TotalBeauty.com readers are lending their precious time to the cause this year, like these two gals:
"I like to volunteer to help support breast cancer awareness!" -- Ankita
"Volunteering at a local marathon and donating money!" -- Tonesia
Photo 12/12
Giving Back to Yourself
And last but not least, one TotalBeauty.com reader reminds us to be the watchdog of our own health:
"Don't forget to do self breast exams." -- Heather
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide and about 465,000 will die from the disease, so whether we like it or not, we're still forced to think pink throughout October. From Snuggies to hair straightners, everyone and their mother jumps on the pink bandwagon to create beauty products and beyond that, donate a part of their proceeds to breast cancer research and other organizations that support women dealing with breast cancer. Now don't get us wrong, we're all for it and we've even been doing a pink beauty products blog series -- a roundup of some of the best products we think you should snag that support the cause. But, we're also curious what you're doing beyond buying BCA beauty products. So we put out our Facebook-feelers to see how friends, real women, companies and celebrities alike are helping to save the ta-tas this year. From literally racing for the cure to dying your hair pink, you're proud to share what you're doing -- and we're impressed.
And for those of you who have been directly affected by breast cancer (or know someone who has), here are some helpful tips and beauty advice from salon owner and breast cancer survivor, Ouidad, on how to look and feel good while you're fighting breast cancer:
Tip 1: Skin will have a yellow tint from chemo, so use a bronzer with a pink tint to balance your skin color. Tip 2: Hair tends to lose pigmentation, often growing in gray and curly. Wait at least six months post-chemo to have a color treatment done to prevent damage of new growth. Tip 3: Visually prepare for hair loss by cutting hair shorter to minimize the drastic effect of losing hair. (See 13 ways to style short hair.) Tip 4: With new hair growth, do deep treatments every two weeks to feed and strengthen hair. Frequent deep conditioning is necessary to replenish nutrients, allowing each strand to regain its internal weight and body.
So, even if you haven't been as proactive as the ladies on this list, we're pretty sure that you'll be inspired to help the cause after you see how people are giving back this year.