Barry shaved throughout treatment with an electric razor, which his nurses told him to use as long as he felt comfortable shaving. His radiation plan did not greatly impact the front areas of his face and (like ssax) it looked very "half-shaved" after a day or so. However the hair growth even in these areas was slower than previously. He never had any broken skin (just reddened like a bad sunburn), but the hair did stop growing on his rear cheeks, sides of neck and nape area.

After about 4-5 weeks, the hair started to grow back, first up around his ears which were not radiated much, and back of neck, gradually moving across cheeks and sides of neck. The whole radiated area was "re-haired" (is that a word?) in about two-three months or so. It grew in darker than his pre-radiation hair -- and thus looked a lot thicker but really wasn't -- and is still darker to this day.

He stopped using the electric razor in about 6 weeks and is back to using a regular disposable razor for shaving.

Barry did a few things during radiation that may have helped prevent so much skin damage -- *immediately* after coming out of radiation, he went into the restroom and liberally applied first RadiaCare Gel (or equivalent) -- which is an aloe-containing gel -- and after that dried, a liberal application of Biafine Cream. He also gargled and swished with cold food-grade aloe gel (obtainable from GNC and other stores, get 100% aloe, nothing with "colloidal silver" or other ingredients). The latter was advice from several folks who went through radiation before him. Although reaction to radiation varies depending on the individual, our nurses said that patients who did the most to take care of their skin generally (not always, but generally) did better and avoided the worst blistered/broken skin. Barry continued to use the Biafine for a number of weeks post-treatment, until all the reddening and dead skin (again, like after a bad sunburn) was gone.

Gail