A week or so ago, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Style for Cancer – an initiative of the well-loved Aussie not-for-profit, Look Good Feel Better. Their mission? To unite the beauty, grooming, and style industry as a force for good, and help improve the wellbeing and confidence of those undergoing treatment for cancer here in Australia.
I showed up not really knowing what to expect – and left deeply moved by panelist Jodie Strong who spoke to her experience as a woman undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer – and how her relationship with her hairdresser really evolved during this time. It made me, and everyone in the room that day, realise how vulnerable those undergoing chemo can be left when attending a hairdresser salon during their treatment – and being paired with a hairdresser who may not necessarily be equipped with the right information / know how to treat or support a client undergoing cancer treatment.
Jodie tells me that she when she first discovered her lump, she initially brushed it off as something that could be related to my cycle (“I wasn’t too worried,” she says). She later met with her longtime GP on a Friday, subsequently got scans and received a giagnosis From there, she says her life changed forever in a matter of days, after getting scans and a diagnosis by the following Tuesday.
While undergoing cancer treatment, Jodie says she pretty much “lost all my hair – including eyebrows and eyelashes.” It was only when she spotted a little pamphlet in her Breast Care Nurse’s room that detailed Look Good Feel Better’s workshops, that she discovered the not-for-profit’s programs, and decided to give it a go. It ended up changing her cancer journey for the better – and she found a network of new friends and a community in the process.
At the workshop, Jodie says she was able to play around with products, including makeup, lipsticks, wigs, and learn how to do draw on eyebrows and just relax and feel good in a safe, secure setting. “This sounds basic, but I left feeling okay,” she says – which was a big step on her cancer journey.
Jodie is really excited about what she refers to as the “ongoing impact” of the Style for Cancer initiative – and the long-term support it can have on both those undergoing cancer treatment, and informing hairdressers on how to support their clients going through experiences similar to hers.
She said that navigating her hair growth and treatment process with her hairdresser, who she had been seeing for years prior to her cancer diagnosis, was still difficult. “There are just so many unknowns – such as – ‘can I dye my hair and regrowth?'” she says.
Another area was how different her hair was when it grew back, which really surprised her. It was a journey that her and her hairdresser had to navigate – and learn – together. But having those conversations and being collaborative are key – and Style for Cancer aims to ensure longer-term care and support for those undergoing treatment, and informing hairdressers so that they can be a supportive person in their client’s journey.
Hairdresser Michael Kelly, who has partnered with Style for Cancer, notes that relationships with hairdressers can evolve for someone undergoing cancer treatment, like Jodie. “Everyone’s experience is so personal. What I’ve found over the years is that some people lean into their relationship with their hairdresser, and some people lean out, but I think, as a hairdresser, communication and understanding the right language and how involved or not involved to be, is important,” Michael says.
“That’s the decision the client makes, it’s not up to the hairdresser. We love our clients and we do develop very personal relationships with them, so when something devastating like cancer or any illness or any tragedy happens, you want to be there for them, that’s naturally what we do as hairdressers.
“An initiative like this is so important because it creates fundamental conversation points of what is appropriate to say.”