Sharsheret Launches Program Addressing the Cosmetic Needs of Young Women Facing Breast Cancer

Hackensack, New Jersey (July 27, 2004) — Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women facing breast cancer, has launched Best Face Forward, a new program to help young women address the cosmetic side effects of breast cancer treatments. More than 250,000 women under 40 in the United States are currently living with breast cancer. Side effects of standard radiation and chemotherapy treatments include hair loss, thinning eyebrows and eyelashes, dry skin, and changes in skin tone.

“Young women undergoing treatment for breast cancer are working, dating, and socializing, and they are often concerned about changes in their appearance,” said Elana Silber, Sharsheret’s Program Coordinator. “Best Face Forward will address these concerns in a program designed to be convenient, one of the fundamentals of all of Sharsheret’s services.”

Sharsheret will mail Best Face Forward kits to women participating in the organization’s national peer support network in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October 2004). Each kit includes resource materials addressing the side effects of cancer treatment as well as a small cosmetics bag containing personal care products and a cosmetics application card. The cosmetics card, designed by make-up artist Adina Fand, provides easy-to-follow application instructions and tips for those facing hair loss and changes in skin tone.

The Best Face Forward Program was made possible by contributions from Palladio Beauty Group, H & M Cosmetics, Newport Sales and a gift from the Fand and Silber families in honor of Honey Engel.

Since the organization’s founding in 2001, Sharsheret has received over 3,000 phone calls from young women affected by breast cancer, women’s organizations, health care professionals, and others across the country. Sharsheret’s services include:

· The Link Program, a peer support network connecting young women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing breast cancer with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences.
· Education and Outreach Programs, including health care symposia addressing the concerns of young women facing breast cancer. Recent events addressed the subjects of breast cancer and fertility, the care of young children with a parent living with breast cancer, and breast cancer genetics. Transcripts of all symposia are available on Sharsheret’s website, www.sharsheret.org.
· Quality of Life Programs that enhance the quality of life for young women living with breast cancer.

For more information about Sharsheret or Best Face Forward, please contact Program Coordinator Elana Silber toll-free at (866) 474-2774.