Volunteers are needed to teach female cancer patients how to disguise

appearance-related effects of treatment

Submitted

CORDELE, GA – The American Cancer Society will offer a Look Good Feel Better facilitator training class for licensed cosmetologists and estheticians on Monday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Crisp Regional Hospital, 902 North 7th Street, Cordele.

Look Good Feel Better is a free program for women who are undergoing cancer treatment. Volunteer facilitators teach women to improve their appearance and self-image through beauty techniques designed to overcome the side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation. During the sessions, licensed beauty professionals present make-up, skin and nail care tips. They also demonstrate how to disguise hair loss using wigs, turbans and scarves.

The program is a collaboration of the American Cancer Society, the Personal Care Products Council Foundation and the Professional Beauty Association.

“Look Good Feel Better is as much about improving and maintaining self-image and confidence as it is about appearance,” says Pam Ashman, Mission Delivery program manager for the American Cancer Society. “Patients appreciate the free make-up and instruction from professionals while having the opportunity to spend time in a relaxed, non-medical setting with others who are in the same situation. The class allows them to regain control of their lives.”

According to the American Cancer Society, there are a number of anti-cancer drugs in use today, each with its own set of possible side effects. Possible appearance-related effects of chemotherapy and radiation include: hair loss on the scalp, eyebrows or lashes; weight gain or loss; changes in skin pigmentation and texture; skin oiliness, itchiness or peeling; and alterations in nail texture and growth rate. 

On top of the very real physical and emotional concerns of the disease itself, the side-effects of cancer treatment can be devastating to a woman’s self-esteem. In her mirror she sees someone she doesn’t even recognize – tired and discolored, with thinning hair and no eyelashes. Patients who have participated in Look Good Feel Better call the program an emotional lifesaver because it returns them to a sense of normalcy.

Ashman says women

who participate in the class receive tremendous physical and emotional support, while the volunteer facilitators are able to work with a special group of women and make a difference in their lives when they were going through a very challenging time.

“It’s a great way for cancer patients to take a break from treatment and build new friendships. Some women have found themselves laughing for the first time in weeks and walking away feeling refreshed and renewed not only about their appearance, but also about their outlook on life.”

For details about becoming a Look Good Feel Better volunteer, please contact Pam Ashman at (404) 582-6120 or pam.ashman@cancer.org. For more information about the American Cancer Society, call (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Look Good Feel Better is a free public service program that helps individuals with cancer improve their self-esteem, appearance and confidence by helping them to deal with the appearance side effects of cancer treatment.  The program offers free workshops, and online and virtual support  that include lessons on skin and nail care, cosmetics, wigs and turbans, accessories and styling… helping people with cancer to find some normalcy in a life that is by no means normal. It is offered through a collaborative effort of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, the charitable arm of the trade group representing the cosmetics and beauty industry; the American Cancer Society, the nation’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to saving lives from cancer; and the Professional Beauty Association, the largest organization of salon professionals with members representing salons/spas, distributors, manufacturers and beauty professionals. For more information, visit the website at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org or call 1- 800-395-LOOK. Look Good Feel Better is a registered trademark of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation.