Affordable skincare ideas for skin changes during long term cancer treatment

[Contrarymary30]

I'm stage 4 lung cancer and have been on a trial for 3.5 years . I'm currently stable but the drug I'm on for the trial has been VERY hard on my body and confidence. My skin is awful and my hair is even worse . I'm getting lots of broken veins on my face and I'm sallow and very dry . I've tried so many creams which haven't really made much difference . I'm on a budget and really can't afford to spend a lot for something which makes very little difference . I've been feeling quite low and I think my appearance is contributing to this . I've been to Boots but couldn't afford all the products they suggested. Any ideas ?

Are you on a MEK inhibitor? Or another targeted therapy drug?

I'm on Rybrevant. Not sure what a MEK inhibitor is sorry . All the side effects are skin related . I used to use body shop vit e stuff which was really good for my skin but not as much now . It's the broken veins and sallow complection which is getting me down . I use lancome foundation but it sort of sits on top of my skin now. This along with my hair breaking off about 3 inches from the root is making me not recognise myself in the mirror . Any suggestions very welcome .

Targeted therapy drugs alter the skin and hair cycle. They cause very dry skin and sadly affect hair length. No product can change your hair cycle .
For the skin, you should moisturise as often as you can, several times a day, or if wearing make up, early morning, then as soon as you are home, you remove make up and moisturise, then again before bed. During the weekend, as often as you can.
The oncology ward should have given you instructions on products, what to look for, what to avoid. Anything that has a scent, is a no.
Next time you are in for your treatment or checks, ask if they can book you with a dermatologist to help with the adverse effects of targeted therapies. They have specialised dermatologists who can explain to you the skin/hair impact of your drug and help you manage them.
In the meantime, here is a small leaflet. https://janssenoncovault.onlineevents.corp.mims.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CP-428963-Rybrevant-Patient-Skin-and-Nail-Guide-PrintDigital-tool.pdf#:~:text=Skin%20and%20nail%20problems%20are,on%20the%20face%2C%20scalp%2C%20chest%2C scroll to page 7

Thank you. That leaflet is helpful . I didn't know that the drug affected the hair growth cycle , that explains why I never see lots of shed hair .