Make Up

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy cause skin spotting and, in some cases, loss of eyebrows. Makeup can help reduce signs of these side effects.

To cover spots, gently dot and blend cream or stick concealer over discolored areas, and finish with oil-free foundation and translucent, loose powder. If your skin is dry, do not use powder.

Foundation should match skin tone, a shade lighter for especially dark patches. Concealers also come in colors, green to correct redness and yellow for blue discolorations.

To create natural looking brows, use an eyebrow pencil a shade darker than your hair or wig color. A foundation base will reduce smudging. Place dots at the inner corner, outer corner and top arch of your natural brow using a photo as a reference. Connect these dots with upward strokes, mimicking the look of hair, and set with loose powder.

For color and definition, use blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick.

Apply powder blush to cheekbones and apples with a brush. Use rose for light skin, rose/plum for medium skin and deep rose/plum/bronze for dark skin. Wash your blush brush often with shampoo, not harsh anti-bacterial soap or alcohol.

Avoid earthy eye shadow colors. A more brilliant palette can brighten your eyes. Apply the lightest color from the eyelid to the brow bone, medium color from eyelashes to crease and the darkest color across the crease.

Eyeliner pencils or dark eye shadow can be used to define lashes, black for dark skin and brown for light to medium skin. Apply in a line above top lashes and below bottom lashes. Never apply liner inside the rim of the eye. Do not tattoo eyeliner before or after treatment. It increases risk of infection.

Mascara helps make lashes look more full. Use two coats on top and one light sweep on lower lashes. Replace mascara every three months, never rinse mascara brushes and never pump the brush in the bottle. Do not use false lashes unless approved by a doctor.

Using lipliner that matches lipstick, outline the lip line from center to sides, or lightly cover entire lip as a base. Use a moisturizing lipstick or apply an additional coat of gloss or balm.

Nails may become fragile or discolored during treatment. To correct, keep nails short, and don't try to remove discoloration. Instead, cover nails with a polish without formaldehyde, and finish with a clear coat. If you go to a salon, bring your own tools to prevent infection. Avoid artificial nails, and make sure to use gloves while doing housework.