Looking Great Through Your Cancer and Chemotherapy

Cancer is tough, that's a fact. And the treatments to heal it can be even tougher. Chemotherapy, radiation, cancer drugs - they all take a toll on the way we look and feel about ourselves. Here are some free resources that can help make feeling better about the way you look and feel during this time a whole lot easier!

The American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) offers free resources for cancer patients. They have stocks of donated wigs, scarves and hats for women going through chemo who are losing their hair in the process. When I went in for my fitting, it was a lot of fun, actually - the lady helping me let me try on tons of wigs, and also showed me how to do things like make a turban out of a t-shirt, and use scarves in new and attractive ways.

Another great place to buy wigs for reasonable prices is on eBay. I found several wigs I really like for under $20 each including shipping. It's best to go to a wig shop first and try on wigs to get a sense of what style s and colors work for you, so that you will have an idea of what to buy. Most of these wigs are adjustable, so you don't have to worry about sizing. And if you go with synthetic, it's much easier to care for, and more inexpensive, and I've found that most folks can't tell the difference!

The Look Good, Feel Better program (www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org) is a partnership of the American Cancer Society, the National Cosmetology Association and Personal Care Products Council member companies. In this program, trained cosmetologists show women how to use cosmetics to help offset the effects of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation. The member companies of the Products Council donate cosmetics that go into a makeup and personal care kit that is distributed to each attendee, valued at $250 to $300. On the night I went, my free goodie bag contained lovely items from Chanel, Origins, Aveda, Maybelline, and many more companies. The kit comes with a booklet outlining a personal care program, and includes such tips as how to use an eyebrow pencil to align where your eyebrows should be drawn, if you've lost them due to treatment. They also give tips on using wigs and scarves and hats. But one of the best benefits I found from this program was getting to meet other women who were going through the same things as I was. Some of the stories were sad, some were funny - like the woman who gleefully told how she had lost all her underarm hair during chemo and that it never came back! I got a lot of good tips from these women, like using a satin pillowcase instead of a cotton one if you lose your hair, because your scalp will be more sensitive. Or using a polar fleece ski cap to sleep in during the winter months, to keep your head warm at night. Being able to talk to other women and share stories, concerns, fears and successes made for a wonderful evening, and bringing home a ton of free cosmetics was the icing on the cake!

I know there will be days when I don't feel like putting on my wig, or making up my face...but it's nice to know that on the days I feel up to it, I have tricks and tips to help me feel better about myself and my appearance.