How looking like yourself can help you feel better, shown by 11 before-and-after pics.
This program wants to give women with cancer beauty tips as they bravely fight the disease.
Louanne Roark's grandmother was the kind of woman who always took pride in her appearance. But then she got colon cancer.
Roark says her grandmother would still ask her to paint her fingernails when she was too sick to do it herself, and even though ultimately she passed away, that time spent helping her grandmother look better and feel better — even toward the end — was life-changing.
Today, Roark is carrying that experience forward. She's the executive director of the program Look Good Feel Better. She said, "Our goal is to provide every person with cancer the opportunity to access Look Good Feel Better’s services to help restore their confidence, hope and, most importantly, their sense of self."
In these before-and-after photos, you can see how these simple makeovers make a huge difference for cancer patients.
Here are some amazing photos of women before and after their makeovers.
1. Katherine
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
2. Janice
Image by Look Good Fee Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
3. Brenda
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
4. Jean
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
5. Kat
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
6. Lisa
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
7. Jane
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
8. Mary
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
9. Michelle
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
10. Vimala
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
11. Vanessa
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
The Look Good Feel Better program was started over 25 years ago to provide makeovers for women with cancer.
It gives women the chance to learn everything they need to know, from professionally trained cosmetologists about keeping their wig looking its best or applying makeup that diminishes the physical toll cancer can take.
The program has helped almost 1 million people so far and hosts over 2,000 workshops each year across the country. But they could still use the word of mouth so more people know about Look Good Feel Better.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
Claire Weiner, a social worker in the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center PsychOncology Program, says their looks are definitely one of the things both men and women struggle with after a diagnosis. She explained that our appearance is part of our identity, so not looking the way you're used to can be an extra burden to carry during an already difficult time.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
A lot of the women who participate have similar reactions. What Roark says she hears the most at these events is that they were unsure of what to expect and resistant to the idea of a makeover. They go into the event feeling unsure and shy but end up feeling self-confident, excited, and proud of the way they look.
Image by Look Good Feel Better, used with permission.
You can't argue with the smiles on their faces post-makeover.
Makeovers aren't a cure, and not every cancer patient wants one. But for those who are struggling to feel like themselves as their appearances change due to harsh treatments, organizations like Look Good Feel Better can be a bright spot in a difficult time.
A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room.Image via Wikmedia Commons
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An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.