Make sure you are not using anything before your radiation treatments as they may alter how it affects the skin. I wasn't clear if the radiated area is turning red or other places on your face. My neck turned red and was actually bloody towards the end of treatment and I used Donburo soak I bought at the drug store. It is a zinc oxide product only to use when you skin is actually weeping but it cleared the mess up in a day. I found a pure organic aloe with no alcohol that helped the dry peeling skin for the non-radiated areas. I got the aloe at Whole Foods.

On another note I just participated in a study where they "punched" out a few layers of skin to freeze to attempt to do some genome mapping and other research to see if there is a reason some people react so differently to similar doses of radiation. They didn't tell me I may have a little hole punching looking scar maybe forever but I wear it proudly as another "badge of courage" to further research for all survivors of oral cancer. I have participated in about every living cadaver study I can find so someone will gain from the experiences. I got a free breakfast in one post-treatment saliva test! Even after almost 8 years my neck is still pretty dark red all the time but people just think I golf a lot!

Best wishes always.


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023