Women who are undergoing treatment for cancer often struggle with hair loss, weight loss and skin changes while trying to balance family life and self-care.
White River Medical Center in Batesville is participating for the sixth year in Look Good Feel Better, a nationwide program dedicated to helping women who are undergoing cancer treatments.
Kara Queary, program coordinator at White River Medical Center, said the program is free of charge to participants.
The class will take place from 9-11 a.m. July 14 in the White River Medical Center Cancer Care Center.
Space is limited, and women who show up on the day of class may not receive a makeup kit if they don’t preregister, she said.
In order to be eligible to participate, women must have a cancer diagnosis and be undergoing either radiation therapy or chemotherapy, she said.
Queary said the program enables volunteers and cosmetologists to work with cancer patients by assisting them with skin care, makeup, nails, wigs and more.
The program brings together women who are going through the same struggles and allows them to share their stories, she said.
“The WRMC Cancer Care Center has partnered with the American Cancer Society and the Look Good Feel Better program, allowing each woman to receive a bag of makeup valued at $250,” Queary said.
“Over 200 companies nationwide contribute to this program, and each bag is filled with everything from cosmetic creams and foundations to lipsticks and liners,” she said.
Queary said the program is funded through Look Good Feel Better and the generosity of volunteers.
The event is important to the individuals who participate in it and the community at large, she said.
“It helps these women know they are not alone in their fight against cancer, regardless of what kind of cancer they have. It doesn’t focus solely on one certain kind of cancer. It is for all types of cancer diagnosis,” she said.
“This class brings women together who may be struggling with their diagnosis and reminds them they are still beautiful.”
Queary said she enjoys seeing the volunteers and patients get absorbed in the class.
Everyone forgets about everything outside of the room and has the opportunity to put on makeup and laugh with strangers who turn into friends, she said.
“I look at these ladies who come in here a little reluctant at the beginning of the class, and by the end of it, they are laughing and talking openly, having a good time. It’s amazing how this class brings people together,” she said.
Queary said she also loves seeing the hospital and community freely come together to sponsor the event and make it fun for the participants.
“WRMC and so many local business go out of their way to donate door prizes, massages, food, drinks and flowers to each class,” Queary said.
“It makes everything so much more fun. Everyone gets excited, and they always walk away with a prize.”
Jenifer Walls, a licensed cosmetologist, said she has been volunteering for Look Good Feel Better programs since 2005.
Walls said many women going through cancer treatment lose their eyebrows, develop rosy patches of skin and dark circles under their eyes, and have to deal with other side effects of treatment.
“I try to teach them techniques to replace what they’ve lost with the help of an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner,” Walls said. “I teach them to camouflage the patches of skin, cover up dark circles and highlight the high points to bring light to their faces.”
Walls said women who are going through cancer treatment are also prone to infections as a result of weakened immune systems.
For that reason, it’s safer to use their own equipment rather than going somewhere that uses the same equipment on the general public, she said.
“We teach them how to maintain their wigs and offer them one free service. If the lady needs a haircut or her wig trimmed, we provide service at the salon. They just call and set up the appointment,” Walls explained.
Walls said she remembers a lady from one of the first Look Good Feel Better classes she participated in.
The woman came in late, she said, and by the time she got there, the class was halfway over.
“She told me she had to get her boys ready because they were going hunting,” Walls said. “She was around 50 years old and was talking about her husband and sons.”
Walls said she started talking to the woman about makeup and realized she didn’t know much about it.
“She spent her whole life taking care of other people. While fighting cancer, she still put her family before herself. These women are amazing, fighting the battle of their lives but still taking care of their families,” Walls said.
“This is a moment that’s all about them.”
Walls said she enjoys helping out in the community and giving back when she can.
We live in a society where people feel like they are constantly being judged, she said, and events like these lift them up.
“It’s almost like a sisterhood. They don’t ever forget the woman they sat next to. They realize there are people facing the same challenges they face,” she said.
Queary said she chooses to take part in the class to make a difference in the lives of the women who participate in it.
“If one woman comes into the class struggling with her diagnosis, and I can help her feel more at ease with herself, or even introduce her to someone she can talk to who can help her, then all of the hard work that we put into it is worth every minute,” Queary said.
“This class is about making women feel more beautiful inside and out.”
To register for Look Good Feel Better, contact Kara Queary at (870) 262-6205.
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 24404307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.