CTFA Annual Report 2019

The patient felt happier, less burdened and laughed for the first time in weeks. With such a profound result, the Personal Care Products Council recognized the opportunity for its industry to help more patients to maintain their confidence and self-esteem and that is how the program, dubbed Look Good Feel Better launched in 1989 in Washington DC. Doctors and patients alike value the program and one survivor who attended a workshop in South Africa said: “Today gave me a reason to live”. During my own cancer journey, long before working for Look Good Feel Better , I attended one of their workshops. I walked out of there, liberated, feeling beautiful and even took my wig off for good. Standing in a retail pharmacy recently, I observed how a woman, clearly struggling with hair loss, wearing a scarf around her head, was frantically looking through every cosmetic item. I understood her quest for reaching out to something that could make her feel better and less vulnerable….. We all know the term: “The Lipstick Effect”, first observed during the Great Depression, which saw an unexpected boom in the sale of cosmetics in the four-year period between 1929 and 1933. Also post 9/11, lipstick sales in the United States almost doubled. It is not shallow; it is testimony to how looking good can make you feel better. Look Good Feel Better is the only International cancer support charity, dedicated to teaching cancer patients how to manage the appearance-related side-effects caused by cancer treatment. Women and men participate in practical workshop demonstrations covering skin care, make-up and head wear, leaving them empowered and ready to face their cancer diagnosis with confidence. Our workshops cover skincare techniques to address common side-effects like dryness and sun sensitivity; makeup tips to help correct and conceal redness, swollenness, pigmentation and dark circles as well as techniques for drawing on eyebrows; and advice on headwear including scarf styling and wig selection. Each participant receives complimentary skincare and make-up products donated by the cosmetic industry, and an instruction booklet to use as tools for application throughout the workshop and for continued use in their own homes. Participants also benefit from the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation. During the workshops, friendships and additional support networks are formed that can be invaluable during diagnosis and treatment. Look Good Feel Better workshops are open for anyone undergoing treatment for any sort of cancer. In South Africa, 45 534 people have participated in the program, with 4178 workshops since the inception of the program. LOOK GOOD FEEL BETTER Christie Fraser | Programme Director It all started with one physician – one who wanted to make his depressed cancer patient feel better whilst suffering dramatic appearance side effects. In 1987 he approached Personal Care Council President Ed Kavanaugh. Some cosmetics and a cosmetologist provided a makeover that transformed not only her look but her outlook. COSMETIC TOILETRY AND FRAGRANCE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA 20