By the nature of its side effects, cancer treatment can make a private battle a very public affair. For a woman with cancer, having a bald head, pale skin or a missing breast can make her feel like she's being targeted by a bright spotlight and a banner that says, "Cancer patient."
But now more than ever, there are resources for women that will put the spotlight back on their work, their accomplishments and their life—and change that banner to simply read, "Woman."
The American Cancer Society's Look Good Feel Better program provides many tools for survivors of breast cancer. Their website has how-to techniques and guides, plus information on where to get additional help.
The following healthcare facilities are part of that program in Waukesha County:
- Elmbrook Memorial Hospital, 19333 W. North Ave., Brookfield
- Waukesha Memorial Hospital, 725 American Ave., Waukesha
- Aurora Summit Vince Lombardi Cancer Center, 36500 Aurora Drive Summit
- Community Memorial Hospital, W180 N8085 Town Hall Road,
- Menomonee Falls
- DN Greenwald Center, 240 W. Maple Ave., Mukwonago
- Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, 791 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc
For more information, contact the ACS Patient Service Center at (866) 460-6550.
Girl on the Go provides private or in-home wig consultations for women with cancer, with locations in 12 states, including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
Breast cancer survivor Sheril Cohen started the business after her own struggles with hair loss that were matched only by the frustrating process of getting a wig.
"Wig shopping was awful," Cohen shares on her website. "[The attendant] tried to sell me this wig. I thought it was a cute cut, but I thought it made me older and unattractive. I cried. I felt sexy with my long hair. With this wig on I felt like a suburban fortysomething-year-old soccer mom. I was successful, single, a thirtysomething NYC woman. I wanted to retain me—not become someone I did not recognize."
Now Cohen proudly sells wigs of all kinds—synthetic, hybrid, human hair—to women all over the country, providing, as one of her clients says, privacy.
"I felt so like myself in my wig," said Ellen, a client. "No one knew. People who knew I had been diagnosed but did not know much else used to come up to me at events and ask when I was going to start chemo or if I had chosen a doctor yet. I did not have to tell anyone anything I did not want to tell them."
Cohen also blogs about topics like wig myths and when to stop wearing your wig. She even offers a formula for determining your wig budget.
As women in chemotherapy treatment discover, hair loss isn't limited to their locks. It means no eyebrows, no eyelashes and, as Cohen points out, one bright spot—no shaving.
Women can visit a lash studio to get back that feminine flutter of the lashes, and maybe even amp up their look with a few sexy, extra-long lash extensions.
Wigs and wig fittings are available at Sharon's Wig Salon, 13723 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, (262) 783-6900. Permanent makeup is available locally by Cindi Wentlandt, Derma Cosmetics Tattoo Salon, 1547 E. Racine Ave., Waukesha.
There also resources online for women who have had surgery during treatment. KA Mastectomy Bras and Apparel, started by survivor Kimberly Ashmand, features pretty and practical bras tailored to the unique needs of survivors, as well as some with a little lace and sparkle to help women feel sexy again.
Adopting a new look during treatment is about more than simply feeling good for the moment—it can be another weapon in a woman's arsenal against cancer, giving her a deep well of positivity to sustain her.
TELL US: We want to know what matters most to you, whether it's lashes, lipstick or lingerie. Share in the comments section below what aspects of a makeover makes you feel the most beautiful.
