Clinical Perspective
Living well with lymphedema: skin care secrets
Based on clinical experience By Robyn A. Smith This article is based on a presentation given at the National Lymphedema Network 2017 annual conference Patient Summit held Oct 18-22.
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kin! Anatomy class tells us it’s the largest functioning optimally? The skin changes organ in our body. It alerts us when the that come with lymphedema add additional pan on the stove is too hot to hold, it allows challenges to keeping skin doing its assigned us to feel the softness of a baby’s cheek or job. One of the four facets of Complete the pat on the back for a job well done. When Decongestive Therapy (CDT) is skin hygiene; I was a child, I used to think our skin was a so let’s look at several ways you can keep solid, plastic-like wrapping that kept all of our your skin in top form. insides in place and if it got a puncture in it, such as with a vaccine injection, that all of Read the labels “me” would “leak” out. But when I became First and foremost, we need to become a teenager interested in anatomy experts at reading product labels. studies and later a health care Fragrance in products is a no-no. practitioner, I learned my Are you aware that a product childhood understanding can proudly list UNSCENTED couldn’t have been farther on the front label of the from the truth. Skin turns out product whilst still adding to be a stack of cells that are fragrance? Two different better described as a brick wall categories of product fragrance with a flexible mortar of lipids exist, each being treated Brick-like pattern of the skin differently in declaring that allow for a transference Mortar: Lipids of elements in/out of the a product unscented. Bricks: Skin cells body. That brick wall is Fragrance added for the further covered in a naturally occurring, protective acid barrier that stymies most bacteria before they even have a chance to invade the insides of our body. It is a fortress that miraculously heals a breach in the wall when required and even thickens up that wall when more protection is needed. Amazing! However, what if that skin is not
express purpose of making it smell pretty is called “scent”. Fragrance added to mask the medicinal smell of some ingredients is called “masking fragrance” and can be added and still considered unscented. Think of the front label of a product as the marketing label, the one designed to make you want to buy the product. It’s the back list of ingredients that
Robyn “Redd” Smith, MEd, COTA/L, CLWT, CLT is an Occupational Therapy Practitioner, Certified Lymphedema & Wound Therapist (CLWT) and owner of Life Rehabilitation, a private lymphedema practice located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is also the Clinical Education Liaison for SIGVARIS, INC.
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CAUTION Given that there is little evidence-based literature regarding many of these practices, the majority of the recommendations/tips must at this time be based on the knowledge of pathophysiology and decades of clinical experience by experts in the field. As with any other suggestion, use your judgment and if in doubt, consult a health care professional.
we really care about, as it is required by law to be factual and non-misleading. Also important is the ingredient’s placement in the ingredient list as they are listed in the order of percentage in the product. Key point to remember? Carefully read ingredient labels on the back before using any product. Keep it clean (but not too clean) Keeping your skin free of the microorganisms that can cause infection is an important part of skin care. However, over-cleansing can also do damage. The skin’s acid barrier is the first defense our bodies have against the germs that surround us; most bacteria cannot survive for long in a high-acid environment. Over-cleansing can wash away that natural protective barrier and allow bacteria to sneak in between the “bricks” of our skin cells. There are several low pH, non-allergenic products available that allow the acid barrier to safely remain in place. Talk to your pharmacist or dermatologist for specific recommendations. Balancing moisture—don’t sweat it! Picture that brick wall again. The skin cells are held in place by a mortar of epidermal Spring 2018