Forum,Winter 2011
13
ing.Keepbaths and showers brief, no longer than 15minutes.
Usemild, fragrance-free soaps or cleansers.
Thebest time to apply emollients to the skin is after a
bathor shower,while the skin is still slightlymoist.Applying a
moisturizer (or a topicalmedication in an emollient) ondamp
skinwill help seal thehydration intoouter layers of your skin.
To achieve this, gentlydry your skinwith a towel,making sure
to leave skin slightlydamp.Then,while the skin is still slightly
damp, apply the emollient.
CONTROLLING THE ITCH
Themedical term for itching is ‘pruritus.’ Thebody’s natu-
ral response to an itch is to scratch it. Scratching an itch can
feed the ‘itch-scratch cycle’ – an itchdemands a scratch, and
the scratch further irritates the skin and stimulatesmore itch-
ing.An itch canbe aminor annoyance that goes awaywith a
few scratches, or it canbe anoverwhelming and all-consuming
sensation that does not respond to scratching. Scratching can
worsen the irritation andprolonged scratchingworsens the
itch in the long run.Therefore,minimizing the scratching can
helpminimize the itching inpatientswithCTCL. (But, of
course, this is easier said thandone!)
Doctorswill oftenprescribemedications to try tohelp
patients control their itch. In addition, there are several strate-
gies to trywhen apatient just cannot seem to stop scratching.
Patients can tryover-the-countermoisturizers that contain
anti-pruritics such asmenthol, chamomile, oatmeal, and cap-
saicin. (Someof these canbe irritating for certainpatients, so
checkwith your doctor first.)Try soaking for 15minutes in an
oatmeal bath.Applying a cold compress to aparticularly itchy
area can calm irritation and reduce theurge to itch. ‘Open-wet
dressings’ (OWD) are a simple, safe, and very effectiveway to
help alleviate itch, aswell asdecrease redness, burning and
weepingof skin lesions.Toperform anOWD, use a single
thickness of thinwhite cottonmaterial, such as a twin-sized flat
sheet, pillow case, or lightweight pajamas. Place thematerial
underwarm tapwater. Squeezeout excesswater, but donot
completelywringdry.Unravelmaterial and cover the affected
areaswith a single layer of dressing.Donotwrap thematerial
around the area; simply lay it looselyover the involved skin.
Allow thematerial to remainon the skin for 10 to 15minutes.
Remove thematerial and applymoisturizer (or topicalmedica-
tion, if your doctor recommends it). Perform the above routine
two to four times aday as needed for itching.
Other tips to follow for keeping skin comfortable include:
wearing loose-fitting, comfortable fabrics that ‘breathe.’ Cotton
fabrics arebest.Avoid rough, scratchy fabrics likewool.Avoid
clothing that fits too tightly.Donot scrub the skinor rub
harshly.Keep fingernails short toprevent infection and skin
damage.Avoidgettingover-heated. Sweating canworsen the
itch. Findways tomanage stress as stress can trigger flare-ups
inCTCL and cause itching to increase.
Wehope you findoneormoreof these suggestions helpful.
Please keep inmind that different strategiesworkwell for dif-
ferent skin types anddifferent patients.
“SkinCare” continued from frontpage
PlannedGiving Feature: The Bequest
A
charitablebequest is oneof the easiestways that you can
designate aplannedgift to theCutaneousLymphoma
Foundation. In addition toknowing that your giftwill help
thousands of people affectedby cutaneous lymphoma for years
to come, youwill enjoymanybenefits including:
•Your bequest is not payableuntil your passing so it does
not affect your assets or cash flowduring your lifetime.
•Your gift can include cash, securities, real estateor other
personal property.
•You candesignate specific assets, leave a specific
percentageof your estateor chooseother options.
• It is private – yourwill is not filedormadepublicuntil
your passing.
•Your gift entitles you tomembershipwithinTheLegacy
CircleofThe Judy JonesFoundersSociety.
Notify UsOf Your Plans
If youhave already included theCutaneousLymphoma
Foundation in your estateplans, thank you verymuch for your
generous support, andplease
contact JenniferA. Viano,
ChiefExecutiveOfficer, at
248.644.9014,Extension4, or
at
withnotificationof your plans.
Informingus of your plans
is agood idea for several reasons. First, it allows you to ensure
thatweunderstand yourwishes so that your giftwill beused
exactly as you intend. Second, it allows theFoundation to
makenoteof your gift asweplan for the future. And, finally, it
gives us theopportunity tohonor you and express our appre-
ciation throughmembership inTheLegacyCircle.
Contact Us For More Information
To learnmore and todiscussmaking a charitablebequest to
benefit theCutaneousLymphomaFoundation, please contact
JenniferA. Viano,ChiefExecutiveOfficer, at 248.644.9014,
Extension4, or
