Efudix cream for sun damaged skin

Efudix cream for sun damaged skin

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croyde

Original Poster:

23,956 posts

237 months

Wednesday 20th July 2022
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I have been prescribed Efudix chemotherapy cream for sun damage on my scalp, temple, nose and cheek.

I have had basal cells removed in the past so I guess the dermatologist can be forgiven for taking it seriously but she actually told me to look at Google to get an idea of what the cream will do to my skin while it's doing it's thing.

yikes

It's awful.

She advised me not to start the treatment until Sept to get summer holidays out of the way.

I can see why now. Kids running away screaming on the beach, no chance for me with any ladies, it's not like my confidence is already at an all time low already.

Anyone else used this stuff?

I dread to hear the stories but it may help.

Cheers.

sawman

4,964 posts

237 months

Wednesday 20th July 2022
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My dad was prescribed this after having a lesion removed . Its pretty brutal stuff . He looked like the singing detective for a few weeks, i was sure he was having an allergic reaction until i looked into it. Now its all healed again his forehead looks great

croyde

Original Poster:

23,956 posts

237 months

Wednesday 20th July 2022
quotequote all
Cripes, poor guy.

May I ask,was he only treating a small area but still came up red all over.

Thanks.

sawman

4,964 posts

237 months

Wednesday 20th July 2022
quotequote all
He had a few small areas to treat, but pretty much over the whole forehead - it looked really sore, but he said it was mainly itchy, as I say, he stuck with it and now it looks great, consultant was really pleased

996Type

869 posts

159 months

Wednesday 20th July 2022
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Hi,

I have used this for thread veins on my nose.
It was prescribed as a treatment (mine wasn’t cancerous but they use the same stuff to treat it). They reckon sun exposure / age caused mine and wanted to nip it in the bud for which I was grateful.

It’s like a mild acid that burns both good and bad cells enough to eradicate the “unwanted” ones but allow the new ones to grow through after scabbing is completed.

You are going to be a bit scabby and it’s a pain, (not painful as such, but you have to burn through the top layer and it can get a bit sore, looks worse than it feels), but the results were good for me in return for the inconvenience .

The specialist was very keen to emphasise wearing high factor cream / a hat in future to prevent any further sun damage from occurring.

They gave me the cream first then a biopsy afterwards based on a little area that didn’t respond to the treatment, the biopsy was clear so I can either live with the bit that’s left or pay for cosmetic laser surgery but I’m not fussed enough to be bothered.

If you are treating a wide area, it will be visually noticeable, and may even weep / bleed based on other skin features, but a cream to help prevent potential skin cancer still sounds like a miracle to me so don’t be too concerned and crack on / complete the course as prescribed.

Any big over reactions, report back to your doc as there are other brands / concentrations apparently available if you don’t get on with the first type.

They issued me a leaflet with a few before / during / after shots and it is a little startling but better than leaving it.

One other point, get your hols out of the way as she says, not for the visual impact but because you can’t expose the cream to sunshine during treatment as it alters the way it works.



Edited by 996Type on Wednesday 20th July 22:32