News
May 3rd
Cancer sufferers helped to look great... and feel great
The four women transformed
29 April 2008
By Chris Bond
THEY could be any group of friends enjoying an afternoon of pampering, but for Jane Margerum, Sue Dawson, Ulrike Grigoleit and Caroline Mitchell, yesterday's beauty makeover was extra special – for they are all battling against cancer.
The four women, who have all lost their hair during chemotherapy, had their nails and make-up done by beauty experts, chose wigs cut by Tony and Guy stylists, and it didn't cost them a penny.
The event, held at the Marriott Hotel, Leeds, was organised by Caroline Monk to raise awareness for Caroline's Campaign, which she set up "to make women who are going through cancer feel and look beautiful".
Each of the four women was nominated by friends or family who responded to an article in the Yorkshire Post earlier this month asking readers to contact Caroline, who has herself fought against cancer.
Caroline wrote about her experience for a national magazine and started her campaign after being inundated with letters and emails from fellow cancer sufferers.
"I couldn't believe how many women wrote to me not because they were scared of dying, but because their hair had fallen out and they felt depressed about the way they looked."
She enlisted everyone from cosmetic experts to wigmakers to help give the women a day to remember.
"I want to show that cancer doesn't have to be all doom and gloom and if you can make people look fantastic then they're more likely to feel fantastic," said Caroline, who is also patron of the Pink Ribbon Campaign.
Having already organised makeover days in London and Birmingham she hopes to hold similar events all over the country. "I'm going to try and get this out to as many cities as possible and show that women with cancer can look glamorous.
"I've been funding this by myself but I would love some sponsorship and perhaps I could even get the NHS on board."
For the women themselves, yesterday's makeover was a welcome respite from gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. Jane Margerum, who works for an insurance brokers in Bradford, was first diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago but after an initial recovery it returned.
"You have good days and bad days and there are times when the treatment seems never-ending. One of the worst things about cancer is losing your hair because you lose your confidence, but this makes you feel really good about yourself," she said.
Sue Dawson, from Holmfirth, was nominated by friends in the ladies' choir she sings in after being diagnosed in January. "Nobody knows what the outcome will be, but you have to be positive and in a way this makes you forget about the cancer.
"It gives you a real boost to know that people care enough to help you even though they've never met you before. It's given me the confidence to have my photo taken bald which I would never have done before."
Ulrike Grigoleit, a teacher trainer who lives in Baildon, near Bradford, was diagnosed with cancer last summer but said after all the hardships and hospital visits, the makeover was like an early Christmas present.
"When you go through chemo it's easy to feel down afterwards but something like this makes you feel normal again, I think a bit of pampering is good for the soul."
Caroline Mitchell, a screen writer for the TV soap Emmerdale, believes if you feel good about yourself it can make a big difference.
"It don't really like being the centre of attention and when I lost my hair I felt quite self-conscious about going out to meetings so I tended to work from home.
"But this is one of the first days since I was diagnosed that I don't feel like someone who's ill and it's allowed me to forget about the aches and pains and when I need to take the next tablet."
April 21st
Well here we go. Next Monday 28th April my make-over day in Leeds and I'm so excited! I've picked four wonderful ladies who were nominated through The Yorkshire Post. We have Jane Margerum who is 50 two days after the event so she'll look fab for her birthday, Sue Dawson the lovely lady who sings for her local choir, Caroline Mitchell who will be 40 the next day and Ulrike Grigoleit who was nominated by her nurse.
I can't believe how wonderful people have been. I am funding this myself so rely solely on the kindness of others. TONI&GUY will be styling the wigs will be letting my team use their salons for the make over www.toniandguy.com, the wigs are all being donated by Trends wigs in Leeds www.webwigs.co.uk, Planet are giving all the ladies an outfit of their choice with accessories www.planet.co.uk, Eastthorpe Hall have given the ladies a lovely day at the spa with treatments, lunch and pink champas www.eastthorpe.co.uk, Karen Betts will be making the ladies look fab by using permanent makeup for the eyebrows www.karenbetts.co.uk, and The Leeds Marriott Hotel have kindly let me have a room for all the ladies family and friends and press with beverages www.leedsmarriott.co.uk. I will be videoing the event and will have lots of photos to put up on my website. Wish me luck!
News
Hi there. It's seems at long last to have all come together. TONI & GUY have come aboard and have generously let me and my team use their salons. Our first stop is Leeds on 28th April. So far I have a piece in The Yorkshire Post coming out next week and Radio Leeds wants me and the lucky ladies to come on their show.
We are asking people to nominate through the Yorkshire Post who they think deserves a make over. I am very busy now trying to get this all together and will be updating any new developments.
If anyone wants to get involved please let me know.
Check out http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/people/Fighting-to-see-the-beauty.3937809.jp
Ta ta for now xxxx
News
Sutton Coldfield Observer
Aileene got star treatment at salon
28 December 2007
A Sutton woman with breast cancer has been given the star treatment
thanks to the agony aunt of a women's magazine.
Aileen Dinnes, from Worcester Close in Four Oaks, won the chance to
have a makeover at a specialist salon in Kingstanding, after a woman
she had never met before nominated her."I couldn't believe it when I
got the call," she said.
"I was nominated by Julie Robinson from Breakthrough Breast Cancer
after she had heard about me from my husband, Sandy.
"Through his work Sandy has raised a lot of funds for the charity and
Julie has been really supportive to him because it's been very
emotional for him going through it too."
Aileen, 38, was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006, seven
weeks after giving birth to her son, Alexander.
After a long and painful period of chemotherapy she called the
makeover experience 'fantastic'.
"I'm absolutely delighted," she said.
"It was a lovely day and the confidence the ladies at the salon give you is just wonderful.
I wish I had known about Pink before.
"For me the makeover was fantastic and about letting other ladies know
what services are available at a time when we are feeling the worst.
"I have had tremendous support throughout my illness from Breast
Friends and Home Start in Sutton."
The makeovers are part of Caroline's Campaign, which is a project
being run and funded entirely by Closer magazine columnist, Caroline Monk.
Caroline was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and decided she
wanted to help other women with cancer to feel glamorous again.
As part of Caroline's Campaign, she plans to go around the whole of
the UK to carry out these makeovers and chose Pink Hair in Hawthorn
Road to fulfil this mission in Birmingham.
She invited people in the city to nominate someone in their life who
was going through chemotherapy and deserved to be pampered for the
day.
All the ladies were treated to a free facial, manicure, pedicure,
haircut, permanent cosmetic eyebrows and make-up.
Caroline, who was in Birmingham to meet the four lucky ladies, said:
"The interest in the campaign has been unbelievable.
"It's something I dreamed up when I was ill and I have had no funding
so it's taken me a long time to get here.
"Caroline's Campaign is about making women who are going through
cancer feel and look beautiful.
"I know what the effects of chemotherapy can do to you inside and out
and take away all that feels feminine.
"It's just incredible what some good make-up and a wig can do, and it
adds to the recovery."
News
Caroline’s Campaign have teamed up with the Pink Ribbon Foundation and CharityGreetings.com to raise funds for Caroline’s Campaign and to help the many breast cancer charities in the UK fight against breast cancer.
Please spread more joy by sending Caroline’s Campaign Christmas Charity Greetings! For the special price of just £2.99 you can send 20 Christmas Charity Greetings.
Your Charity Greeting is 'virtually' posted online through your friend's email letterbox. It’s like getting the real thing, without any paper waste, stamps or postal delays.
Go to http://www.charitygreetings.com/pinkribbonxmas and start to send your festive greetings!
News
POSITIVE THINKING STOPPED CANCER BEATING ME,
POSITIVE THINKING AND A PRETTY, BRAVE FACE STOPPED ME BEING BEATEN BY KILLER DISEASE -
By Victoria Kennedy
FOR most women, a diagnosis of breast cancer is the start of a long painful struggle. Caroline Monk chose to see her encounter with the killer as a challenge - and 
she rose to it, beautifully!
Caroline Monk
The former PR girl jokes darkly that she saw it as a chance to lose a few pounds and change her hairstyle.
She laughs: "When the doctor told me all that was going through my head was 'oh my God I'm going to get a couple of new fake tits, new hair (I'd dyed it so much I wanted to start again) and lose weight' - I thought cancer made you skinny."
The reality was different. Caroline, who discovered the lump on her left breast while she was playing with a necklace, was diagnosed with aggressive grade III cancer.
She lost all her hair after her second dose of chemotherapy. Her once-beautiful nails became brittle and she put ON a stone and a half as a result of the steroids she was taking - pushing her weight up to 101/2st. The truth of what she was going through sank in.
"I felt fat, ugly and bald," the 36-year-old admits. "You feel sorry for yourself and depressed so you just sit at home and eat. You think 'who cares if you're fat or not?'so you let yourself go a little bit."
But she wasn't down for long. Early in her treatment Caroline made a conscious effort to always make sure she looked her best when other people saw her - and it made her feel more positive. Her theory was: your looks might sound like the least of your worries when you're fighting cancer but actually they can affect the way you handle the disease.
She remembers: "I realised I looked like someone who was dying, so I thought 'I've got to change this'. I went out and bought some false eyelashes, false nails and wore a long fringe to hide my non-existent eyebrows. Even though I was ill I could go out and no one knew.
"I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me. And the way to stop that is to look your best.
"When you look in the mirror and see you're ill you feel ill. But if you look in the mirror and look good you feel good." Caroline, who now writes an agony aunt column for a magazine, broke up with her fiance - TV presenter Matthew Wright - at the end of her treatment. "A lot of relationships break up when you go through something like this," she says. But today she looks radiant.
"I just say to women get up, have a shower and put on full make-up," advises Caroline, who got a tattoo of a star on her back to celebrate being in remission.
"If you sit around you just get depressed. When I put on weight I bought smock tops to disguise my weight.
"I'd put my wig, fur coat and sunglasses on and strut my stuff and I got more wolf whistles when I had cancer than I had before. It's because I didn't care, I just worked it."
It was around this time Caroline had an idea.
Women going through this should be able to have beauty experts they can turn to who can help them continue to look good.
She has teamed up with hairdresser Anita Cox and Champneys make-up artists to run the first Breast Cancer Makeover Masterclass day in London. She now wants to take it around Britain. It will mean that salons around the country will offer beauty advice and, trained hairdressers to cut cancer sufferers' wigs.
"Only certain hairdressers are trained to cut wigs so it's my aim to get as many salons as possible to come on board and do it for free,"
Caroline explains. "Losing your hair is on one of the worst things you can go through as a woman. It takes all your femininity away.
"When I got cancer I actually thought 'yes I can go and get some nice wigs'. I bought long ones, short ones, blonde ones, red ones - every colour you can imagine. But by the second month I thought 'if I have to put another wig on I'm going to kill myself'. I used to go home, throw them on the floor and kick them around the house.
"I'd get so hot in them and they were so itchy. I once set a wig on fire when I was cooking, it went on the hob and blew up.
"But if you get a short wig that's cut to the way your hair used to look, no one's got to know you had cancer to start with.
"At the start I was going out looking like a transvestite Dolly Parton. I needed help. I don't want anyone to make the same mistakes!"
The cancer makeovers
These three women all attended the first Breast Cancer Makeover Masterclass at Anita Cox's salon in London. As you can see from the results, having the disease doesn't have to affect your looks.
My hair fell out at night in clumps
ISABEL Graham, 69, from London, is retired.
I had to have two lumpectomies followed by chemo and radiotherapy.
It meant my boobs ende d up smaller - I used to be a D cup but now one is an A and the other is a B.
It was a shock when I woke and saw clumps of my hair had fallen out on my pillow.
But I bought two wigs and tried to enjoy the new look.
My hair grew back curly but I loved it because I'm the only one in my family with straight hair.
You've got to tr y to keep a sense of humour through it.
It's so nice to come here today. My hair looks amazing. I also love the make-up, they've taught me how to accentuate my eyes.
I'm now in remission. After ever ything I've been through it's nice to finally pamper myself.
I lost a lot of confidence after chemo
JENNY Parryag, 43, who works in the cabin crew for British Airways, lives in London.
I WAS on holiday in Barbados for my 40th bir thday when I discovered a lump underneath my right breast. It turned out the cancer had spread to my spine. I had chemo and radiotherapy and lost all my 
hair.
It was shocking because it used to be shoulder-length. I remember meeting up with old school friends I hadn't seen for years and they said 'but why did you cut off all your lovely hair?'
I lost a lot of confidence. When my hair grew back it was curly. It was strange because I thought 'that's just not me'.
Today has been fantastic because they've taught me what to do with my new hair - I never knew it could look this good. They've also taught me a te chnique for how to fill in my eyebrows.
My cancer is now under control and speaking to people today has helped me get my confidence back.
I didn't know who it was in the mirror
REAGAN Ludwigsen, 35, a businesswoman, lives in Brentford, Middx, with husband Harry, also 35, a teacher.
I HAD a partial mastectomy in my right breast and a full mastectomy in my left one. Af terwards my self confidence was knocked. I didn't think I'd miss them but I do. I now notice people's breasts - they seem to be everywhere!
I used to have hair down to my waist so it was hard when it fell out.
I couldn't look at myself in the mirror because I didn't know who I was looking at. And if I did I'd just see how dreadful I looked. I got married half-way through chemo so I had to wear a wig. I didn't have any eyelashes or eyebrows.
When I look back at the pictures I'm shocked. My hair has star ted to grow back now and it's been great to have a makeover. I can't believe it's me.
It has definitely helped my confidence. I feel like I've been made pretty for the day. I want to go out and party!
When you look in the mirror and see you're ill, you feel ill. But if you look good you feel good
Give yourself a feelgood makeover
Top tips from hair and beauty expert Anita Cox
USE THE RIGHT PRODUCTS ON YOUR HAIR
Pre and during chemo use a shampoo for sensitive hair like Kerastase. After the chemo use a product that strengthens hair.
BUY A WIG
Get one that's as close to what your hair was like but remember you normally need to take them to a hairdresser who can cut wigs to finish them off. They cut it on your head for length and shape.
REPLACE YOUR EYELASHES
Chemo can make your lashes fall out so buy fake ones. You can buy them from the chemist.
GET SOME COLOUR IN YOUR CHEEKS
Even if you've got no hair, make up can make you look amazing. Be bold and confident.
DON'T LET YOURSELF GO
There will be down times but make the effort when you can to put some effort into you. It'll make you feel better in the long run.
Caroline Campaign Tattoos
Get your Rose Tattoo transfers online !
For just £6.00 inc p/p you get 3 great temporary transfer tattoos.
Buy them online via PayPal's secure online shop.
Birmingham Master Class
This Christmas Caroline's Campaign will make it very special for a few well deserving women currently going through Cancer. I will be coming to Birmingham on 10th December hosting a make over class especially structured for women who have lost their hair through chemotherapy. I will have a team of volunteers who have given up their time to make these special women feel and look beautiful.
For further information on how to become involved please see the events page
THEY PINK IT’S ALL OVER?
Caroline Monk and Rebecca Lowe help the Kombat Breakers kick breast cancer into touch!
It’s drawing to the end of Breast Cancer awareness month and star performers and celebrities are getting together at The Plaza Shopping Centre on Oxford Street to create the biggest pink extravaganza yet!
Friday 26th October is Breast Cancer Campaign’s National wear it pink day and The Plaza is pulling out all the stops to host the brightest pink party in the capital. An amazing array of people are getting together to support the event including the Kombat Breakers, a recent hit from ITV’s Britain’s got talent, Caroline monk, otherwise known as ‘Monkey’, agony aunt for Closer Magazine and Rebecca Lowe, football presenter and reporter from Setanta Sports.
The event will kick start with the Kombat Breakers opening the show at 12pm at The Plaza. The crew of 7 is sure to pull in a big crowd as they mix break-dance and street into an explosive fusion of irresistibly eye catching entertainment that even impressed Simon Cowell! The Playboy girls in pink will also be spicing things up as they mingle with shoppers.
Breast Cancer affects many women all over the world and the guests who are supporting the day have very real reasons behind wanting to combat breast cancer. Caroline who has been affected by the disease herself has since been involved in much charity work as Patron of the Pink Ribbon Foundation and assisted in the launch of ‘inthePINK’ magazine.
“I'm so happy Breast Cancer chose pink as their colour,” Commented Caroline. She continued, “I would have been devastated if it was brown since most of my wardrobe is pink! I am happy to support this campaign as I believe in woman power and beating this crappy disease".
Keith Brushneen, Centre Manager at The Plaza, echoed her sentiments, “I am genuinely warmed by the response we have received from everyone who wants to help make this day a success for this worthy cause. The money we raise will go a long way to help fund breast cancer research and the campaign has an amazing potential to benefit the lives of millions of women”
Breast Cancer affects around one in nine British women and wear it pink is dedicated to generating vital funds so Breast Cancer Campaign can continue researching the cure for breast cancer. The day is essentially about getting together to help generate funds and promote breast awareness and early detection, which is absolutely crucial for all women.
Please do come down to The Plaza from 12pm – 1.30pm to enjoy the show, meet these inspiring personalities and support this fantastic charity. Please give generously to support the fight against breast cancer.
For more information on the breast cancer campaign for wear it pink and how you can get involved click onto the official website www.wearitpink.co.uk.
Make up Classes
After going through breast cancer myself at the age of 34, I know exactly what you need to make you feel half human again. I really want to help Women be as glamorous as they can during and after Cancer treatments. So I’m going to be setting up make over classes to help women through this time.
One of the worst things during Chemotherapy is hair loss and the loss of eye lashes and eye brows. Looking in the mirror can be quite frightening. I learnt how to pick the right wigs, wear the right make up and it aided to my recovery. Sometimes the small things can really help.
One of my aims is to first encourage hairdressers all over the UK to cut wigs for free if possible. That would be an amazing help.
Caroline’s Campaign will be coming to a main city near you soon.
For further information on how to become involved please see the events page
Caroline Campaign Tattoos
Get your Rose Tattoo transfers online !
For just £6.00 inc p/p you get 3 great temporary transfer tattoos.
Buy them online via PayPal's secure online shop.
