As a cancer patient, there are some things over which you have little control, but you can take charge of your beauty regimen. Given that cancer is very serious business, what would compel you to focus on something as trivial as beauty at a time like this?
How you look affects how you feel about yourself, and how you feel about yourself can dramatically affect how you feel physically. This is more than a logical argument; it is a proven fact. The significance of the relationship between self-esteem and physical well-being is important to recovering cancer patients. Attitude plays a vital role in recovery. Cancer patients who take control of their looks can reap rewards that are more than skin deep. Added benefits can include:
• enhanced self-esteem,
• relief from depression,
• renewed motivation.
As you conquer beauty challenges, use each small success as a stepping-stone to another small success. Success breeds success, and conquering beauty challenges provides motivation to attack other challenges, the result of which is a resumption of life as you knew it before cancer, or a new and improved version of life as you want it to be from this point forward.
Chemotherapy and radiation can wreak havoc with skin, the body's largest organ. Skin encompasses face, body and scalp; hair is considered a modified form of skin.
Before implementing any of these tips and tricks, seek your doctor's approval!
It's important to note the role that nutrition plays in the condition of skin; long-term nutrition is essential to restoring radiance to skin. Nourish from within to support cellular integrity for long-term, lasting beauty. Consult your oncologist, your dermatologist and a dietician to plan the most effective nutritional regimen.
If treatment has changed your looks, take a pro-active approach to changing your outlook. Stress plays a significant role in overall skin condition. Reduce and control stress to aid in the overall improvement of skin condition. Not only does stress affect skin condition, but it also affects facial expressions. Look at a tranquil, optimistic person, and note what you see in their face and their eyes when compared to a harried, stressed individual. Restore inner calm to repair outer beauty.
Skin Tips
One common malady among chemotherapy and radiation patients is sensitive skin. Skin may become itchy, cracked and eruption prone. The key word is gentle. This is a time to be gentle with yourself and gentle with your skin. If you've never had to put any effort into skin care, now is the time to develop good skin care habits.
• Get your doctors approval for all topical applications, including creams, makeup, sunscreens, etc.
• Adjust your facial skin-care routine if your general skin type has changed.
• Avoid hot water, opting for warm water instead.
• Wash with a gentle, non-drying soap.
• Never scrub affected areas.
• Do not shave affected areas until completely healed, and only with your doctor's approval.
• Resist the temptation to scratch the itch! Cornstarch helps control itching.
• Avoid direct sun exposure.
Face and Makeup Tips
The key words for makeup application are natural and healthy. While your tendency might be to overcompensate by applying heavy makeup, it will result in an unnatural look. Apply makeup with a light touch. To project a radiant, healthy look, accentuate the positive and conceal the negative.
Wash your makeup brushes regularly. Shampoo is the best gentle cleaning agent for brushes. After washing, allow them to air dry completely before storing. There is no need to wash sponges; they are disposable. Change them frequently.
Many of the tips below apply to everyone, but especially to recovering cancer patients. If you've never applied makeup or applied it as an afterthought, now is your opportunity to learn new skills and master a polished, professional look.
• Apply a color-correcting moisturizer or concealer under foundation, if necessary. Green tints neutralize red skin, and lavender tints neutralize yellow skin.
• When using a concealer, use the correct color. Using the wrong color can draw attention to the problem rather than concealing it. You can find color-correcting concealers as well as natural skin-tone concealers. Color-correcting concealers are more opaque than color-correcting moisturizers, and they can cover more pronounced color imperfections.
• When applying concealer, borrow a method from the professionals called stippling. Rather than applying one heavy coat of concealer, apply a small dot, and use a sponge to blot and blend. Repeat applying small dots and stippling until you've covered the imperfection.
• Mix two colors of foundation to achieve a natural appearance. Use neutral foundations rather than foundations with pink or orange tints.
• Avoid matte foundations in favor of liquid or cream foundations.
• To achieve the best coverage while maintaining a natural look, apply makeup by dotting and stippling with a damp sponge. Blend the makeup well at the hairline and jawline.
• If you have normal or oily skin, apply a light dusting of loose powder. Save compressed powder for touch-up applications. If your skin is dry, skip the powder. Applying powder will draw attention to the condition.
• Powder blush is easiest to blend. Use a light touch when applying blush for that natural, radiant look. Blend well to avoid lines of demarcation.
• You can compensate for thinning or non-existent eyebrows with eyebrow pencils. It requires practice, but the results are well worth the effort. First, prepare the eyebrow area by applying foundation and powder to the area.
• To recreate the brow, start by creating three dots. Place a pencil in a straight vertical line from your nose to the inside corner of your eye. Make a dot with the eyebrow pencil at the eyebrow line. Next, place the pencil horizontally at the top of the brow line. Make a dot at the very top of the brow line. Finally, place the pencil at the bottom of your nose, and move the pencil diagonally until you've reached the outer corner of your eye. Make a dot at the end of the eyebrow.
• Using two complementary shades of eyebrow color that match your hair or wig color, connect the dots using short, feathery strokes. The connected dots form the upper edge of the eyebrow line. For the inner half of the brow, use upward strokes, for the outer half of the brow, use diagonal or horizontal strokes. Refer to a recent picture to help you match your natural look.
• Neutral colors work best for daytime. Save glittery and bold colors for evening. The most important technique is blending the different shades thoroughly for the most natural appearance. You cannot go wrong with the time-tested, dark-to-light approach. Apply a light shade to the entire eyelid area to serve as a foundation. Add a medium shade from the bottom of the eyelid to the crease. Blend the shadows to create a dark to light effect from the bottom of the eyelashes to the eyebrow. You can optionally apply a deeper shade across the crease. Use a light touch, and blend the crease-line color.
• If you apply eyeliner, use a soft pencil, and draw a thin line from the inside corner of the upper and lower lash line to the outer corner. Smudge the eyeliner for a natural look.
• To thicken thinning eyelashes, apply several light coats of mascara. You may apply loose face powder to lashes in between coats for a thicker appearance. Use a gentle touch when removing mascara, and avoid pulling or tugging lashes. Use false eyelashes only after seeking your doctor's approval. The adhesive may cause problems.
• Select a natural lip color that complements your overall skin tone. Opt for a creamy finish rather than a matte finish.
The face provides three general areas to apply color: the eyes, cheekbones, and lips. The general rule of thumb is to emphasize one of these areas rather than all three for the most natural look.
Now is not the time to indulge yourself with a facial. Facial treatments can be harsh and exacerbate the very problems you are attempting to relieve. Two professional services will help you look your best and quick-start your beauty makeover. First, seek help in selecting your best colors. Department store makeup personnel receive recurrent training in this area; they know how to select complementary colors, and they are well versed in the latest trends. Second, consider making an appointment for a professional makeup application using your products. You will not only learn proper makeup application techniques faster with personalized help, but the results can do wonders to boost your self-esteem.
Hair Tips
It doesn't matter how rosy your outlook or how positive your attitude, you may succumb to thinning hair or total hair loss during cancer treatments. The likelihood of hair loss varies by individual and treatment protocol. The only thing you can do is make the best of it and hold onto the fact that hair grows back. In the meantime, experiment with new and different looks. You might find a look that suits you better than your old look.
If you hair is thinning, the key word is gentle.
• Brush and comb your hair gently.
• Avoid any hairstyle that tugs on the scalp. If you want to wear a ponytail, be sure that you don't pull on the hair, and tie your hair loosely. Avoid French braids, because they pull on the scalp.
• Use gentle shampoo, conditioner and hair-care products on your hair and scalp.
• Apply heat sparingly—use blow dryers, heated curlers, curling irons, etc., as little as possible, and only on the lowest setting.
• Consider treating yourself to a short hairstyle before beginning treatment.
• If your hair begins to thin, consider a layered cut.
• Save a lock of your hair in case you need to purchase a wig. Use the lock to select the best color. • Shop for wigs, hats and scarves before the need arises. Prepare for the worst and anticipate the best. If your doctor prescribes a cranial prosthesis, your insurance may cover your wig.
• Rely on professionals to help you select a wig. He or she will instruct you on proper wig care and provide tips for a better fit and a more natural look.
Coping with beauty challenges may not be something you would welcome under normal circumstances. These challenges may provide you with an opportunity to experiment that would never have presented itself otherwise. Use this time to encourage the Sleeping Beauty within to awaken.
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