After radiation treatment, you may feel like you need to escape on a relaxing vacation. And members of MyBCTeam have shared stories of doing just that. One member said, “I finished radiation the first week of July and was in Hawaii, in the ocean, celebrating the end of treatment two weeks later.” Some members, however, have wondered whether it’s safe to hit the water immediately after radiation treatment or if they need to wait.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little time in a pool or hot tub, especially after enduring cancer treatment. You’ll need to give your body enough time to heal before taking certain risks, like exposing your skin to the sun or chlorinated water. When the time is right, you’ll enjoy it that much more. One member shared, “I loved getting back in the water. For the first year after radiation, I found a bathing suit and wore a T-shirt over it. It felt so good.”

Always talk to your oncology team before swimming or spending time in the sun. In addition, you can check out a few general guidelines below on sun and swim safety after radiation treatment.

Safely Swimming After Radiation Therapy

Depending on how much your skin was affected by radiation, you may be advised to hold off on swimming for a period of time after radiation therapy is complete. Broken skin or skin that’s blistered or peeling shouldn’t be exposed to chemicals and potential pathogens (organisms that cause disease, like bacteria) in public swimming areas.

Shared pools, hot tubs, and beaches come with the risk of infection from swimming-related illnesses, especially if you have a compromised immune system from cancer and cancer treatment. Germs that spread can cause diarrhea, ear infections, or cold symptoms.

A condition known as hot tub rash can show up a few days after spending time in contaminated water. It’s caused by a type of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Symptoms include an itchy and bumpy rash or pus-filled blisters near the hair follicles. It may clear up without medical treatment. But if your symptoms get worse, be sure to follow up with your doctor.

Best Practices for Chlorinated Pools

After swimming in a chlorinated pool, take a shower to wash off any pool chemicals. Then, apply moisturizing lotion, preferably without fragrance or dyes, to keep your skin from drying out. Try not to hang out in your swimsuit for too long after swimming. Change into clean clothes right away, and wash your suit with soap and water after each use.

Although the health department routinely tests public swimming pools, water parks, saunas, and hot tubs for proper sanitation, studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about 10 percent are cited for violations of not maintaining adequate levels of chlorine or bromide (a chemical used to disinfect pools). You can contact the local health department to see if the pool you’re using has passed testing. If you’re swimming in a private pool, use test strips to make sure it’s clean enough.

Why Sun Safety Is Crucial After Radiotherapy

Perhaps the bigger concern after radiation therapy is not swimming or hot-tubbing but, rather, spending time outdoors in direct sunlight. Both chemotherapy and radiation increase sun sensitivity, make your skin more vulnerable to ultraviolet (UV) rays, and increase your risk of developing skin cancer in that area. Health care professionals advise people who have had radiation to use extra caution in the treated area for at least the following year if not longer. Even if you’ve been cleared to go swimming right after treatment, you’ll still need to be careful about sun exposure for several months.

To protect your skin, you can:

• Cover up with long sleeves and sun-protective clothing.
• Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
• Seek the shade and avoid the peak midday sun.

Ask your doctor for recommendations on the best sunscreens for sensitive skin after radiation.

Additional Precautions That Can Help

Whether or not you’re ready to go to the beach or pool, you may still need to take measures to protect sensitive treated skin areas after radiation therapy. Here’s how:

• Be gentle — Avoid rubbing the area with a towel.
• Take a break from deodorant and perfume — Wait until your skin is fully healed.
• Use caution with hair removal — You may need to wait on shaving, waxing, or applying depilatory creams on sensitive skin.

Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or radiation oncologist about skin care during and after radiation. No issue is too small to run by your health care team.

Activities You Can Enjoy in the Meantime

If you have to postpone a celebratory trip or dip in your pool, there are lots of other creative ways to enjoy similar activities. For example, consider going for a walk on the boardwalk at the beach or joining a gentle yoga class at a nearby park to get some fresh air and exercise. If you live near a large body of water, drive by the scenic route to enjoy the view. You can also plan a picnic lunch under a tree or umbrella to smell the sea breeze. Visit an aquarium or plan a boating trip to immerse yourself in a water-based experience without actually swimming until the time is right.

To reduce sun exposure, consider a walk on the sand at dusk or dawn. If you can’t sunbathe, there’s no reason you can’t sit outside to watch the sunrise or sunset, either at an outdoor restaurant or in your backyard. Instead of the hot tub, maybe a calming candlelit bath would do the trick. With a little creativity, there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had while you bide your time with healing.

Making the Right Decision for You

Only you and your oncology team can decide when it’s safe to resume activities like swimming, hot-tubbing, and sunbathing after radiation therapy. Before planning a vacation or a trip to the beach, ask your doctor specific questions about what you’d like to do. Let them know if you plan to get into a swimming pool, the ocean, or a hot tub. Even if they feel it’s safe, they’re still likely to advise you to wear sunscreen to avoid sunburns and reduce your risk of skin cancer.

You’ve already made it this far through the process of radiation therapy. And you’re probably eager to enjoy activities and outings. Now is the time to start thinking about what you want to do for fun rather than just what you need to do to get by. Fortunately, once you get the green light from your health care provider, there’s no reason not to dive back in.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyBCTeam is the social network for people with breast cancer and their loved ones. On MyBCTeam, more than 64,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their tips with others who understand life with breast cancer.

What side effects did you experience after radiation therapy? Are you able to enjoy summertime activities while safely avoiding UV radiation? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.