Hair Stylists Offer Help to Cancer Patients

 

Want to volunteer your talent for a good cause at local cancer centers? For nearly two decades, Look Good&Feel Better ... a free, nationwide support program ... has offered women help and encouragement to cope with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. In two-hour workshops conducted by trained volunteer beauty professionals, Look Good&Feel Better offers practical tips about skin care, makeup techniques, and guidance for coping with hair loss. A free bag of makeup from leading cosmetic companies is also provided for use as "tools- in the session and later, at home. Statistics show that 83 percent of women undergoing chemotherapy are self-conscious about their physical appearance.

 

Since 1989, Look Good&Feel Better has helped improve the quality of life of 500,000 cancer survivors through its free services, which include group programs; one-on-one consultations; self-help materials; and a Web site www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org. The program was started by the Personal Care Products Council Foundation and is offered as a collaborative effort of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cosmetology Association (NCA), an organization of 20,000 hair stylists, wig experts, estheticians, makeup artists and nail technicians. These three organizations bring together their collective expertise to support and deliver Look Good&Feel Better programs to 50,000 women each year.

 

"The program is not about medical procedures. Instead, we are giving women the tools they need to take control of the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment and feel better about themselves,- says Louanne Roark, vice president of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation and the Look Good&Feel Better program.

 

Each two-hour, hands-on Look Good&Feel Better workshop includes a 12-step skin care/make-up application lesson, demonstration of options for dealing with hair loss, and nail care techniques. They are held at comprehensive cancer centers, hospitals, ACS offices, and community centers.

For more information or for women who would like to participate in a Look Good&Feel Better program, call 800-395-LOOK, contact the ACS or visit the Look Good&Feel Better Web site at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.