Changes to how you look
Cancer and its treatment can sometimes change the way you look. These changes might be visible to other people or they might be changes only you can see.
Changes to how you look can affect you in different ways. They can affect:
- how you feel about yourself
- your sexuality and relationships
- your career
It can be upsetting at first. Some people find that they have intense feelings including grief, fear and anger. Changes to how you look can also affect your self confidence and body image. But there are lots of things you can do to help you cope with them.
What changes might happen
The changes you might have depend on the type of cancer you have and the treatment you need. Some changes are temporary but some can be permanent.
Weight changes
You might lose or put on weight.
Weight loss is very common with some types of cancer including stomach and oesophageal cancer. You might lose weight because you have:
- loss of appetite
- taste changes
- mouth problems
- constipation or diarrhoea
- difficulty swallowing
Weight loss can also be a sign of advanced cancer.
Some people with cancer put on weight. There may be a number of reasons for this. Some types of treatment, for example, 
treatment can cause weight gain.
And some cancer treatments can lower the amount of in the body. A low level of sex hormones can sometimes cause weight gain.
Hair changes
Hair loss and hair thinning are common side effects of some cancer treatments. This includes:
- chemotherapy
- targeted cancer drugs
- immunotherapy
- hormone therapy
- radiotherapy
For most people, the hair grows back or starts to thicken, either with time or when you finish treatment. But sometimes the hair doesn't grow back. For example, if you are having radiotherapy to try to cure your cancer, you usually have a high dose of radiation. So your hair may not grow back.
Some cancer drug treatments can cause excess hair growth on your face and eyelashes. Talk to the team caring for you about how to manage this.
Skin and nail changes
Some cancer treatments can cause skin and nail changes such as:
- itching
- sweating
- dry skin
- nail ridges or splitting
- infection
Skin rashes can be a side effect of some targeted cancer drugs, immunotherapies and hormone therapy. These changes can be severe.
Scarring and changes to different parts of your body
Surgery can change the way you look. Even small changes can have a big effect on how you see and feel about yourself.
Remember, not all operations leave big scars.