Why write about radiation and Burn Formula? Well, as September comes to an end, October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, looms. October became known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 2009. According to Breastcancer.org, it was developed as a way raise awareness of breast cancer. The idea was to:
- Support people diagnosed with breast cancer, including those with metastatic breast cancer
- Educate people about breast cancer risk factors
- Encourage women to go for regular breast cancer screening starting at age 40 or earlier, depending on personal breast cancer risk
- Raise funds for breast cancer research
Why do I bring this up, other than there’s a whole month dedicated to awareness? Well, even people who are aware and doing their best to avoid cancer can get it. This is where radiation and Burn Formula come in.
Radiation and your skin without Burn Formula
Although the treatments for cancer (chemotherapy and radiation) are life-saving, there can also be uncomfortable or painful side effects. For the purposes of this blog, I’ll focus on radiation burn, or radiation dermatitis.
Why can radiation cause the skin to burn, you ask? Radiation treatment uses precise beams of high-intensity to knock out cancer cells. Most often the beams are from X-rays, but there are other kinds of radiation. Although radiation can kill cancer cells, it can also kill healthy cells.
According to the American Cancer Society, “Any side effect you might have depends on the type and location of cancer, the dose of radiation being given, and your general health. Some people have few or no side effects, while others have quite a few.”
Side effects
As X-rays pass through the skin, they create irradiated free radicals. The free radicals in turn, damage tissue and DNA as well as inflame the outer and inner layers of your skin. Because radiation therapy usually occurs daily over many weeks, your skin doesn’t have time to heal between treatments. So, you may experience some or all of these symptoms:
- Redness
- Itching
- Flaking
- Peeling
- Soreness
- Moistness
- Blistering
- Pigmentation changes
- Fibrosis, or scarring of connective tissue
- Skin ulcers
If these symptoms become too severe, treatment is usually stopped to let the skin heal. Then it starts again. This is where CBD topicals, such as Lost Remedy Burn Formula, come in. If you apply the burn formula from the start of treatment, you stand to avoid or prevent burns, which usually start to appear around week two or three.
How does CBD Burn Formula work?
CBD is known to work with an already present endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our bodies that maintains homeostasis or balance. In the ECS, two receptors, CB-1 and CB-2, travel the body and bind to endocannabinoids. There are many enzymes in the body, but two in particular break down cannabinoids. They are arachidonylethanolamine (AEA), nicknamed anandamide from the Sanskrit word for bliss, and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG).
CB-1 is found mostly in the nervous system and brain. CB-2 is found outside the brain and tends to monitor and regulate the immune system. Both are found throughout the skin. Once enzymes break down the cannabinoids, the resulting endocannabinoids search for receptors to bind with and help maintain balance.
CBD is also an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant. Applied topically, it efficiently and effectively causes the ECS response that triggers repair. Although CBD on its own is a powerful anti-inflammatory, when combined with carrier and essential oils, its power multiplies, helping to target the area with pain-relieving penetration. Some of those essential oils are cooling agents that also help soothe the burn. Look for this combination of oils when you buy CBD burn cream, because it hydrates and helps soothe the skin and reduce burning.
In fact, a satisfied customer started her radiation therapy applying Lost Remedy Burn Formula. She contacted us toward the end of her therapy saying, “I want to share that I am just finishing up on my radiation treatment. 3 LEFT! I saw my radiation oncologist today and he said, ‘I don’t want to diminish your experience or anything that you are feeling … you are going through this, not me. But … your skin looks REALLY good!! It does. I know that it could be SO much worse. I Googled radiation dermatitis and have seen the horrific photos. So I want to thank you for this amazing product