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In 1987, a physician asked former Personal Care Products Council president Ed Kavanaugh how to get a “make-over” for a woman in cancer treatment experiencing appearance-related side effects. The woman, the doctor said, was so depressed and self-conscious she would not venture outside her hospital room. Kavanaugh made some calls and was able to provide cosmetics and a make-up artist. Miraculously, the make-over transformed not just the woman’s look, but her outlook, as well. She immediately felt happier and less burdened, laughing for the first time in weeks. The doctor credited the make-over with improving her attitude and emotional approach toward her treatment.
With such a profound result, the Personal Care Products Council recognized the opportunity for its industry to help more women maintain self-esteem and face cancer treatment with greater confidence. Kavanaugh presented the idea to the Personal Care Products Council membership — the nation’s cosmetic industry leaders — who immediately offered funding and cosmetics. Next, the American Cancer Society (ACS) enthusiastically joined the effort, providing a vital national network to assist women seeking information and access to the program. Finally, the National Cosmetology Association (NCA) signed on as the third partner, encouraging its member cosmetologists to volunteer their services. The program — descriptively dubbed “Look Good…Feel Better” — launched with two groups sessions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., in 1989.
Today, LGFB group programs are held in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with products donated by 40 Personal Care Products Council member companies. Teen and Spanish programs, self-help mailer kits, online programs, and a 24-hour hotline are now offered — as well as numerous independent international LGFB programs across the globe.
For more information on Look Good Feel Better, visit their web site at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.
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