Radiation - with or without tattoo

I can't say with any authority.
I suspect previous sun damage or exposure plays a part, in the amount of damage.
I am fair skinned. I had no visible damage with 25 sessions.
My lack of damage may have been due to the Mepitel.

I quite like my 4 tatts too!!  They are hardly noticeable in truth! 
I finished RT 2 weeks ago....I was part of a clinical trial for Strata...everything went really well thru my 25 treatments altho the skin did get very dark, almost cooked especially under the arm, it was very dry but not sore.  I was told not to use any other creams...possibly due to the clinical trial.   The night before my last RT the skin under my arm split and was a bit sore.  As soon as my last treatment was over I was taken to the radiation nurses who dressed my burns...over the next week my skin got really dark..especially where they had used the bolus during treatment. The area was about the size of an A4 piece of paper.  I had to saline soak with a washer twice a day and then apply solosite and autramann dressings.  I have to wear a singlet type thing to hold all the dressings and padding in place.  For the last 1and a half weeks I have been using Flamazine which contains silver and sulphur.  This has healed up the raw burns and redness very very quickly and almost seems to have grown new skin.  The difference in photos from last week to today is unbelievable!  So, yes Strata Worked really well during treatment but after the skin broke down I could not have tolerated having to smear it across all the broken red skin.  I am of Maori descent and have very olive skin, I had thought my skin would tolerate RT really well as I do not get easily sun burnt.  I hope this helps someone...

I had 25 R/T sessions. 3 dot tattoos didn't worry me at  all. I too include them in my number of tattoos.
3 dots, 2 eyebrows, and will have 2 nipples latter this year.
The hospital I attended covered my R/T site with Mepitel. This is kept on 24/7
No creams used. The nurses patched it as needed, when it peeled off.
I had no burns, or redness.
I believe that the breath holding is only if having L side treatment.
I did not find it tiring, but I wasn't working either.
All the best with your treatment.

Thank you for sharing @Tinks! x

Hi @Christabel03. Thank you for sharing. I went for my CT scan, planning and Simulation on Monday just gone. Wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I do have the little little tattoo dots too which I don't mind, they look like tiny little freckles.  I was given the option to have red dye that only comes up under infra-red lights but thought it would be easier with the little black dots. They also have a machine at another centre that uses cameras and won't need the tattoos to line me up but that would mean an hour of extra travel time for me.

I have been told I will have 15 round of rads starting next Wednesday. Was advised to use moogoo and start moisturising now. I did buy a tube of strata as well. Good to know strata first and then moogoo over the top. 

I have been warned about the fatigueness as well. Noted re warm shower. Someone on this forum mentioned soaking in bath with Epsom salt on weekends to help with skin. I did check with my breast care nurse and she agreed. 

Thanks so much. All the best with the rest of your treatment. Take care! 

Hello again @ARichies
A little update just in case it may help you in any way, I am now round 18 out of 33 and going along ok. Skin wise I am a little pink around my neck and have had a few itchy patches but the medical staff tell me its to be expected. I am putting Flamigel on three times a day and Strata twice a day, the Strata goes on in the morning and I do it the second time at night after a shower. If I feel like it between those times as well I plaster on some Moo Goo too! I'm warm showering as normal as well and that doesn't seem to be causing an issue. 
Round 15 I felt like I hit the wall and had a complete bed day once I got home from treatment, I think it just all caught up with me and I was told that around half way is when the body really starts to feel it. 
You will do great, just listen to your body and ask a million questions when you have nurse reviews etc if you need to they are so helpful. 
:)

Hi @ARichies
i didn’t have tattoos either (finished December 2021). The team told me that tattoos are now not done if possible as the research indicates that “the tattoos are seen as another  permanent reminder of treatment.” As a double mastectomy girl I didn’t care….😂
I was also right so no deep breath, lots of nuking for me and I was warned there was no way we could not leave me with lung damage. I’m a TNBC and had central, auxilla, cervical, supra and infraclavicular and pectoral nodes done. I had mepitel (as I have reactive skin) and was given the silver based burn cream as my skin did blister and form pustules. 

Thanks for the tips @Jwrenn! It seems that many end up with blisters in the armpit and under the breast fold. 
I'm the same, don't need chemo but my treatment plan includes radiotherapy and hormone blocker - Tamoxifen for 5 years and to be reviewed. Xx 

@Zoffiel - Wow! You are true warrior, having to drive yourself 140kms round trip for 6 weeks after treatment must not have been easy. 
Thank you for sharing all the tips, much appreciated. I do have solugel and moopack from the Oncology Pack as well. 
I'll make sure to take my walls, eat well, drink lots of water  and continue to stay positive! 
Absolutely and agree, grateful indeed. 👍 xx

I had been hoping for the tattoos! Then I wouldn’t be a clean skin I think it’s called but it wasn’t to be. I didn’t feel that much different to normal, just was more tired by the end of treatment. I walked every day for exercise and probably a lukewarm shower is safer. Like Zoffiel I had blistering in the armpit which I put Bepanthem on which I found in the baby section of the supermarket. I used moo goo moisturiser I bought in an oncology pack.