Summary of the issue

Make-up and self-image during cancer treatment

You are being treated for cancer and you wish to maintain your family, social or even professional activities without having to suffer the gaze of others? Make-up can help you to mask the signs of fatigue, underline your eyebrows, give color to your face... Here are some tips.

Taking care of your skin on a daily basis during cancer

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Finding the right makeup

It's not uncommon for cancer treatments to have an impact on the skin. Whether you are being treated with radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, your skin is probably drier than usual. You may also have noticed that your complexion has changed, that it is less radiant, that redness has appeared... There is nothing to stop you from reducing these signs. But there is makeup and makeup: the one you should use is corrective makeup for sensitive skin adapted to your skin, which you can only find in pharmacies and parapharmacies.

Adopting gentle hygiene during cancer treatment

Get a healthy glow  

Signs of fatigue, dark circles, skin rashes... Your face can be marked by treatments. You can erase them in no time with makeup for sensitive skin.

Fluid corrective foundations will allow you to easily even out your complexion and blur the signs of fatigue. Apply with fingertips, a sponge or a makeup brush, starting in the center of the face and working outward. 

And don't forget: a touch of rosy powder on the cheekbones and a touch of colored lip balm are enough to make you look good in a flash.

Soothe acne-like breakouts during cancer treatment

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I had trouble looking at myself in the mirror and I didn't want my kids to see me like this. I decided to wear a wig and redesign my eyebrows.

Muriel

Make up lashes

Some treatments also affect the cells of the hair bulbs and can cause the lashes to fall out. While waiting for regrowth, it is possible to create an illusion

 

Des yeux fragilisés

La perte des cils fragilise les yeux, plus vulnérables à la lumière, la poussière... Le port des lunettes est plus que jamais recommandé en extérieur. Mais rien n'interdit de se maquiller les cils, en prenant quelques précautions.

Des cils en trompe l’œil  

Vous pouvez par exemple dessiner au ras de la paupière de petits points au crayon noir spécial yeux sensibles pour imiter la racine de vos cils, directement sur la paupière ou après un trait de crayon plus clair. Lorsqu'ils commenceront à repousser, choisissez un mascara haute tolérance pour intensifier votre regard en toute sécurité.

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Redraw the eyebrows

They structure your face and intensify your look. Before starting your treatment, you can practice drawing them with a correction pencil to become familiar with your eyebrow line. A photo can also help you to respect their original shape. 

Here are some tips to help you redesign your eyebrows:

               

  • The reference points: they start on the vertical line "wing of the nose - internal angle of the eye", and end on the diagonal line "wing of the nose - external angle of the eye". To avoid having a round or circumflex eyebrow, find the highest point of your eyebrow on the diagonal "angle of the nose - pupil".points de repères : ils commencent sur la verticale « aile du nez – angle interne de l’œil », et se terminent sur la diagonale « aile du nez – angle externe de l’œil ». Pour éviter d’avoir un sourcil rond ou en accent circonflexe, trouvez le point le plus haut de votre sourcil sur la diagonale « angle du nez – pupille ».
  • The pencil shade: use an eyebrow corrector pencil that matches the shade of your hair or your hairpiece, "blonde" for blonde to light brown hair, "brown" for brown to dark hair. And avoid black, which hardens the features, and gray, which ages the hair.
  • The line: for a more natural result, make small slanted lines as if you were drawing the hair one by one, powder to fix the correction and finish by blurring the line with the pencil brush.
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FRIENDLY (AND EXPERT) ADVICE

Taking an interest in makeup while undergoing cancer treatment is anything but superficial.

Is it time to talk about eyebrow pencils and foundation while fighting cancer? Of course, and it's even important. Health care teams know that this is a matter of self-image and that it has a significant impact on the motivation of patients. 

So don't hesitate to wear makeup if it makes you feel better. And not only to correct or camouflage: mosaic powders or embellishing balms also exist to enhance your complexion or your lips.

Don't dare or don't know where to start? You should know that some spas offer post-cancer cures, including corrective and medical make-up workshops for their patients. These workshops are open to both men and women to correct imperfections on the face and body.

The right gestures to hide the scars

This difficult period may leave some traces. But some medical make-up products will allow you to hide them. Corrective sticks, for example. Green will neutralize a red scar, yellow a purple mark and coral a brown scar. Next, layer a compact foundation cream on top, and set with a veil of translucent powder. Finish with a spray of thermal water and your scar will be camouflaged for the day.

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