Body image and self-confidence

Cancer and its treatment can cause changes to the way your body looks and works. These changes can really knock your confidence, change how you feel about yourself or affect your sense of who you are.

How might cancer affect my body image?

Having cancer or cancer treatment can affect your body and how you feel about yourself. Changes to your body image can make you feel less confident change how you feel about  your body and affect your sense of who you are. For example, you may lose your hair, lose or gain weight, or have scarring or a more significant change to your body (e.g. losing a body part, for example, if you have had a breast removed). 

Other changes that can affect your confidence include changes to the way you speak or hear, sexual difficulties, issues with bladder or bowel control, having a stoma or infertility.

If you feel self-conscious or less confident, it can affect many parts of your life – You may feel like you don’t want to socialise or travel, it can affect your romantic and sexual relations or you may feel down and depressed in yourself, feel that you don’t like your body or feel less feminine or masculine. 

Ways to cope with changes to your body

Give yourself time to adjust. In most cases any changes will get easier to manage as you get used to them. Most people learn ways to live with their new normal. Getting support can help you during this process. Your doctors and nurses, friends and family, other people who’ve had a cancer diagnosis or a professional such as a counsellor can all help you.

Tips to help - changed body image

Try to build up your confidence by focusing on the things you enjoy and taking care of yourself. Give yourself little treats, do activities you enjoy and spend time with people who boost your confidence.

Telling other people how you feel can help you to come to terms with your emotions and bring a sense of relief.  You can talk to friends and family, other people who’ve had cancer, for example at a cancer support centre or group, or you could talk to a counsellor. The Irish Cancer Society funds professional one-to-one counselling online and through many local cancer support centres. Find out more about counselling.

You may not be able to control the changes in your body or appearance, but taking good care of yourself will help you to feel better, physically and emotionally. For example, getting some exercise, eating well and not smoking can really improve your sense of wellbeing. Read about healthy living after cancer. 

Try to have some positive thoughts about your body - focus on the positive things that your body can do for you, rather than the areas where you’re having difficulty.

There are products, treatments and techniques that can improve many changes and make them easier to manage, such as treatments for sexual difficulties, products and treatment to improve urinary problems and techniques for living with a stoma.

You can learn more from reading information, talking to your doctor or nurse or counsellor, or speaking to someone else with the same issue – for example you might like to join a support group, visit a cancer support centre or talk to people in our online communit

Look online for cancer beauty and make up tips and instructional videos. For example, there are products and techniques to help if you've lost your eyebrows or eyelashes and special camouflage make-up to give extra coverage if you have a skin graft, scarring or other skin changes.

Check out your local cancer support centre. Many have beauty and image sessions or run ‘look good’ workshops. Getting to know other people with similar issues can help to build your confidence too.

Sex and relationships

Changes to your body can affect your ability to have sex or your desire to have sex. If you have a partner it’s important to try and talk about how you feel and work through problems together. If you don’t tell them how you feel they may not understand and feel rejected. 

You may need to try different ways of being intimate, you may need support from your medical team to deal with side-effects that are affecting your sex life, or you may need to change things to feel more comfortable – for example, having low lighting, staying partially dressed, trying different positions.

If you can’t or don’t want to have sex, it can be helpful to try and stay physically close, by cuddling, kissing or touching each other. We have more information to help you with any sexual difficulties. 


We're here to help

Our range of free services are here for you

Patient Education
Our free patient education group sessions and video resources provide information to guide you through and beyond cancer treatment.
Peer Support
Peer Support is a free and confidential phone service connecting people with similar cancer experiences. Our volunteers are trained to provide emotional and practical cancer support.
Eating well and exercise support
Eating well and exercise can help you feel better before, during and after cancer treatment. We can provide information and support on maintaining a healthy diet and being physically active.

Talk to a Cancer Nurse

Support Line

Support Line

Our Cancer Nurses offer confidential advice, support and information for anyone affected by cancer. Call or email supportline@irishcancer.ie. Video calls available. Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Support Line
Our Daffodil Centres

Our Daffodil Centres

Our Daffodil Centres in 13 hospitals nationwide are staffed by Cancer Nurses and trained volunteers who provide face-to-face advice, support and information for anyone affected by cancer.
Our Daffodil Centres