Easing Side Effects of Drug Therapy on Your Skin and Nails
Hand-foot syndrome (HFS)
Some types of chemotherapy drugs can irritate the skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Tell your doctor if you have these symptoms. They may be signs of hand-foot syndrome, which include:
- Numbness, redness or hyperpigmentation, tingling, and tenderness
- Swelling or pain
- Blisters or open sores
- Peeling skin
- Difficulty walking
- Calluses on hands or feet
There are things that can be done to help lessen your symptoms.
- Rub dry-skin creams (Cetaphil, CereVe, or Vanicream) on your hands and feet often. Use creams, not lotions.
- Your doctor may prescribe special creams or ointments for your skin.
- Your doctor may change your drug dose to relieve the problem.
- Wear gloves and comfy socks and shoes to help avoid trauma to your hands and feet.
- Tell your doctor right away about any symptoms so we can help you manage them.
This problem goes away when drug treatment ends.
Nail changes
Some kinds of drug therapy can lead to changes in your fingernails or toenails, such as:
- Bruising or marks on the nail, darkening of the nail bed
- Thin, brittle nails
- Dry nail bed and cuticles that may tear
- Ingrown nails
- Nails lifting from the nail bed or falling off
Tips to help lessen changes in your fingernails and toenails and avoid infection include:
- Keep your nails clean and dry.
- Wear gloves while doing housework or gardening.
- Avoid biting or tearing at your nails.
- Keep your hands and nails less dry by using cream.
- Moisturize your skin after it is exposed to water.
- Avoid work that uses water.
- Stay away from work that may cause trauma to your nails.
Keeping your hands and feet cool during some types of chemotherapy treatments may reduce the likelihood and severity of HFS, nail changes and other hand and feet side effects.
Current as of: 6/2019