The Doctors: Lipstick Angels
About 13 million Americans live with cancer, but one group is using beauty to help give patients hope and keep them going during complicated and often uncomfortable treatments. Just ask cancer patient Joy Ring, who is one of many patients who get pampered by Lipstick Angels.
Renata Helfman, founder of Lipstick Angels, said that makeup is a personal thing that offers patients a caring human touch. This charity visits terminally ill and seriously sick patients to give them a mood boost and a quick makeover that makes them feel more beautiful.
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The Lipstick Angels have started in Los Angeles hospitals, but the goal is to expand it across the country to give patients everywhere this service. Dr Travis Stork and Dr Rachael Ross were thrilled about this idea.
The Doctors got to know makeup artist Renata Helfman, founder of Lipstick Angels, a makeup therapy program for seriously or terminally ill patients.
Helfman is a professional makeup artist, and she wanted to find a way to give back through her trade. She was surprised to learn that no such program already existed, so she started one herself to help others.
The Doctors: Lipstick Angels Cancer Support
In the audience, Joy said that cancer makes it hard for women to keep up with their beauty. She used to enjoy a facial or massage, but that is not an option for her during her cancer therapy.
She also noticed that a lot of cancer support programs require you to come to them, but Lipstick Angels comes to the hospital, where the patients are, meaning they don’t have to expend valuable extra energy.
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Dr Bobbie Rimel of the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute said that Lipstick Angels gives cancer patients human contact. Also, the choice of healing, organic products are great for patients going through chemotherapy, who may have changing skin or dryness.
The Doctors makeup artist Jan Ping is a cancer survivor, which gave her a unique perspective on this. She has been on the giving and receiving end of this caring program. “It’s about having the right mindset and having a positive perspective,” she said.
Dr Stork said that someone going through treatment could benefit from “nurturing and optimism.”
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