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Cancer patients can have spa treatments, but the treatments may need to be adapted for a number of reasons. For instance, the therapist might need to take extra care or even avoid providing massage or reflexology to areas of the body where surgery has taken place. Also, cancer treatments can affect skin, hair and nails, and some essential oils can affect how well these drugs or therapies work.

That is why it is so important that a therapist has undergone specialist training and that any product used is known to be safe.

People who are undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment can have special needs. Under the current training and regulation of beauty therapists, therapists are not permitted to use traditional beauty techniques on people living with cancer unless that person can provide a letter from their GP approving treatment.

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this when they book an appointment.

Also, some patients’ GPs are unwilling to sign off the beauty treatments, potentially because they do not have an understanding of the situation or they are aware of some restrictions on massage.

The benefit of Cancer Touch Therapy treatments is that, because they are already approved, people do not need that letter to be treated by a trained therapist.

Cancer Touch Therapy treatments use a range a specifically designed techniques and products for the face, head, body, hands and feet that have been researched and approved for use on people living with or recovering from cancer.

Therapists providing the treatments have been trained on a three-day course by the product’s manufacturers, Made for Life Foundation. This course is accredited by the Complementary Medical Association and was developed in close association with oncologists, surgeons, MacMillan Cancer and cancer specialists. The products used in our treatments have been used with people with cancer for the past 15 years.

Anyone can have the Cancer Touch Therapy treatments, but people living with or recovering from cancer can have the confidence that these treatments have been specifically designed with them in mind.

No. People do not need a letter from the GP to receive Cancer Touch Therapy treatments. Therapists providing the treatments have been trained on a three-day course by the product’s manufacturers, Made for Life Foundation. They will have passed written and practical exams to qualify them to offer these specific treatments without the need for consent from a doctor.

Cancer patients can have spa treatments, but the therapist may need to adapt what they do or provide. For instance, they may need to take extra care around areas of the body if providing massage or reflexology. In addition, cancer treatments can affect the skin, hair and nails, so care needs to be taken with some spa treatments, and some essential oils can affect how well these drugs or therapies work.

Under the current training and regulation of beauty therapists, therapists are not permitted to use traditional beauty techniques on people living with cancer without that person providing a letter from their GP.

Therapists who work with people with cancer have been through specialist training to achieve a qualification of cancer and its treatments.

The course has been accredited by the Complementary Medical Association and has been endorsed by CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology). Therapists completing the course gain 24 CPD (Continual Professional Development) points.

Some people worry that a massage can cause cancer cells to spread to other parts of their body, but there is no evidence of this.

There are some instances where patients should not have a massage over certain areas of the body. For instance, those who experience lymphoedema after lymph node removal, need to be very careful.

Therapists who work with those customers with cancer have been through specialist training and qualification. They have acquired knowledge of cancer and its treatments.

While there are no recorded medical benefits, clients report a reduction in stress levels, improved sleep patterns, a reduction in pain and an overall feeling of wellbeing after a treatment. Not needing GP consent means people going through cancer can enjoy treatments and experience the benefits of complete relaxation.

We understand that people living with cancer may wish to have these types of treatments, but might find it difficult to access them.

That is what prompted us to invest in the training for our Therapists so that we can offer treatments that people can feel confident receiving, without the need for a doctor’s letter of consent. By doing this we have made these therapies more accessible.

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