Cancer Awareness Month: Zoe Worsley’s Story

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and here at Beauty Expert, we want to increase awareness of this awful disease as much as possible. Earlier this week, we shared Emily Parker's Story with you on Leukemia Cancer, and today we bring you the Zoe Worsley's story on Breast Cancer.

When I started chemotherapy back in April, the loss of my hair was surprisingly the last of my worries. I actually found that part of the process pretty straightforward to deal with, which I know isn’t generally the case for many other younger women suffering with breast cancer. I think I found it manageable, because I looked upon it at is as a chance to start all over again and rid of any damage that had occurred after years of dying and straightening it. Rather than opting to dwell on the situation I had to deal with, I decided to focus on the positives, which also included that fact that I actually suited the short haircut that I’d opted to get cut in before it all fell out.

My own personal strive was more about learning how to deal with the effects the chemotherapy had on my skin. The first few treatments were the worst, and as a result, my skin became incredibly dry and I developed a rash all over my face on a few occasions. Losing my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were all manageable; with the help of hats, scarves, cosmetic tattoos and make-up, but having bad skin on top of that really took its toll. It quickly became clear to me that I needed to up my skincare game and naturally that involved a little online shopping!

I increased my water intake dramatically and swapped any harsh skin care for more natural products. Cold pressed almond oil became my best friend for both my hair and my head, and I dug out my trusty Ren Skincare Set to try and combat the initial effects that the chemo had on my skin. I have to admit, I purchased quite a few different gift sets over the six months of chemo because I just loved testing out all the different brands without having to commit to the full sized products first.

I continued to work at club events throughout chemotherapy and one of my favourite products to use on the move, has to be Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I’ve been a fan of this product for years, but found it to be most effective when my skin was really wasn’t doing very well at all. It provided great hydration during any of the long days that I was out and about, and the calming scent definitely did the trick.

I have now finished eight rounds of chemotherapy and last week had a lumpectomy. The good news is that I’m cancer free. I’m over the moon! The bad news is that I now have yet another side effect to deal with… It appears I’m going to lose most of my fingernails! Not everyone that has chemotherapy treatment goes through this, but I’m one of the unlucky ones. I’ll take it though because it’s a small price to pay for ridding of that naughty life threatening disease. For now I’ll just have to splurge on Nail Polish until my discoloured nails fall off. Always a bright side to everything eh?!