Body Image & Cancer

Short and long-term changes to your body are common after cancer treatment. Not everyone reacts the same way to these changes, but many people feel self-conscious about their appearance. This can make it hard to socialise, be intimate with your partner or even be around loved ones as you may be worried about how people will react.

Thankfully I have an incredibly supportive partner who did his best to make me feel beautiful the whole way through my treatment. We talked about how the changes made me feel and how that impacted our relationship. This was so important as talking openly about how we both felt made everything less awkward, allowed him to support me better and took the pressure off when I wasn't feeling up to getting down and dirty.

Even through the steroid bloating, no eyebrows and baldy head phase he never once made me feel unattractive. This was great as I did a fabulous job of that myself!

Here are some tips that may help to improve body image during treatment:

1. Acknowledge and accept your body's new look but be grateful for how amazing it is getting you through this treatment.
   

2. If you have a partner, being open and honest about how you feel will give them the knowledge they need to support you through this.
   

3. Build up your confidence. Wear clothes that make you feel good or get a friend to join you for a makeover. I treated myself to new clothes from my favourite labels and enjoyed dressing up & heading out for dinner occasionally.
   

4. Find a support group for people who are going through the same thing. I found Facebook groups were great for this.
   

5. Be prepared for questions that may make you uncomfortable. I understood that people's intentions are usually good but it can be upsetting if people ask about changes to your appearance and you aren't prepared.
   

6. A healthy body leads to positive feelings. Eat nutritious foods to help your physical and mental wellbeing.... but at the same time if you need cake to get you through the day don't beat yourself up about it.
   

7. Not only does working out keep you feeling good, but it can also give you some control over how your body changes during treatment. You may experience weight fluctuations as a result of chemotherapy, but remaining active can help manage the 'chemo kilos.' I also found keeping active helped reduce neuropathy.
   

8. Spend time with people that make you feel good and accept you as you are. I had a couple of 'safe' friends and they were worth their weight in gold.

Where you can find light in everyday situations and see if you can turn some shit parts into fun. I hated that I had to wear a wig as despite cold capping I lost about 50% of my hair. I took my partner wig & headpiece shopping and we had fun trying on wigs and head scarfs (he got quite into the scarfs).

Doing some or all of these things can not only help enhance your body image, it can also aid in your recovery both physically and mentally.

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Shop To Help

FU Cancer Network is a passion project, but it comes with costs. Purchasing through the links below won’t cost you extra, but a small commission will help maintain the site and expand offerings. Not all products earn a commission, but if they do it helps me to keep this space alive for those who need it most.These are items I used myself, friends used or come highly recommended via other channels. I spent many hours researching what would help my skin, hair and mental health during treatment, you can benefit from that now and skip the research.

Some of these are thoughtful gifts to give to people you care about who are having treatment and some are to gift to yourself.

You'll probably notice there are some swearies in the titles of some books, because.... F cancer!

What The F*ck Just Happened. A Survivor's Guide to Life After Breast Cancer Click To Purchase	The Cancer Survivor Handbook Your Guide to Building a Life After Cancer Click To Purchase
Chemo P!ssed Me Off. A Breast Cancer Roadmap: Navigating with Faith, Gratitude, and a Little Bit of Attitude Click To Purchase	F*** You Cancer: How to face the big C, live your life and still be yourself Click To Purchase
The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club: The most emotional, uplifting and life-affirming novel of summer 2023 Click To Purchase	Chemotherapy Journal Punch Cancer in the Face: Cancer Chemo Journal Click To Purchase
Clinique Even Better Clinical Radical Dark Spot Corrector. I messed up my skin (which you aren't going to do as you will ALWAYS wear sunscreen) and this cleared up the sunspots within a couple of weeks. I highly recommend for reducing blemishes & correcting skin tone and will continue to use it now I'm post chemo. Click To Purchase	Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream helps repair damaged, dry, cracked, and non-oozing skin in 48 hours. Skin is immediately soothed after the first application, and the cutaneous barrier is restored. In fact, all the Avene Products are worth considering when you have delicate skin from chemo.   Click To Purchase
Cancer Council Daywear SPF 50+ Light Tint BB Cream As above you are going to wear sunscreen every single day from now on and this is a great option. I apply this after my moisturiser and know I'm heading out with 50+ protection on my delicate facial skin. If I'd been doing this from the start I wouldn't have needed the Clinique! Check out other cancer council products at the link below. Click To Purchase	Hand Weights. Light weights for use when doing at home pilates If you are able to get to the gym maintaining muscle by using hand weights can be a simple way to workout at home. Click To Purchase
Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines. Anti-Slip. Beautiful yoga mat featuring alignment lines to assist you with the position of arms and legs. This helps with at home pilates or yoga by encouraging you to keep your body in balance with accurate posture for the best practice. Click To Purchase	Activity Tracker As exercise can help you with your cancer treatment and recovery now might be a great time to invest in a fitness tracker if you haven't already. The Fitbit (or similar) is a great option which encourages mindfulness plus tracks exercise and sleep. Click To Purchase
The Menopause Book If your treatment puts you into medical menopause this book with help you navigate this new phase in your life. Click To Purchase	Menopause Supplements If you need help managing hot flushes due to medical menopause some of these supplements may help rebalance your hormones. As with any supplements do not take these without consulting with your oncology team. Click To Purchase
Satin Head Scarfs Play around with head scarves to see what styles and colours suit you. This style was great for me when I lost most of my hair. Click To Purchase	UGG Slippers I was very lucky and only got a very small amount of neuropathy in my feet but I do feel the cold more now. During chemo I swapped my normal thongs around the house for Uggs to avoid the cold in my toes. It really does make a world of difference. Click To Purchase
Aromatherapy Diffusers A thoughtful gift for a loved one facing cancer is always welcomed. Diffusers offer a safe, convenient, and flame-free way to create a calming atmosphere. Gentle, long-lasting fragrances provide comfort and relaxation, making them a perfect gift for promoting peace and well-being. Click To Purchase	Rose Quartz Gifts Rose quartz is not only a beautiful gift for a loved one fighting cancer but some believe Rose quartz promotes love, healing, and emotional balance while reducing stress and anxiety with its calming energy—perfect for self-care and inner peace. There are a number of styles at the link below Click To Purchase
The Ordinary Multi Peptide Serum for Hair Density This hair growth serum is is designed to support hair health so that it looks thicker, denser, fuller and healthier. Be aware that it contains caffeine to stimulate the follicles so keep this for when you have finished chemo as it can actually have the opposite effect you are going for if you use it whilst undergoing treatment. Click To Purchase	Miracle Spray Hair Treatment I LOVE this product and was using it before chemo on recommendation from a friend. It is great to leave in after washing when you can't blow dry to help contain fluffiness from dried out chemo hair! Click To Purchase
TOPPIK Hair Building Fibers Toppik Hair Building Fibers, are made of colored keratin protein and it blends with existing hair strands to instantly create the appearance of naturally thick, full hair. I used this when my bald spot was at it's worse and I didn't want to wear a wig. I was skeptical about this product but it is honestly amazing how it works. Click To Purchase	Silk Pillow Cases Protect hair and skin during chemo with silk fabric pillowcases. During chemotherapy, silk pillowcases offer benefits like reduced friction, moisture retention, and a gentle surface for sensitive skin and hair, which can be particularly helpful during hair loss and regrowth.Perfect as a thoughtful gift for a loved one going through treatment. Click To Purchase

Support Resources

Cancer Council Australia

CCA an organisation to support all Australians affected by cancer through support, research and prevention programs.

Ovarian Cancer Australia

OCA is an independent national not-for-profit organisation, supporting women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Our focus is to provide care and support for those affected by ovarian cancer; and represent them by leading change. Our vision is to save lives and ensure no woman with ovarian cancer walks alone.

Breast Cancer Network Australia

BCNA Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is Australia’s leading breast cancer consumer organisation. We have worked tirelessly to ensure that all Australians who are affected by breast cancer receive the very best care, treatment and support.

Bowel Cancer Australia

BCA Peer-to-Peer Support Network connects patient’s and loved ones on a one-to-one buddy basis that enables members to give and receive advice about their bowel cancer experience in an informal and mutually beneficial way.

Leukaemia Foundation

LF is a support service for patients and supporters dealing with blood cancers.

*FU Cancer is supported by its audience. If you choose to purchase through the links on our site we may receive an affiliate commission. This goes towards paying our expenses plus a percentage of our monthly profit goes towards directly helping people with cancer. If you know someone who could do with a boost during their cancer treatment please let us know here.

*FU Cancer is supported by its audience. If you choose to purchase through the links on our site we may receive an affiliate commission. This goes towards paying our expenses plus a percentage of our monthly profit goes towards directly helping people with cancer. If you know someone who could do with a boost during their cancer treatment please let us know here.