Post-cancer treatment pruritus: recommended clothing and accessories

Cancer treatment is based on various methods, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies or immunotherapy. These treatments cause adverse side effects, including pruritus and itching. Improving cancer patients’ daily lives is possible thanks to advice, best practices, and even adapted clothing and accessories.

Clothing

Itching related to cancer treatment can be aggravated by wearing inappropriate clothing. Thus, to limit pruritus, we recommended:

• Wearing clothes made of soft, natural materials such as cotton, linen or silk. Avoiding wearing wool directly on the skin because it can cause irritation and itching, and of course limit wearing synthetic materials that itch as much as possible.
• Choosing soft, comfortable clothing. Clothes that are too tight or too snug cause chafing and sweating, which will only increase itching.
• Cutting the labels off of clothes.
• Washing new clothes before wearing them.
• Washing your clothes by using a small amount of hypoallergenic and perfume-free liquid detergent.

Accessories suitable for a weakened scalp

In addition to clothing, soft accessories can help patients with cancer limit itching, especially if the scalp is itching:

• The choice of head covering is essential. A silk scarf or bonnet will respect the scalp weakened by the treatments.
• The bed linen is also an important element but which we do not necessarily think about. At night, friction is always present and accentuates pruritus. The scalp is in constant contact with the pillowcase, so it must be chosen with great care to avoid generating additional irritation and itching. Here again, choose silk or other very soft materials such as cotton satin.