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Women wear makeup for many reasons. Some women wake up in the morning and put their face on right away; others prefer a natural, no makeup look. Makeup helps women look their best – and there is a lot to be said about feeling better as a result of looking your best.

What role does makeup play for women that are battling cancer, feel ill physically and experiencing hair loss from treatment? For these patients, hair loss adds additional stress during an already difficult time. Losing hair due to a treatment designed to cure creates a cruel irony that most cancer patients will have to face - often times wreaking havoc on their self-esteem. Self-esteem plays a tremendous role in the success of a patient’s treatment. The ability of a women to feel great about herself during this time propels her forward by leaps and bounds on what will be a long road to recovery.

Many chemotherapy patients will experience total hair loss, including eyelashes and eyebrows. While wigs are commonly used, patients may feel like there is no alternative when they suffer from facial hair loss. This is simply not true. There is a simple, long lasting solution: permanent makeup. Permanent makeup consists of a method which delivers tiny color particles beneath the client’s skin. This quick procedure recreates the illusion of eyebrows and eyelashes, eliminating the need to continually reapply make-up – allowing clients freedom to spend more time focusing on recovery.

During a recent interview, Dr. Tracey Stokes, MD, FACS, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in surgery after mastectomies, was asked what role permanent makeup plays for cancer patients. She stated, “Permanent makeup is a big boost for a woman’s self-esteem during a point when they may not feel well physically and may be self-conscious about their looks. Hair loss, Alopecia and physical deformities may happen as a result of cancer treatment. Permanent makeup helps patients look better without having to do anything – just waking up and feeling better knowing that they look good. It’s a wonderful recovery remedy.”

Permanent makeup helps ease the distress of chemotherapy by preserving the appearance of eyebrows and eyelashes. Women can feel confident with natural looking eyebrows and beautifully defined eyes. It can be applied one month before the client undergoes cancer drug administration. Patients already undergoing treatment can have the procedure performed during an off week (no drugs administered), if approved by a physician.

A recent client of Naturally You, diagnosed with Stage Four Lung Cancer, stated  “Although there is no cure for me, I am going to live all that I can…and my eyebrows are important; they make me feel like me.”

If you are a cancer patient experiencing facial hair loss, know that there is an option available to assist you in looking your best.  Let permanent makeup help you enter into treatment feeling beautiful and having one less thing to worry about.

Sarah Oliver, a specialist in cosmetic/paramedical permanent makeup, is an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better program. She speaks at local support groups and serves many women with her Oncology Esthetics offering. Her passion is to help women recovering from cancer achieve the look they desire with permanent makeup, a non-surgical solution for eyebrows, eyeliner, lips and post mastectomy areola repigmentation.  Having permanent eyebrows applied is her most popular request. Eyebrows make a difference; they frame the face, illuminate our character and personality and can create a younger, happy, rested look even when you wake up feeling lousy from your treatment. For more information, please visit: www.natural-you.com

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