Understanding Your Journey
Topical chemo (Fluorouracil/Efudex) works in a fairly predictable cycle. Here's what happened to me at each stage, and what actually helped.
Redness & Inflammation
Days 1–14The cream goes after the abnormal, sun-damaged cells, so you go from normal skin to pink patches to something that looks like a bad sunburn. Worst of it for me was around weeks 2 and 3. A plain, fragrance-free cleanser and a thick moisturiser (a couple of hours after the cream) made it bearable.
Peeling & Crusting
Days 10–21The treated skin crusts up and starts coming off. You'll want to pick at it — don't. My dermatologist was clear that picking can leave scars, so I left it alone and let it go on its own. Cool, damp compresses took the edge off the burning.
Healing & Regeneration
Weeks 3–6New pink skin comes through underneath. It's soft but touchy, so no fancy products — just keep it moisturised and stay out of the sun. Plain aloe vera gel was cool and seemed to help things along.
Dermatologist Check-in
ThroughoutA quick call to the clinic to check my reaction was normal saved me a lot of worry. See your doctor if you get severe pain, signs of infection, or anything that doesn't seem right.
About the Author
Craig - Brisbane, QLD, Australia
I'm Craig. I'm 54, I've spent plenty of years in the Australian sun, and it caught up with me. I put this diary together because when I started the cream I had no real idea what I was in for, and the photos online were either scary or sugar-coated. This is just what happened to me, week by week, photos and all. Hopefully it takes some of the fear out of it for you.
Important reminder
Everyone's skin reacts a bit differently, so don't panic if yours doesn't match mine exactly. Go easy on yourself, drink plenty of water, and remember it does end.
The Products I Actually Used
I'm not a skincare bloke — before this I washed my face with whatever was in the shower, but once you're on the cream your skin gets raw, so I had to work out what actually helped.
- Wide-brimmed hat — every single week, no exceptions. The one thing the dermatologist drilled into me.
- QV Gentle Wash (cleanser) — Weeks 1, 2 and 5. No foam, no sting, no fuss.
- Mineral sunscreen — Weeks 1, 2, 4 and 5. Went mineral not chemical because the raw skin couldn't cope. Used under the hat, not instead of it.
- Micellar cleansing water + cotton pads — Weeks 3 and 4, the worst of it. Skin too sore to wash, so I just wiped gently instead.
- Aloe vera gel (plain, fragrance-free) — Post-treatment week 1. Cooling on the new skin and seemed to help the old skin shed.
- CeraVe Advanced Repair Balm — Weeks 4 and 5, once the peeling kicked off. Helped the tightness and cracking.
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ — from Week 5 onwards, still using it. The one that genuinely sped up healing. Wish I'd had it earlier.
* This is just what worked on my skin, yours might react differently, check anything with your doctor or pharmacist first.
Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Treatment Week 1
My Journal & Observations
First day on the cream. Honestly, the first few days were a non-event — it went on like any moisturiser. There's a bit of a tingle about ten minutes after, but no redness, nothing to look at. The main thing early on is just getting into a routine, morning and night, so you don't forget.
By day five the sun-damaged spots started showing as faint pink patches and the skin felt tight and dry. I kept things simple: gentle cleanser, the cream, then a thick moisturiser a couple of hours later. That's it.
Staying out of the sun is non-negotiable. A wide-brimmed hat and mineral sunscreen became part of the daily routine whether I was going far or not. So far so good — curious to see what next week brings once it really gets going.
Hat every time outside, QV Gentle Wash, mineral sunscreen under the hat. Kept it simple.
My Progress Photos
Day 1
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 3
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 5
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 7
Click to expand • Unedited
Treatment Week 2
My Journal & Observations
This is where it kicked in properly. Last week's pink patches turned into bright red, angry-looking spots, and the skin felt hot, like a decent sunburn. Putting the cream on now stings for a good fifteen, twenty minutes after.
Some flaking started around my nose and forehead. The urge to pick at it is real, but the dermatologist was firm about leaving it be, so I did. Keeping it well moisturised was the main thing that helped with the discomfort.
This was the harder week, to be honest — not so much the pain as how obvious it looks. You catch yourself in the mirror and it's confronting. I kept reminding myself that the reaction is the point: it means the cream's doing its job on the bad cells.
Same as Week 1 — hat, QV Gentle Wash, mineral sunscreen. Skin getting warmer, didn't add anything new.
My Progress Photos
Day 8
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 10
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 12
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 14
Click to expand • Unedited
Treatment Week 3
My Journal & Observations
The peak. Skin was raw, crusty and red, and the burning was there pretty much all the time, not just after applying. Sleep was the tricky part — I had to stick to my back so I wasn't rubbing my face on the pillow.
I rang the clinic for a quick check and they confirmed this level of reaction was exactly what they wanted to see, which was a relief to hear. They suggested cool, damp compresses for the heat and that made a real difference.
Only a few days of application left at this point. The end of the cream was in sight and I was more than ready to get into the healing side of things.
Hat stayed on, but face too raw to wash, so swapped to micellar water and cotton pads and wiped gently.
My Progress Photos
Day 15
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 17
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 19
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 21
Click to expand • Unedited
Post-Treatment Week 1 (Healing)
My Journal & Observations
Stopping the cream was a relief I can't overstate. The constant burning eased off within a couple of days of the last application. Then the real peeling started — big flakes of dry skin coming away when I washed in the morning.
Underneath it was bright pink, brand-new skin. Soft, but very sensitive, so I stayed well away from any active products and just focused on keeping it hydrated and protected.
A generous layer of plain aloe vera gel was cooling and seemed to help the old skin shed. Watching it come good day by day was the best part of the whole thing.
Still on micellar water and pads, mineral sunscreen during the day, started CeraVe Advanced Repair Balm for the peeling. Hat on always.
My Progress Photos
Day 1 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 3 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 5 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 7 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Post-Treatment Week 2 (Healing)
My Journal & Observations
Two weeks off the cream now and the worst is well behind me. The deep red has faded to a lighter pink and the raw feeling is gone — skin finally feels like skin again instead of a sunburn.
The Cicaplast balm has been the standout. I put it on morning and night and the difference in how quickly the fresh skin settled down was obvious. The peeling has just about finished too — what's left is smooth, new skin that's still touchy.
Still strict on the sun: hat and mineral sunscreen every time I step out the door. Catching my reflection and seeing a normal face again — that took a while to get used to, in a good way.
Back to QV Gentle Wash now I could wash again, mineral sunscreen, CeraVe balm, and brought in La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ — the one that really helped the fresh skin.
My Progress Photos
Day 8 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 10 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 12 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited
Day 14 Post-Treatment
Click to expand • Unedited