Hello Poline, and thank you for your post,

I am sorry to learn of the treatment you have been through. I imagine this was a difficult time for you.

An increase in body hair can be noticed once chemotherapy has finished. If you are concerned, it might be worth speaking to your nurse specialist to see if they can offer any advice on what other people in a similar situation may do. From the information I can find, removing the hair does not cause it to be more coarse or worse; it can seem it is growing back thicker, but this is because the top part of the new hair has to push through the skin's surface as it grows back.

Brachytherapy will usually cause side effects to the area that is being treated; it would be unusual to affect the skin on your face, but this might be an effect of the chemotherapy. I wondered if anyone has seen the skin irritation, such as the nurse specialist or, perhaps, your GP, as they may be able to advise you and recommend specific creams.

You may also find it helpful to post on our living with cancer section of the forum, where more people may be able to see your post and share their experiences.

I hope this helps in some way. Please feel free to get back to us. You can speak with one of our nurses on the helpline between 9am and 5 pm Monday to Friday and the freephone number to call is 0808 800 4040.

Jemma