Booking Spa Services During/After Treatment
Who doesn’t love to be gifted a great spa service?! Well, it is on the top of my list and most of my close friends. It nurtures, relaxes, refreshes, soothes and temporarily washes away all of our cares. It is one of the first gift ideas that pops into most friend’s, co-worker’s, or family member’s heads when thinking of what to do for someone close to them that has received a cancer diagnosis.
What many of us, including the cancer patient, do not think about is that a spa service such as a facial, massage or mani and pedi can be extremely harmful if not booked with a professional who has had Oncology Esthetics or Manicuring training. There is so much valuable information that I wish I would have known as a patient, to tell spa professionals that I received services from, or perhaps it would have brought great comfort to know that they had received Oncology Advanced Training. The beauty industry is changing and I see a trend toward the better! Oncology Advanced Training is an industry need and will soon be worked through cosmetology, esthiology, and massage curriculums in the near future. Below are my top three tips before purchasing spa or salon services for anyone with cancer:
Book with an oncology-trained hair stylist or spa professional. Do a Google search to see if there are salons or spas in your area. If you find one, call and ask for the professional’s name and expertise level with cancer patients. Check with your oncology clinic or hospital as well for recommendations.
Energy work, such as Reiki, is a healing service that has very little hands-on contact for patients who may be more prone to pain or discomfort.
Acupuncture can help with nausea due to treatment, stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression related to a cancer diagnosis. A study out of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center suggests that lymphedema of the arm, a swelling that occurs following breast cancer treatments may be reduced by acupuncture.