Aesthetician Dalia Reichbart applies a mask to breast cancer survivor Annie Rolle of Fort Lauderdale
at the Spa Care Center in Boca Raton.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Linda Haase
For Susan Karsin, there’s nothing like a spa visit to relax and rejuvenate. That was, until she had disfiguring surgery to combat skin cancer.
“I had just had surgery on my nose and it was so devastating. I had to have a good part of it removed. There was a huge scar and it was all discolored,” recalls the 72-year-old Boca Raton resident. “I have a lot of scars on my body from other surgeries for skin cancer. It’s a normal reaction for people to look, but I felt uncomfortable, like I was being judged.”
So, she gave up her beloved spa treatments. But when she discovered the Spa Care Center, an oncology spa whose owners say it is one of a kind, she got her ahh back.
“This is a little jewel. It is like heaven on Earth. It’s so nice to come here and not worry about being judged by anyone,” she says about the Boca Raton facility. “It’s a very intimate, peaceful, private place and the technicians know what products to use and how to treat people who have cancer, which is so important.”
This 1,200-square-foot oasis, which opened on Federal Highway in January, is the brainchild of Melanie and Pierre Jeanteur. The couple have been touched by the disease: Melanie’s parents are cancer survivors; Pierre’s father is an oncology researcher in France.
Melanie’s mom, who had breast cancer, lamented that there wasn’t a spa where she felt comfortable and could receive treatments by technicians who knew the needs of cancer patients. That gave the couple an idea: Open a soothing salon and offer personalized treatments for women and men undergoing cancer therapy incorporating organic and vegan products that take into account the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
Services include manicures, pedicures, massages, reflexology and permanent makeup, geared toward a client’s particular situation. For example, Jeanteur says, technicians have been trained to work on someone who has a port and know not to cut cuticles so they won’t bleed or get infected. “People trust us. They know we understand their situation,” she says.
The goal, she says, is to help cancer patients “gather up mental and psychological resources to help them better cope with the illness. It is a place for them to come and be themselves, relax and feel better.”
And, she says, home services are available for those who aren’t feeling well enough to go out.
Anyone who has had cancer knows how devastating it can be. It’s draining — mentally, physically and emotionally. And sometimes the physical changes sparked by treatments cause even more despair.
That’s one of the reasons the American Cancer Society offers its Look Good Feel Better program. The free, two-hour monthly workshops, available throughout Palm Beach County, including Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, teach female patients beauty techniques that help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments.
“It goes beyond how to take care of your skin and apply makeup. This is an opportunity for women to be with other women who are experiencing the same physical and emotional thing,” says American Cancer Society mission delivery specialist Tracy Kerwin.
The workshops are led by licensed cosmetologists like Julie Jukich, who runs the program at Lynn Cancer Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Participants get cosmetic kits filled with about $300-$350 worth of skin care and makeup — and an ego boost.
“We put on a complete face, but people also let their fears out or talk about how positive they are,” says Jukich, owner of The Studio in Boca Raton. “It provides space for women to be with and support each other and have the conversations that need to be had while going through such a traumatic experience.”
They also learn how to care for their skin after the side effects from chemo and radiation, how to paint on eyebrows or make it look like they have eyelashes when theirs fall out and how to wear a turban or wig.
“Sometimes the disease becomes really real for people when they look in the mirror and see their hair is gone, their eyebrows are gone. That can be a very scary moment,” she says.
After five years of facilitating workshops, Jukich knows this: “Everyone feels a little lighter, a little happier when they leave.”
The American Cancer Society also offers free wigs and mastectomy bras at its Boca Raton office at 141 NW 20th St.
“Sometimes women like to practice and get the wig ahead of time. It can be intimidating to put on a wig, but we make it fun,” explains Kerwin. “Maybe they want to be a blonde today, and a redhead tomorrow. It’s all possible here.”
And for those late night questions, panic attacks or anything else, the organization offers a 24/7 help line (800-227-2345).
With the organization’s estimate of 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States this year — and 585,720 cancer deaths, every bit of support is welcome.
• For more information or to sign up for a Look Good, Feel Better workshop, visit americancancersociety.org or call 800-227-2345.
• For more information on Spa Care Center, visit www.spacarecenter.com/ or call 465-5070. The spa offers free manicures for men or women undergoing cancer treatments the first Sunday of the month. An appointment is required.
Linda Haase is a freelance writer who knows all too well about health issues because she’s struggled with a few of her own. She’s on a quest to learn — and share — all she can about how to get and stay healthy. She can be reached at lindawrites76@gmail.com
Comments