The old “look good, feel good” philosophy has been around only about as long as the invention of the mirror.
When it comes to battling a health threat such as cancer, this saying becomes more relevant than ever.
In most cases, a strong connection between physical appearance and emotional well-being most definitely comes into play.
When everything appears normal for an individual, that can have a positive effect on self-esteem, improve mood and increase productivity. In today’s world, self-image means a lot.
That’s one of the reasons why Dona French and her Rituals Salon in Doylestown have become involved in hair care and overall appearance enhancement for people in this situation.
And they do it in a very safe way. More about that later.
French, a Doylestown resident, has connected with Kin Wellness and Support in Furlong to help out with such services for cancer survivors in the area.
It is truly a labor of love for French, who is well aware of the challenge of this insidious disease on a personal level.
She’s become so involved with this association that last year she decided to participate herself in Kin’s “Be Kind 5K,” part of the Bucks 5K Series.
This was a rewarding experience and gave her a chance to see more about the local support systems in place for recovering patients.
She was well aware how important it is for cancer survivors to look and feel like they did when things were normal.
“It’s the most important,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “I think working with the Kin patients has been great because of the like-mindedness. Kin does so much for cancer today. It’s so amazing. So we can live with it and be well with it.”
Being able to give back to the cause is a key for French.
“I was always looking for an intergrative approach to conventional medicine for my own health,” she explained.
French, a Central Bucks West High School graduate who grew up in Warrington, comes from a family which has a bit of heritage in the hair care line of work. Her grandmother was a hairdresser and that’s most likely where it all began for Dona.
“That’s probably where I got the passion,” she said. “I went to a tech school and when I graduated I started doing hair right away at a young age.”
French has been involved with this business since the ‘80s. In the past few decades, she has seen how the hair and makeup industry has made improvements in the contents of its products.
She’s a big believer in products such as the line generated by Aveda, which has mostly plant-based ingredients with vegan offerings. They have more “natural” ingredients. They’re just a healthier choice.
“We believe in this health-based philosophy,” French said. “We were one of the first salons to end smoking. So I think it’s important to have these natural products when patients are going through cancer. That’s when everyone is looking for that. Not only looking good but feeling well, too.”
She said she’s pleased with the advances which have been made. “So less toxic,” she said. “So much cleaner. So much healthier for the client.”
Running also can be a great way to deal with the disease and get back to a somewhat normal way of life.
French decided to give the Be Kind race a shot last year.
“I asked the girls at the salon if they wanted to do it with me,” she explained. “Kin (directed by Keith Fenimore) has been so great, such good people.
“I thought ‘I can do a 5K’ even though I’ve never done one. We got into it and we did it together. It was really fun.”
>Race calendar
Saturday
Shamrock Shuffle 5K, 9 a.m., Newtown. Contact www.runsignup.com
Leprechauns on the Links 8K/5K, 9 a.m., Yardley. Contact www.runsignup.com
Sunday
Shake Your Shamrock 8K/5K, 10 a.m., Lahaska. Contact www.scoogieevents.com
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