"Look Good, Feel Better": The Self-Makeup Workshop That Boosts Self-Esteem Among Cancer Patients at Serena del Mar Hospital
The initiative is led by the Serena del Mar Hospital Cancer Institute and the “Rosas & Ángeles Foundation” through its “Look Good, Feel Better” program.
The Self-Makeup Workshop was held this Thursday, May 25, at Serena del Mar Hospital and was attended by more than 10 patients undergoing cancer treatment
With the quality of life of its patients as a priority—thanks to care focused on oncological well-being from physical, spiritual, and emotional perspectives—Serena del Mar Hospital, through its Cancer Institute, held the “Look Good, Feel Better” Self-Makeup Workshop this Thursday, May 25. The event, attended by more than 10 cancer patients, focused on strengthening self-esteem, self-image, and self-love—which serve as a protective mechanism against the processes of loss.
“Wellness activities for our patients are one of the main priorities of the Serena del Mar Hospital Cancer Institute. Through these self-makeup classes, we want to highlight the importance of self-care and self-love that cancer patients develop throughout their journey, despite the impact that losing their hair and eyebrows and other changes in their physical appearance have on them,” said Dr. Angelina Álvarez, Coordinator of the Cancer Institute.
In this activity, makeup classes are not viewed as a means to an end but rather as an end in themselves for the final presentation of the patients’ image. It is an option that allows women to reframe that moment of loss as a form of coping.
“Specifically, it involves establishing a connection between the feelings of loss and grief that arise following a cancer diagnosis in women and the reframing of strategies that promote quality of life through their sexuality. This doesn’t necessarily mean sexual intercourse; it also includes self-love and the possibility of experiencing eroticism, whether individually or as a couple. It’s about feeling a genuine sense of well-being regarding what they see in the mirror, but also how they feel emotionally in that moment,” said Raissa Diaz Cáceres, a psychologist at Serena del Mar Hospital.
This Self-Makeup Workshop aims to help participants understand makeup as a moment of individuality and the result of a natural, adaptive response—the product of a process of change and transformation that allows them to value and validate self-care as a form of protection against pain.
“These kinds of activities help us build self-esteem and resilience because we’re weaving together knowledge based on the experiences of others,” says Cindy García, a patient at the Serena del Mar Hospital Cancer Institute.
The workshop was led by the “Rosas & Ángeles Foundation,” which has been working for more than 12 years with clinics and hospitals in Cartagena that provide care to cancer patients. The foundation currently runs the international program “Look Good, Feel Better,” which is being implemented in 14 cities across Colombia.
At Serena del Mar Hospital, cancer patients receive care from the time of their diagnosis through to the restoration of their well-being and quality of life. All under one roof.
