On Cancer –Specific Products: An Unnecessary Balm? New York Times July 10, 2008
In the recent article in the New York Times, the author describes a new line of skin care treatment for cancer patients. It sounds like a good idea….no worse than the myriad of skin care products on the market for the rich and famous and for the not so rich and famous that promise softer, younger looking skin. One aspect that strikes me as strange is the sense that people with cancer should not be concerned with their appearances and that somehow vanity should have eluded those who are terminally or potentially terminally ill. With the onslaught of new medical treatments for cancer we live longer and with the treatment processes lasting longer the side effects are around longer. As a young person, I wonder what is wrong with looking younger while undergoing treatment for cancer…as an older and wiser person, I realize that vanity lives with us as long as we are alive and there is a market for products that cater to our vanity. We want to age gracefully and to ail gracefully. Doing so with beautiful skin is one way we can do it.
Medical Musings and Health Happenings is a blog about contemporary medical and health issues and notes on a variety of diseases and conditions. In this blog I try to present aspects of health and medicine that have occurred to me over the weeks and months. I hope you enjoy the perspectives and gain from the the information in this blog.
1 comment:
I agree. When my husband was dying of cancer, he was very concerned about how he looked and sounded. The bronchoscopy had left him very hoarse, and he was considering surgery to fix his vocal cords, even though it would not have mattered. Additionally, he used face make-up (with my help and advice) to cover the dark circles under his eyes, and when his hair fell out, he shaved his head and kept it trimmed close with a very expensive electric razor. He was not very young (but young enough) or particularly vain, but of course we all care terribly about how we present ourselves to the world. It is amazing how supportive cosmetic help and tips can be during these difficult times, for both persons who have treatable illnesses as well as those who are terminally ill. We owe it to them to help them feel better about themselves and certainly not to take the attitude that it doesn't matter! Thank you for your insight and caring.
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