Radiotherapy burns

Unknown said:

Hi, although I was told it could take a couple of weeks for my neck to heal, it actually took months.  I used the flamazine and the polymen dressings too but also had district nurses to dress it daily. I'm actually left with quite a large area of skin discoloration on my neck, it looks like I've been shot apparently.

That’s true. I hope you are much better now. Telangectasia is a common sequel of radiation burns. Thankfully mine is actually in my mouth not in the skin of my neck and most of us don’t suffer too badly. It depends on the radiation dose. If the radiotherapy is targeting superficial lymph nodes the skin will get a heck of a dose. 
I have a friend who had RT for breast cancer and she has been left badly scarred. 

Hi I’m over 3 years post radiotherapy and I have telangectasia on my next from treatment over time it’s getting bigger but I just slap factor 50 on and get in with life now. I treat it as my war wound.

Hazel 

The hospital gave me miraculous neck collars which had to be changed every day and enabled new skin to grow, very slowly, to cover the extensive grade 3 burns. It took a few weeks but the result is very good. The new 'skin' ( scar tissue, actually) looks good even after 2 years. It is a bit stiff in the morning but eases as the day progresses. At first it was horribly sensitive but is not too bad now. 

Hi Wendy, 

As I finished my RT my neck looked and felt like I had the worst sunburn ever. I used Flamazine four or five times a day and within two weeks the redness and soreness had gone. My skin did peel badly just like bad sunburn does but only for a couple of days. I now use normal moisturiser every day.

Wishing you well

Claire