American Cancer Society program helps women overcome effects of cancer treatment

The American Cancer Society helps female cancer patients with its Look Good…Feel Better® program. Guided by a volunteer cosmetologist, female cancer patients who participate in this class learn how to use make-up and skincare techniques to overcome the appearance-related effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Look Good…Feel BetterÒ, a program designed to help women overcome the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment, will hold its next session on Monday, August 17, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. at the University of Toledo Medical Center, 3000 Arlington Ave.

Classes are taught by professional cosmetologists and are open to all women undergoing cancer treatment. The program is a free, non-medical, product-neutral program offered through a partnership of the American Cancer Society with the National Cosmetology Association and the Personal Care Products Council; registration is required. Call 888-227-6446 Press #2 and ask to be registered.

According to the American Cancer Society, there are dozens of anti-cancer drugs in use today, each with its own set of possible side effects. Possible appearance-related effects of chemotherapy and radiation include: hair loss on the scalp, eyebrows or lashes; weight gain or loss; changes in skin pigmentation and texture; skin oiliness, itchiness or peeling; and alterations in nail texture and growth rate.