Efudex: (Fluorouracil) and shaving

[Maximus]

Just started a 21 day regimen of Efudex on my face to treat all those pre cancerous actinic keratosis sites. YouTube reveals some very agitated and inflamed faces. For those who have used it do you give up shaving at a certain point?

 

[Lakedog]

Only used it on the upper half of my face so no shaving impact but I would expect shaving may become a problem if the lower portion of your face has much reaction to the treatment.

 

[zinger1457]

Not sure what the strength is of Efudex, I used Carac which is only .5% and although there was skin peeling had no issues shaving, need to limit sun exposure. The price of Carac sky rocketed after I used it, went from ~$50 for a small tube to ~$2500, that was a few years ago so not sure what they want now.

 

[donheff]

Here I am at day 19. 19 was so itchy I needed oxy. By 23 I was almost clear. I had to scrub my face with a wet paper towel before reapplying. But, as a kid, I got sunburned all the time. I used to peel sheets of skin off. I circulated that photo to my nephews and nieces as a cautionary tale about the need for sunscreen. I did keep shaving with an electric razor IIRC.

 

[RetMD21]

I Googled and it looks like electric shaver or skipping shaving is the usual. A lot of us should have been more careful in the old days

 

[Koolau]

Only used it on the upper half of my face so no shaving impact but I would expect shaving may become a problem if the lower portion of your face has much reaction to the treatment.

Same here.

I would not have shaved had my lower face been treated. I have an electric trimmer that would have w*rked to cut back my beard to about a 3-day had that been necessary. Just be aware that this is a necessary treatment and shaving just may be one of the casualties. No big deal as no one will be looking at your beard when you do this treatment.

 

[Maximus]

Here I am at day 19. 19 was so itchy I needed oxy. By 23 I was almost clear. I had to scrub my face with a wet paper towel before reapplying. But, as a kid, I got sunburned all the time. I used to peel sheets of skin off. I circulated that photo to my nephews and nieces as a cautionary tale about the need for sunscreen. I did keep shaving with an electric razor IIRC.

Don, you must have been very miserable. I am on day seven. Tried shaving with razor on day five. Total no go. I have two more weeks of applications and then healing time before I shave again. Thanks for the info.

 

[Koolau]

Everyone stick with it. It's worth it in the long run.

Hoping I don't have to do it again. Dermatologist always compliments me on staying out of the sun - and that ain't easy in Paradise!

 

[bmcgonig]

For those contemplating this you might try the following instead. You use it for 5 days instead. Worked for me. It’s a combination of fluorouracil and vitamin D.

By day 4 I had red splotches which disappeared by day 10. Redness gone by day 14. Much easier than the flourouracil alone.

https://www.spotcheck.clinic/treatments/fluorouracil-calcipotriol


There’s no downside. If it doesn’t work well enough you can always do the other

 

[zinger1457]

For those contemplating this you might try the following instead. You use it for 5 days instead. Worked for me. It’s a combination of fluorouracil and vitamin D.

By day 4 I had red splotches which disappeared by day 10. Redness gone by day 14. Much easier than the flourouracil alone.

https://www.spotcheck.clinic/treatments/fluorouracil-calcipotriol


There’s no downside. If it doesn’t work well enough you can always do the other

I've got an appointment with my dermatologist in a couple weeks and might be interested in this. Were you prescribed this in the US? The clinic link you included is located in Australia.

 

[bmcgonig]

I've got an appointment with my dermatologist in a couple weeks and might be interested in this. Were you prescribed this in the US? The clinic link you included is located in Australia.

Yes, I just googled it for an example and that came up first.

Yes, I’m in Bay Area and was prescribed it. It’s not covered by insurance but it only costs $45 or so. There’s a company called Pure Science that compounds it. The dermatologist sent the prescription there and it was then mailed to me.

Another link

https://www.aad.org/dw/dw-insights-...ve/september/calcipotriene-and-5-fluorouracil

 

[zinger1457]

Thanks, I'll mention it during my appointment if they suggest I should do the fluorouracil treatment.

 

[bmcgonig]

Thanks, I'll mention it during my appointment if they suggest I should do the fluorouracil treatment.

Worst case I think is it will work partially but not as well as the full burn. But that’s an easy assessment.

 

[Koolau]

Worst case I think is it will work partially but not as well as the full burn. But that’s an easy assessment.

Heh, heh, keep us informed, please. I'm sure I'm about due for another treatment. Dermatologist keeps burning off individual suspicious spots each year. Sooner or later (if I live so long) she's gonna say it's time for another treatment.

Totally off topic but a few years back, she said she wanted to biopsy about 5 spots that year. She turned me over to a nurse who began numbing me. That nurse got called away (no idea why) and another nurse came in but didn't realize not all my "spots" had been numbed. When the doc came back in with her set of steak knives, er, scalpels. I asked her if she was gonna numb me up first. She assured me that the nurse already did that (and she seemed concerned that I had "forgotten" according to the look on her face.) I told her about the nurse being called away and things got "awkward" for a while. Returning you now...