Daily living aids are products designed to help people experiencing health conditions to carry out their usual day-to-day tasks with greater ease. Some daily living aids may be useful if you are recovering from skin cancer treatment, after having extensive surgery or chemotherapy for example, or if you have mobility problems.
If you are unsure what daily living aids may help you, contact our Occupational Therapist Product Advice team by telephoning 0345 121 8111 or emailing [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: our Product Advice Team can only give advice about equipment and products which may help you to live more independently. They cannot give any advice on medications or treatments for symptoms of this condition.
Skin cancer diet
Eating healthily is generally considered to reduce a person’s risk of developing cancer and other health conditions. Ensuring a balanced diet, full of vitamins and minerals, is essential to our health. Eating certain nutrients may also have an antioxidant effect on the body, helping reduce the risk of cancers developing, such as lycopene in tomatoes, beta carotene in orange coloured vegetables and fruit, inflammation reducing omega-3 fatty acids in fish and seeds, and vitamin C in a variety of vegetables and fruit.
Read more about maintaining a healthy cancer prevention diet.
Exercise for skin cancer
Regular exercise often helps reduce our risk of developing certain healthcare conditions and contributes to our bodies functioning to their best ability. Exercise may help reduce the risk of developing many types of cancer, and some research has suggested that regular exercise may decrease the risk of skin cancer developing. Read more about how to increase your activity levels and get fitter.
Skin cancer and employment
Having a diagnosis of skin cancer may affect your employment in that you may have to take time off for treatment, but most people are able to return to work afterwards.
Some people with certain types of jobs, predominantly those that involve working outdoors, may need to take precautions to protect themselves from the sun, to prevent skin cancer or prevent it from returning. Read more about skin cancer prevention in the next section.
Skin cancer prevention
It is important to take precautions to avoid developing skin cancer, whether or not you have had the disease in the past. The main cause of skin cancer is exposure to the sun or tanning beds. To ensure sun safety and skin cancer prevention, follow these essential tips:
• Stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day if you can (midday sun is usually the hottest)
• Use sun protection creams of at least SPF15, but the higher, the better!
• If you have had skin cancer in the past, use the highest factor sun cream you can
• Apply sun cream 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply regularly throughout the day, especially after swimming
• Avoid sunburn
• Ensure young children do not get sunburned – this may increase the risk of skin cancer
• Cover up your body in the sun
• Avoid sitting in the sun
• Wear a wide brim hat and good quality sunglasses
• Check your skin regularly for signs of mole changes or any other unusual patches or lumps – see your GP if you have any concerns that these may be skin cancer symptoms
• Never use tanning beds/sunbeds
Read more about how to enjoy the sun safely.