Look Good ... Feel Better program for area women cancer patients

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 8:57

The Whitley County Giving Circle for Women’s Health is pleased to announce that it will offer the well-known, Look Good . . . Feel Better program in our community for women with cancer. The next session is planned for Monday evening, Feburary 13th 2012, from 6:30–8:00 p.m. There is no cost for the program, but advance reservations are required.

Cancer can rob a woman of her energy, appetite and strength, but it doesn’t have to take away her self-confidence. Look Good . . . Feel Better is a free program that teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Each participant will receive a free make-up kit. Look Good...Feel Better is a national public service program created from the concept that if someone with cancer can be helped to look good, their improved self-esteem will help them to approach their disease and treatment with greater confidence.

Look Good... Feel Better was founded and developed in 1989 by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) Foundation, a charitable organization established by CTFA, the trade association that represents the cosmetics industry.

The program is offered through a partnership of the CTFA Foundation, the American Cancer Society (ACS), one of the nation's largest voluntary health organizations, and the National Cosmetology Association (NCA), a national organization of more than 25,000 hairstylists, wig experts, estheticians, makeup artists and nail technicians.

ACS administers the program nationwide, NCA enlists its members to participate as Look Good...Feel Better cosmetologists and the CTFA Foundation provides the makeup, materials, and financial support for the program. Each year, the cosmetics industry donates more than one million pieces of cosmetics, valued between $8 and $10 million.

The sponsoring partners work together to provide:

Patient education, through group or individual sessions, or through self-help materials;

Free program materials including videos and pamphlets; and free makeup kits for each patient participating in a group class.

The group program is open to all women cancer patients who are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy treatment. A friend or caregiver may attend as well, but make-up kits will only be made available to women undergoing treatment. Each year, more than 50,000 female patients participate in a Look Good...Feel Better group session. Since 1989, more than 430,000 cancer patients have benefited from the program.

Two local volunteer cosmetologists have volunteered to participate in the Whitley County program. Both have been trained and certified by ACS, NCA and the CTFA Foundation at a regional workshop.

The Whitley County Workshop will be conducted at the Community Foundation, 400 N. Whitley Street, Columbia City. Have questions? Call the Foundation at 244-5224; or register by calling the American Cancer Society at 260-471-3911. Registration deadline is Tuesday, January 31.

The sponsoring partners work together to provide:

Patient education, through group or individual sessions, or through self-help materials;

Free program materials including videos and pamphlets; and free makeup kits for each patient participating in a group class.

Two local volunteer cosmetologists have volunteered to participate in the Whitley County program. Both have been trained and certified by ACS, NCA and the CTFA Foundation at a regional workshop.