Medesthetics

JUL-AUG 2014

MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.

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medestheticsmagazine.com | JULY/AUGUST 2014 39 C ancer treatments and surgery also wreak havoc with the patient's appearance in other ways—causing eyelashes and brows to fl y off the face, making hair fall out, leaving scars in the place of breasts. Aesthetic services, ranging from skincare and hair restoration treatments to permanent makeup services, can give back what surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation take away. "The hospital and medical staff does a great job treating cancer, but I am there for [the patient's] body image issues, the emotional issues," says licensed esthetician Becky Kuehn, who is certi- fi ed in Oncology Esthetics. Kuehn works with cancer patients at two hospital-based cancer centers in Washington State. "Each person uniquely experiences the cancer 'journey,'" says Kuehn, a cancer survivor herself. "I had hair loss, skin issues, and horrible mouth and GI issues from chemo. This gave me an understanding of what my clients might be going through—how chemotherapy affects the whole person, as well as the emotional and psycho-social side effects." As the U.S. Director and National Educator for Oncology Esthetics, Kuehn trains other estheticians, "so they will never turn away a client, especially a client that needs them the most," she says. While providing oncology aesthetic services is truly a do-good, feel-good endeavor, those who dip their toe in the specialty will have no dearth of patients. Cancer patients comprise a large and growing group. In the United States, women have a 38% risk of developing cancer. For men, the odds are even worse: Nearly 44% will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. "Cancer is common, and many forms of cancer are chronic diseases people live with for years," says Dr. Bailey. "The number of cancer patients seeking aesthetic products and treatments is only going to rise." TOPICALS AND PEELS "Skin is the most visible organ system to suffer during cancer treat- ment, and the right skin care can provide great comfort. It's bad enough to have cancer and endure treatment, so it's nice to control some aspect of your appearance during such an out-of-control time," says Dr. Bailey. Practitioners need to use extreme care when offering esthetic services to these patients due to the increased risk of infection and photosensitivity caused by radiation and chemotherapy drugs. "When considering esthetic treatments in the setting of an oncology patient, it is impera- tive to take the approach of 'fi rst do no harm,'" says dermatologist Cheryl Lee Eberting, MD, director of Alpine Dermatology in Alpine, Utah and founder of the Cheryl Lee MD Sensitive Skin Care Line (cherylleemd.com). "One must consider the major vulnerabilities of the patient. These patients are immunologically compromised, often more likely to have a photo-reaction due to chemotherapy, and may also be undergoing some sort of hormonal manipulation." She counsels physicians and estheticians to avoid known hormone disruptors, like soy-based products. "It is not safe to use any photosensitizing products such as tretinoin, retinol, alpha- hydroxy acids, and many plant-based products, which may be more likely to induce phyto- photo dermatitis," she says. Dr. Eberting also counsels her oncology patients against the use of supplements, oils or topicals that have any sort of immunomodulatory function. "The immune system of a cancer patient is in a delicate balance during all phases of treatment, and the use of immune 'boost- ers' could be detrimental and could possibly interfere with effective treatment," she says. "For example, any actives that claim to 'stimulate the immune system' (like echinacea) should be avoided during cancer therapy." When selecting treatments, Dr. Eberting avoids any resurfacing procedures that penetrate or remove any portion of the epidermis and/or photoprotective layers of the skin, including microdermabrasion, chemical peels, microneedling and fractional resurfacing. y "A small wound or superfi cial infection can rapidly become a crisis on immunocompromised skin." C a n c e r P a t i e n t s M E D 7 - 8 1 4 . i n d d 3 9 Cancer Patients MED7-814.indd 39 6 / 1 7 / 1 4 5 : 1 7 P M 6/17/14 5:17 PM

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