Eye makeup tips during chemo?

HRwinter16

hi lovely people, I've been reading a thread from 2008 that had some really good tips on ways to look and feel good during eyelash and eyebrow loss, and I was wondering if anyone has any new suggestions on this? I have very pale skin and dark eyebrows so I'm wondering what it will feel like to lose my brows and trying to plan how to fill them in...

Thanks xo H

bella237

I used a brow gel (in a small) pot and stippled it on with a stiff angled brush. My esthetician recommend Anastasia brand or MAC be cause they are long lasting. Most people couldn't tell unless they were very close to me.

ElaineTherese

Hi!

My eyebrows and eyelashes are still sparse, and my last chemo was in December 2014! I just pencil in my eyebrows. I guess I could get them tattooed, but I'm not quite ready to go there yet. Also, I used to wear false eyelashes, but I've become very lazy and haven't bothered lately.

HRwinter16

thanks Bella! I'm planning to check out that Anastasia gel

And thanks Elaine - I'm not sure I'll have the skill required for false lashes anyway!

Hugs,

Heidi

loriekg

Hi...I've been using eyebrow pencil way before chemo as I've always had thin eyebrows. My tip would be to keep the pencil VERY sharp and use very short strokes to resemble actual hair. As far as lashes...it took me MUCH longer than I expected to get the hang of false eyelashes. But I feel 100 times better when I've got them on so I kept at it. You can look for tips and instructions on YouTube! I put a drop of glue on my counter, then with a pin (actually a long needle), lightly line the lash strip. Wait 30 seconds and then just BARELY touch the lashes to your eyelid. My problems came from using too much adhesive, or pressing too hard on my lids. Good luck! Lorie

Kicks

Look Good Feel Better. Contact you Facility to find out when they will be doing the next class or contact your local ACS for their next class. The BC Nurse Navigator at your Facility should have already discussed this with you!

At the class, you will be taught so much about makeup, skin care, hair/wig care by a professional. You will be given a 'Goody Bag' of name brand cosmetics that has been donated by major Name Brand manufacaturers.

At the class, you will be caught the point it's to use from 'drawing in' brows but you can also start practicing (while brows are still there) the 'feel' on the skin. I only lost about 1/2 of brows/lashes on neoadjuvant A/C but on adjuvant Taxol - the rest left. By then, I knew the 'right' feel so no problem. Never worried about lashes.

One of the best 'things' I got from my LGFB class was the Master Cosmetologist who was doing it also added a sample of OPI Nail Envy to each of us (not included in the Goody Bag) and it is fantastic for keeping nails - at least for me, I'll never be without it.

A few days before the class, my Nurse Navigator had given me a wig (still had my hair) that was cute though I didn't think it was 'me'. Hubby and Son both said the same thing (actually they laughed as NOT YOU at all)! I took it back with me to that class and there was a lady there who it was absolutely perfect for - she hadn't lost her hair yet and you could not really see a difference between when it was her hair or the wig. The Master Cosmetologist who was doing the class had a few weeks before gotten in a box of new wigs donated from manufacturer and there was one she didn't think she would ever find the 'right woman' for it - it is a frosted gypsy shag. I went to her Salon the next day and left with a great wig that was great for me. I was cut in a gypsy shag at the time (not frosted though) as I decided to go from my naturally dark almost waist length hair at DX to a shag as a step - so frosted wasn't a big jump. The other wig I got during TX was also a frosted but it was a really cute pixie. Hey - what the hey - everyone already knew for me, it was a wig or scarfs so I did whatever made me feel good at any particular time.

Scarves are very easy to make. To match any outfit or for different temperatures. Hubby (and Son) would go to fabric stores and wander around looking for material they thought 'looked like me' for 'dress' scarves or 'warm' scarves.

Sorry for getting so far off of eyebrows - but it's all part of what we go through.

HRwinter16

thank you kicks!

I love your wig and scarves idea... I got a wig today

Xo

ShetlandPony

I really like the Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof brow mousse with the double ended brush (soft bristles and spoolie). I'm no make-up guru, and it is easy to use, looks natural, and stays put until you use the eye makeup remover wipe. It gets a yellow 4 from EWG Skin Deep cosmetic safety web site, which is better than a lot of eyebrow makeup. It is possible you will keep enough brows to guide you, as I did. (I still use the makeup because my once-bold brows are now sparser because of my meds.) And eyeliner is a great stand-in for lashes.