The Oncology Aesthetics Podcast

Simple Solutions for Dry Skin

• Ricardo Fisas Natura Bissé Foundation • Season 1 • Episode 4

Share episode

Send us a text

Dryness during cancer treatment isn't just uncomfortable—it's a complex side effect that impacts both body and mind. Alex Huffman, Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology at UT Southwestern Cancer Center, reveals why addressing this common challenge requires a holistic approach that nurtures the whole person.

Discover the surprising connection between hydration and mental health as Alex explains how proper moisture levels help transport crucial neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine through the body. "We know that staying hydrated helps move neurotransmitters," she shares, highlighting how this simple practice directly impacts depression and anxiety—critical concerns during cancer treatment.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when discussing the psychological impact of cancer on body image. "A common reaction to going through a life-altering diagnosis that some may consider traumatic is to disconnect from the body," Alex notes. Learn how transforming skincare from mundane routine into meaningful ritual can help patients rebuild their relationship with bodies that feel unfamiliar or betraying. The podcast offers practical recommendations for creating these healing rituals, from ingredient selections to application techniques.

Perhaps most moving is the discussion about how touch becomes essential when words fail. Gentle massage with appropriate moisturizers provides "caring touch, supportive touch, grounding touch" that can transform the treatment experience while strengthening connections between patients and caregivers. As Alex beautifully puts it, "Sometimes touch is the most universal language we can lean on."

Ready to transform your understanding of skincare during cancer treatment? Subscribe to the Oncology Aesthetics Podcast for more expert insights that merge the science of skincare with the art of holistic healing during the cancer journey.

Support the show

Learn more:

Download our Skin Care Guide

Instagram

Rae:

This podcast is brought to you by the Ricardo Fisas Natura Bisse Foundation. Produced by Lyons Creative. All the information contained in this podcast is intended only to provide general skin care guidance. The information is not a substitute for consulting with a physician or other qualified medical professional. Welcome to the Oncology Aesthetics Podcast, where we explore ways to enhance well-being, self-esteem and resilience while navigating cancer. We bring you expert skincare tips, practical self-care strategies and inspiring stories to help you rediscover strength, radiance and joy. Welcome to the show, everyone. My Raejan. I'm your host and National Educator for the Ricardo Fisas Natura Bisse Foundation. Today, I'm with Alex Huffman. Alex, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. Alex, Tell us a little bit about your role.

Alex:

So I am the Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology at the Cancer Center at UT Southwestern and I think the reason we're talking today is really the integrative oncology piece. For us, that's mind-body-based practices that support a patient going through cancer treatment.

Rae:

I love that, that holistic sort of look into care is so important.

Alex:

It's so important, and as much as we can bring wellness into someone's treatment plan, (when they're going through a lot of things that don't feel like wellness intentionally), the better off they are physically and mentally.

Rae:

Absolutely. I'm so glad that you touched on that, because most of our focus in this podcast and in our line of work is skin care and navigating wellbeing through that avenue. So having more information on how to bridge all of those separate aspects of the person that end up being the whole is fantastic. I love that. So, within dryness, which is kind of what we're touching on more specifically today, where do you see that coming up and manifesting as a side effect during cancer treatment?

Alex:

I think it is one of the most common side effects, whether it's chemotherapy, or radiation, we anticipate a patient's going to have an impact to their skin and need support navigating that really, really tough side effect.

Rae:

Yeah, and I know from my experience that dryness can cause more side effects on top of that, sometimes cracking, sometimes itching. Where do you see the importance of managing that side effect on the skin and maybe even internally as well?

Alex:

I think the biggest thing is the more proactive we can be and the more we can educate patients on safe ways to manage that, the better off. Patients feel more empowered when they know what to do when these things start coming up. And then the piece that you mentioned internally we know that hydration is hugely connected to our mental health. It's a big part of physical and mental health. We know that staying hydrated helps move neurotransmitters, so serotonin, dopamine. Those things are really connected to depression, anxiety. We can help a patient manage those things with staying hydrated as best as they can.

Rae:

that's amazing. I've always known that you should stay hydrated, and especially from my line of work in skin care. It's really cool to see that perspective of understanding what's good for the skin seems to typically be good for the whole body.

Alex:

Right, and I think we have all felt that the better we feel in our skin, the better we feel emotionally too. I think the image of a buoy really works well, that we need that water around the buoy to dip and come back up, and that's true physically and emotionally.

Rae:

I love that. Do you have any specialized tips on staying hydrated? How do you approach that with your clients?

Alex:

So what we try to do is mention that up front, before a patient even starts treatment. If we can start adding that in, and the better hydrated a patient is going through treatment, the better off that treatment may go too. So I think it's something we try to mention up front. It can be really hard. Patients get mouth sores, taste changes where we might have to add in some things like flavor drops. But the more we can do to empower a patient to try to drink as much as they can, the better off we are without having to go to IVs and things like that.

Rae:

That's actually such a good point of using flavor drops I wouldn't have ever thought about that, but kind of making it as accessible and digestible, so to say, to kind of get that in Right.

Alex:

Our dietitians at the Cancer Center are amazing. They specialize in oncology. We are so fortunate to have a team of true experts. When it comes to supporting nutrition through cancer treatment, and I think that's one of the biggest things they talk about is how we can try to taste, test literally what will work, and one flavor may be okay at one point in treatment and we might need to try a different flavor. I think, especially for caregivers, that is hugely important. They're the one trying to get the patient to eat, to drink, they're trying to stay on top of all those things. So being able to grab a packet of different flavors within the guidelines that the dieticians recommend gives the caregivers some sense of contributing too.

Rae:

Yeah, that's a great point and a great idea to just kind of have something that feels a little bit more like teamwork. I love that, so having that kind of covered within internal hydration and moisturization. Let's talk a little bit about skin care. Are there any sort of tips and tricks that you guys give to your patients as they're kind of getting into navigating this? We talked a little bit about preparing the skin. What impact do you see that have in more of the long run of their treatment?

Alex:

I think we tell them to call you guys.

Alex:

One of the resources that we are very fortunate to have in the area is work with an esthetician who's trained in oncology, who can support hair care, skin care changes. Again, talking to your doctor, we are very lucky we also have oncodermatology within the cancer center. But for the most part, what we really try to do is help a patient find a routine that feels like wellness so moisturizing everywhere feels like wellness. Really trying to bring in that and make it a ritual. Make it a ritual and part of their self-care, especially when you're not feeling well. If we can add something that feels comforting, something that feels calming, I think that's really, really important.

Rae:

I love that you said that to that ritual aspect. I try to emphasize ritual over routine because if it feels like something that you have to do, and you're already busy or already tired, then it does start to feel like a hassle. But if you can make it something that feels good, actually comforts the skin and, connects you to your own touch, even then it can be something that can help not only the physical side effects but also a little bit more connected to yourself.

Alex:

That's exactly it. I think one of the things that is a common reaction to going through a life-altering diagnosis that some may consider traumatic is to disconnect from the body. This body hurts, this body's betrayed me. I don't know what this body is doing. I don't trust it. So if we can add components of self-care and wellness rituals to bridge that mind-body connection again, we can support a patient the most holistically.

Rae:

That's brilliant.

Rae:

I love that.

Rae:

And just to touch a little bit on some ingredients or maybe some approaches that people could take from our perspective, from the actual skincare aspect could take from our perspective, from the actual skincare aspect, things to look out for would be things like hyaluronic acid, organic aloe vera, allantoin, lanolin things that are really hydrating on the skin.

Rae:

And I always recommend that clients do thinnest to thickest, meaning that right after you get out of the bath or after the shower, your skin's a little bit damp. If you have an oil for your face or for your body, put that on first so that it can really start to soak in and then layer on top of that more of a thick moisturizer that's going to seal in the hydration from that oil and kind of give you a double whammy. So that's how we would approach more of the skin aspect of it. But I would love to hear from you I know there's so much that can be encompassed in this topic what other tips do you have for people when it comes to dryness or even again, sort of that mind body connection, because I know it's not just the skin that gets dry, it's really the entire body is going through this side effect.

Alex:

Right, I think, if a patient, or perhaps their caregiver, can help do a massage with a gentle massage lotion, that's huge, that's a caring touch, it's supportive touch, it is grounding touch. So you know, whether that's doing a self-hand massage or having your caregiver even do that while they're in the chemotherapy chair, it adds a positive element on top of an experience that's really stressful and anxiety inducing.

Rae:

That's a great tip. I love that and especially being able to incorporate things that the caregiver, the family members, can be involved in. That kind of feels not only empowering for them, like you're saying, gives them something that they feel they can contribute, but also, I think, strengthens that connection between those two people as well.

Alex:

Absolutely and words fall short. You know, our language can only go so far and sometimes touches the, the most universal language we can lean on. Yeah, I think the other tip I would say is think beyond the face. I think a lot of patients really view skincare regimens as being facial regimens. Of course, dry hands we're coming out of winter. I know that's something a lot of people will focus on. But think about the whole body. Every part of your skin needs hydration. Every part body, every part of your skin needs hydration, every part.

Rae:

So, I think, really thinking of a total body skincare is helpful too, absolutely, even coming down to, like the in-betweens of fingers and toes, the creases, the rolls, like anything on the body that kind of have these hidden crevices, so to say, can use that hydration, and we often hear from our clients that it helps in so many other aspects because, again, that dryness can be so uncomfortable. It can use that hydration and we often hear from our clients that it helps in so many other aspects because, again, that dryness can be so uncomfortable, it can be itchy, it can feel tight and it can just in general cause more discomfort really. So the more there's hydration in the skin and in the body, I can really see that kind of causing a ripple effect.

Alex:

Absolutely. I think one thing we talk about is honoring pain, and I think dryness is one thing that can start off as cracked skin or dryness that can really lead to possible wound issues that can lead to just complete discomfort, and so approaching it again whole body, I think, is a really helpful way to think through it. I love that.

Rae:

Well, alex, thank you so much for all of this incredible information. I think this will be really helpful and we've so enjoyed having you on the show. Thanks for having me. I've loved being here. Thank you for joining us. We hope you found this information helpful. It's your reviews and feedback that help make this podcast even better. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who might benefit. Until next time, take care, stay radiant and we'll see you soon.

Alex:

Thank you.