Volunteering: Because #ConfidenceMatters

Got my badge: it's been over 5 years of leading patient workshops as a Look Good Feel Better® volunteer!    I am proud to be one of 6,000 volunteers across the country whoserve 50,000 women each year.

If you know someone facing cancer, send them our way. And if you're a beauty professional who wants to give back, apply today! Www.Lookgoodfeelbetter.org 

   #LGFB #confidencematters #lookgoodfeelbettervolunteer #lgfbvolunteer

Look Good, Feel Better: Making Beauties FEEL Beautiful

Check out Look Good Feel Better at www.LookGoodFeelBetter.org. It's FREE to cancer patients through the American Cancer Society!

Look Good, Feel Better!

It's that feeling you get when you're having an awesome hair day. Or, maybe when you have some fresh Botox cosmetic. You're feeling good, and maybe there's a little spring in your step... This is the feeling that can be hard to come by and sometimes fleeting when you are undergoing cancer treatment. Licensed cosmetologists and aestheticians can apply and become certified to lead American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better patient workshops. Workshops are free to participants, and provide free cosmetics, skin care products, and wig styling and head-wrap techniques to help women look good and feel better during a tough time.

Here's me today, just finishing up a workshop for another great bunch of beauties at Elmhurst Hospital.

Here's the website for the program: http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs/programs-for-women Pass the info along, if you or someone you know is interested in volunteering for or participating in a workshop!

Click here to view another one of my posts on LGFB

And until next time, stay fabulous, my friends!

Mohs Surgery... Nose Surgery??? Moe's Surgery??

What is Mohs surgery?

Lately, I've been working like crazy to help launch a brand new cosmetic dermatology office on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The highly credentialed and super smart dermatologist (Dr. Quenby Erickson, who is my boss, the owner, and the medical director all-in-one) is board certified and fellowship trained in Mohs Surgery. Sometimes, when I'm bragging about how talented Dr. Erickson is, people will say: "NOSE surgery??" No, actually: MOHS Surgery. Here's what it is:

Named for Frederic Mohs (1910-2002), this specialty surgical procedure allows the physician to remove the cancer while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.

With more than 2 Million Americans estimated to be affected by skin cancer this year, Mohs Micrographic surgical technique is more in-demand than ever. In addition to Mohs, Dr. Erickson also really enjoys the reconstruction aspect, which has saved patients from disfigurement. It's a pretty great process.

Step 1: A conservative amount of tissue is removed. Step 2: While the patient waits, the tissue will be examined under a microscope to see if the margins are clear Step 3: If the margins are clear, the patient is good to go. Slightly more tissue will be removed and the steps will be repeated only if the margins aren't clear.

Imagine if you had a cancerous lesion on your cheek (yikes). You'd want the cancer to be gone, but with the smallest amount tissue removed as possible. Beyond that, you'd want to be reconstructed beautifully. That's what a Mohs surgeon can do for you. (Sometimes, closures can be sent out to a plastic surgeon).  As Dr. Erickson says: "Removing tissue from a person's back is one thing; it becomes a bigger deal on the lip, eyelid or nose." Glad to have you, Mohs surgeons!!

Click here for what sets fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons apart from the rest, and click here for patient information on Mohs surgery.

Until next time: Stay Fabulous, (and wear your sunscreen!!) My Friends!

Beauty Pros: Pay it forward

I've been meaning to post about a great American Cancer Society Program I volunteer for called "Look Good, Feel Better" for a long time. Anyone who is undergoing treatment, about to undergo treatment, or has recently completed cancer treatment can sign up through the American Cancer Society for free. During the class (which we call workshops), licensed Beauty professionals teach and demonstrate treatment-specific skin care, makeup, head-wrap/scarf-tying, and wig styling and care techniques. Basically, everything you might want to know about if you want to feel better about how you look when you could possibly be losing your hair, your skin might be changing, and you could really use some pro's in your corner.

Through the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, huge cosmetic companies donate makeup and skincare for participants to use and take home. Clarins, Bobbi Brown, Dior, Avon, Lancome, OPI, and MAC are just a handful of these companies. Yesterday, my demonstration model even received a Dior SHOW mascara and an awesome Chanel lipstick in her kit. Props to these companies!!

If you are a beauty professional, please consider taking your talents beyond work! You know how good you can make your clientele feel on an everyday-basis, now just imagine how you can help someone who might really need your help, but hasn't met you yet. Every time, the participants leave the workshop with smiles on their faces, and you know that you might have helped give them the tools to feel beautiful and happy during a rough time. Please consider applying and training for this great program!