The Sault’s Dale Dumanski leads Look Good Feel Better Sault Ste. Marie, a team of volunteers that helps local women look their best and lift their spirits as they battle cancer.
Look Good Feel Better is a non-profit organization that provides free workshops in which participants are taught by volunteer cosmetic professionals how to manage the appearance-related impact of cancer treatments.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Look Good Feel Better Canadian head office is located in Toronto.
“Cancer causes hair loss and that can include eyebrows and eyelashes. We teach participants how to pencil in missing eyebrows and how to use eyeliner to give the illusion of having eyelashes. We add a bit of colour to the cheeks and lips,” Dumanski told SooToday.
“Our team includes myself and three other beauty advisors. We’re training one of them to take over hair alternatives, to come in and fit participants in the program with wigs and show them how to put scarves on their head to cover the hair loss.”
One side effect that everyone taking cancer treatments experiences is dry sensitive skin.
“It’s very important to direct participants to the proper cosmetics that will not irritate their skin while they're undergoing cancer treatment,” Dumanski said.
Dumanski and her fellow volunteers receive cosmetic kits donated by the Canadian Cosmetic Fragrance and Toiletries Association to Look Good Feel Better.
“The kits contain a cleanser. There's a moisturizer, there's sun protection. There's lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, eyebrow pencil and also a buff, which is a piece of fabric that they can wear as a headband or as a wrap around their head,” Dumanski said.
The volunteers wear purple tops and supply participants with purple kits, both emblazoned with Look Good Feel Better lettering.
“It's very upbeat and free of charge,” Dumanski said.
The next workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, followed by subsequent workshops Oct. 7 and Dec. 2 in the Sault Area Hospital boardroom.
Participants will be directed to the boardroom by a waiting SAH volunteer.
A doctor referral is not needed to attend the workshops.
Participants can register for any one of the upcoming workshops by visiting the Look Good Feel Better website.
“We're looking for volunteers to join our team,” Dumanski emphasized.
“We need individuals with a skin care and cosmetics background to volunteer for our workshops for those facing cancer. We need to build our team. One of our volunteers is definitely going next year because her husband retired,” said Dumanski, who has been with the program for 30 years.
Cosmetics professionals can express their interest in volunteering on the Look Good Feel Better website.
Each workshop can include up to 12 people but a smaller number is preferable, allowing the volunteers to spend more time with each participant, Dumanski said.
“It makes you feel wonderful,” said Dumanski.
“These women come in and they're nervous. They've been sick.
"It's a chance for them to interact with each other because they feel like they're totally alone in the world. You can see the transformation in their faces once we get a little bit of colour on them. They’re different people that walk out of here compared to when they walk in.”