects. With the right techniques and products, you can restore softness, protect sensitive skin, and enhance your natural glow.
Lips
The benefit of lip products: Brightens your look, lifts your spirits and comforts dry lips.
Choose a creamy, moisturizing lip colour from the same colour family as your blush
A light application of lip gloss will provide extra comfort to dry lips and adds the illusion of fullness
If your lips are very dry, use a moisturizing lip balm at night
Lip skin has very little protective pigment so use sun block product on your lips when outdoors
Blush
The benefit of blush: Provides a vibrant healthy look.
Use only a small amount of blush; it’s easier to add colour than to remove it
Smile! Add colour to the apple of your cheeks with a clean cotton ball
Blend along the cheekbone in an upward motion toward the ear
Like hands-on learning?
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Body Image after Cancer Treatment and Surgery
For many people living with cancer or in remission, changes in appearance can be a major source of concern and anxiety. This is not vanity. Much of our identity is related to our physical appearance from how we wear our hair to what clothes we choose. Body shape and size, including breasts, are often tied to a sense of self, self-expression, sexuality, and self-esteem.
Appearance Related Side-effects
Appearance-related impacts of cancer can be temporary (like hair loss and skin changes) or more permanent (like surgery or scarring). They can all affect a person at a time when they may already feel vulnerable, which can negatively impact their mental and emotional health.
For anyone facing a cancer diagnosis, there’s enough to cope with emotionally without also feeling that there’s no space to speak about body image issues or that it is somehow selfish or vain to worry about them. For Dee-Jay Jodoin, a B.C. woman in remission, changes to her physical appearance like hair loss and weight gain were hard to accept.
The Physical and Emotional Connection
“People going through cancer treatment often experience a change in their body image and in their relationship with their body,” says Monique Voorn, a social worker at the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre in Barrie, Ontario. “They may be unhappy about how their appearance has changed, whether they’ve had breast surgery or scars they don’t like, or lymphedema. Sometimes, a woman may not have had significant visual changes to her body but feels like her body has failed her or that she can’t count on it.”
There can also be physical changes that a person may not expect. “With radiation, there are skin changes,” notes Larissa Dyck, an oncology nurse in Calgary, Alta. “The area that’s treated darken and may take a while to fade, and skin can get tighter and be uncomfortable for some patients, causing a loss of range of motion.”
Keloids – a type of raised scar that can arise after a surgery. These can be a particular concern for Black women specifically.
Weight can be an issue, too. Being on hormones can cause weight changes that can turn women’s body image completely upside down and they can get really down on themselves.
It takes time for women to recognize and appreciate the full impact of the changes they’ve undergone during their cancer journey. “It’s often near the end of treatment when it really hits women what they’ve been through and all the changes they’ve undergone – physical and otherwise,” says Dyck. “When patients are finished their treatment, they expect things to go back to normal — but they may still be on long-term hormones or medication, and that’s when it can be really hard. They expect their bodies to just bounce back, and they want to go back to work and exercise, but things aren’t the same as before.”
Empowerment is Different for Every Person
While physical symptoms can affect a person in a finite number of ways, the emotional experience is different for everyone.
“When some women lose their hair with chemo, they’ll proudly wear a head scarf. Other women have a complete loss of identity and want to wear a wig. They may fear that their partners won’t be attracted to them.”
Larissa Dyck
– Oncology nurse from Calgary, Alberta
“There’s a wave or rollercoaster ride of emotions in any type of cancer. There’s a lot of grief. We grieve all kinds of changes or losses in our lives that cancer brings — to your body, to your innocence, and to the carefree way that you may have used to experience life.”
Monique Voon
– Social Worker from Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre
EVERY DAY WE HELP PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEMSELVES AGAIN
Look Good Feel Better workshops help women, men and teens with cancer learn how to manage the physical, social and emotional impacts of cancer and its treatment in small and supportive groups.
Skincare & Makeup: Learn how to care for sensitive skin plus tips & techniques for managing the loss of brows and lashes, adding colour back to the face, makeup hygiene, and sun safety.
Bras & Prostheses: Learn about options available for post-surgery and beyond, what to expect at a breast form fitting, tips for where to find financial coverage, and more.
Wigs & Scarves: See a demonstration on various head coverings, what to consider when selecting a wig, easy scarf-tying techniques, plus caring for your scalp during and after treatment.
Teens: This special workshop just for teens includes skincare, on-trend make-up tips to feel your best and a demonstration of fun styles for caps, wraps, and hair alternatives.
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When to use Breast Forms
There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel like yourself. If you’ve been medically cleared to wear breast forms, then you should wear one whenever you choose to.
Some women use breast forms while waiting for reconstruction
Wearing a breast form may help minimize shoulder droop for some people
They can be worn all the time, just on certain days or during certain activities
Others opt not to have reconstructive surgery and use forms as a long-term option
Lots of other people choose to not wear one at all and “live flat”
Types of Breast Forms
Should you choose to wear a breast form, there are lots of different options out there. They vary in weight, material, size and shape. Take the time to explore your options and find the best one for you. Some are even made specially for exercising and swimming.
Custom made breast forms are also available if you aren’t able to find a shape that works for you.
Breast form varieties include:
Various weights that can be very lightweight or match natural breast weight
Different shades to better match skin tones
Partial forms available for lumpectomy
Symmetrical or asymmetrical to match your natural shape
Special forms for swimming or sports
Different materials including silicone, gel, fiber fill, and foam
After Surgery
During the 6-week healing period, you won’t want to add weight or compression to the area. Initial breast forms, which are made of a lightweight, loose fibre, are a good option. Some women like the lightweight fibre of an initial breast form and choose this option as their standard breast form after the recovery period has passed.
Others prefer the weight of a standard breast form as it can feel more what they are used to.
Some women refer to the “hug test” – or what makes them feel most comfortable when hugging another person. Knowing what will work for you will depend on your needs and what makes you comfortable.
Partial Forms
Partial forms or protheses are used after a lumpectomy or lymph node removal. They can also be used several years after a reconstruction to match changes in your other breast due to changes in weight and natural changes over time.
They help balance shape and create symmetry. There are lots of options for every shape and size to match the other breast.
Preparing for a Breast Form Fitting
- Most fittings are more than an hour – call and book an appointment
- Schedule 6+ weeks after surgery
- Ensure you don’t have any swelling to find a proper fit
- Wait until there’s no drainage at site
- You should be completely healed: no wounds or bandages
- Bring a fitted t-shirt to test how your bra looks underneath it
Nervous about going into a retail breast form shop?
Consider asking for recommendations from your cancer care centre, friends or family members, or search online. You can also reference Anita Canada’s list of certified retailers to find one near you.
Call ahead and ask some of these questions:
Do they carry a full range of products?
Will they explain the differences in products to you?
Do they offer private fitting rooms?
How busy will they be at the time of your appointment?
Is the retailer knowledgeable of various surgery types and treatments?
Let’s navigate this together
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Is Areola Restoration (a.k.a. Nipple Tattooing) right for you?
Nipple tattooing uses ink and shading techniques like traditional tattooing; this gives the illusion of 3D nipples where none exist. After breast cancer surgery, some people choose in areola restoration because it provides them a sense of confidence, empowerment, and comfort.
Whether you choose to include this in your post-cancer journey is entirely up to you. Here are some of the things to consider if you choose to explore this option.
Is there a ‘Right Type’ of Breast Tissue?
The first important thing to know is that nipple tattoos can be done on any type of tissue:
Reconstructed breast, with or without implants
Reconstructed nipples
Chest wall after a mastectomy
“Is a mastectomy tattoo the same thing as a nipple tattoo / areola restoration?”
No! Areola restoration are realistic tattoos done to look like an areola and 3D nipple. Decorative Tattoos, also known as mastectomy tattoos, are a form of body art that can be used to cover or camouflage scars. These types of tattoos can be any type of design or image. Many patients find it to be an empowering form of self-expression and an opportunity to redefine one’s experience after breast cancer surgery.
How do I find a Nipple Tattoo technician?
You are investing both time and money into the procedure so you should be comfortable with the person doing the work
- The tattoos are permanent, so you want to be confident in your choice.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed, ask a trusted friend to help you make calls and pre-screen with you.
- You might also want to speak to your doctor, medical team, or other women for references too.
- Before deciding on a technician, ask to see photos of the technician’s work. You can also request to call, email, or meet with a former client and ask about their experience.
Consider these things when choosing a technician:
Safety
Choose a place registered with your local public health unit
Tattooing is not regulated under Federal or Provincial governments. Establishments, however, can register with public health and will be inspected and regulated
Public health regulations will include standards on things like hand washing, sterilization, single-use needles, and bagging of machines to prevent the risk of infection
Artistry & Technique
Ensure that the colour, design and shading is skillfully planned and executed. This will help create a realistic areola tattoo. These factors should be customized for you to match an existing nipple, replicate what you are used to or align with your personal preferences. Colour, shape, size is unique to each woman.
Like with art, colour theory is a vital component of tattooing. It’s extremely important that the technician you select is experienced and knowledgeable on the role of skin tones and undertones as well as how they will impact the way colour pigments show up on you.
Before finalizing an areola design on your body, ensure the technician can draw it on paper first. This will show whether they have the artistic skills to deliver on the design you have selected.
Proper technique will ensure the colour pigment stays vibrant as the skin heals and tattoo develops. Stretching of the skin as the needle is tattooing will also help achieve this and ensure the ink does not fade.
Other things to look for include: no patchiness, clean line work, and smooth shading.
Colour and Camouflaging Scars
Tattooing can cover a scar that is light by making it darker, but it is very difficult to make a dark scar lighter
Laser therapy may help in lightning scars and should be considered if lighting is needed before embarking on tattooing
Empathy
Your needs are important during this experience. Ensure you feel comfortable with your technician
A technician should be patient throughout the process from deciding on a design to respecting your needs for breaks while getting the tattoo
Asking questions and speaking up if you are uncomfortable provides a better experience for you, and also ensures the technician is attuned to your needs
Cost
The cost of areola restoration can vary from $500-$1500 depending on whether it is unilateral or bilateral
Some provinces offer coverage through public health insurance
Though costs may increase with the use of proper PPE and medical grade pigment, you should insist on these
Is areola tattooing right for you?
Get your questions answered in our Areola Tattooing Workshop.
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Breast Forms: Fittings and Retailers
Find a Retailer in your Community
There are many retailers across Canada which carry breast care products. Medical specialist shops are one option and they often carry a large variety of products. Larger departments stores and lingerie stores can carry some mastectomy bras and breast forms too.
Consider asking for recommendations from your cancer care centre, friends or family members, or search online. You can also reference Anita Canada’s list of certified retailers to find one near you. Remember to call ahead to book an appointment and ask questions.
Preparing for a Breast Form Fitting:
Most fittings are more than an hour – call and book an appointment
Schedule 6+ weeks after surgery
Ensure you don’t have any swelling to find a proper fit
Wait until there’s no drainage at site
You should be completely healed: no wounds or bandages
Bring a fitted t-shirt to test how your bra looks underneath it
Nervous about going into a retail breast form shop?
Call ahead and ask some of these questions:
Do they carry a full range of products?
Can you try all of the products on?
Will they explain the differences in products to you?
Do they offer a private fitting room with a full-length mirror?
How busy will they be at the time of your appointment?
Is the retailer knowledgeable of various surgery types and treatments?
Let’s navigate this together
Join a community that understands. Receive expert advice, useful resources, and compassionate tips throughout your cancer journey in the LGFB newsletter
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Caring for Scaring
Healing from cancer surgeries involves both physical and emotional challenges. Managing scar tissue is an important part of your recovery journey.
BEFORE SURGERY:
- If you are prone to keloids, ask your surgeon how this can be best managed with medication, topical treatments or strategic scar placement.
- It is okay to be concerned about scarring and to advocate for yourself!
AFTER SURGERY:
- Follow care instructions from your surgeon to keeping the surgical site clean.
- Once approved by your surgeon (approximately one month after surgery), you can start massaging the scar using either a beauty oil or scar reducing oil.
- Silicone scar sheets can help improve healing.
- Don’t wear clothing that compresses the scar for at least 4-6 weeks after surgery. If that makes wearing a regular bra difficult, try a tube top, tank top, or leisure bra to provide support if needed.
- Wait at least one year after all treatments are done before getting any nipple or decorative tattoos.
Physical Discomfort
It can be discouraging to still feel pain, swelling, tightness, sensitivity or a restricted range of motion after completing cancer treatment. For some people, discomfort may last far past their expected recovery time from surgery or radiation.
Prolonged Discomfort
Prolonged discomfort may be a build-up of scar tissue inside the body, typically around the breast, chest or shoulder area.
Scaring can cause the surrounding tissue to become denser and less elastic and result in restricted movement and/or pain. Some patients describe it as feeling “sticky” or “like Velcro” when they try moving the affected area.
Easing Discomfort
You may want to consider adding a physiotherapist or massage therapist who specializes in caring for breast cancer patients to your care team.
Talk to your primary care team about your concerns and mention this possibility. If you find your medical team resistance to these suggestions, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.
Physiotherapy or massage therapy is done on the chest, breast and/or shoulders to loosen and soften tissue.
Your provider may suggest techniques such as:
Myofascial release
Deep friction massage
Cupping therapy
Remember to…
Talk to your surgeon or oncologist to ensure that enough recovery time has passed before booking an appointment with a physio or massage therapist.
What healthcare professionals provide care for scar tissue?
Typically, it will be a physiotherapist or massage therapist who will have specialized expertise and experience working with breast cancer patients.
Refer to the Society for Oncology Massage and Canadian Physiotherapy Association to learn more and access a directory.
Your provincial Lymphedema Association can also be a great resource for therapists familiar with breast-cancer related side effects.
Some healthcare professionals use the term Cancer Rehabilitation to refer to their services that help manage the common side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. This can be a great search term when looking for professionals in your area.
Questions to ask Professionals:
Are you a licensed Healthcare provider registered with the provincial college?
Are you experienced in treating breast cancer patients?
Do you provide techniques I can do at home?
Are these services covered by provincial healthcare?
Are they covered by private medical insurance?
You’re not in this alone.
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Join a community that understands. Receive expert advice, useful resources, and compassionate tips throughout your cancer journey in the LGFB newsletter