Background: Patients diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment often experience significant changes to their appearance and consequently struggle with their body image. “Chemotherapy treatment for cancer can have a profound impact on appearance, and is often experienced as distressing.”1 We were able to identify a lack of resources that addressed these concerns of our female patients.
The primary purpose of this program is to help patients to feel better about themselves while offering skin and hair tips and resources in a casual social environment. Discussing these challenges with others who are experiencing similar side effects of treatment helps alleviate fears and stigmas.
Objectives: The mission of Pretty and Powerful is to provide the participants with expert advice, tips, and tricks from licensed cosmetologists to manage the changes they may encounter during active treatments. “It is necessary to develop specific interventions to minimize distress due to alopecia.…2 This series focuses on wigs, skin care, and makeup techniques. These expert services are provided at no cost to participants.
Methods: The program is divided into monthly sessions over the course of a year. We offer 10 sessions monthly in English and Bella y Poderosa quarterly in Spanish. Each session is 2 hours. Each session has a maximum of 10 participants with 10 guests. We do not schedule sessions in July and August. The cosmetologist and staff are volunteers. The products and refreshments are made possible by a grant.
Sessions include an overview of beauty products, skin care, hair, wigs, hair wraps, and makeup and are led by 2 or 3 licensed cosmetologists. One hour prior to the session, participants can be fitted and styled for a wig. In this session, the cosmetologist provides a private consultation for each patient.
Results: Following each session, participants are asked to complete surveys. All the feedback has been positive. Cancer robs people of their dignity; programs such as this can restore or repair confidence. One participant, named Kristen, wrote, “Loved the patience and warmth of the hairdressers fitting me for a wig. They helped my confidence greatly.”
The demographics include primarily Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American adult females 18 years and older. In the first 6 months, 26 patients, 9 guests, and 32 staff and volunteers participated in our Pretty and Powerful program.
Conclusion: The Pretty and Powerful program has proved to be uplifting, and patients feel more confident and better about themselves while going through treatment. These women feel supported by their community and empowered to continue cancer care. Being able to offer this program in Spanish has helped to strengthen our ties to the Hispanic community. Several patients who would be hesitant to take advantage of a program like this have been referred by past participants.
References
- Frith H, Harcourt D, Fussell A. Anticipating an altered appearance: women undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2007;11:385-391.
- Choi EK, Kim IR, Chang O, et al. Impact of chemotherapy-induced alopecia distress on body image, psychosocial well-being, and depression in breast cancer patients. Psychooncology. 2014;23:1103-1110.
