Beauty for the Sick
Yesterday, when I went to Action Hair Salon for a hair treatment session, my hairdresser told me the salon is sponsoring and providing hair stylists for Audi Fashion Festival Singapore 2009. That's really cool because Audi Fashion is the most happening fashion event in Singapore! But what I found even more impressive was the fact that National Cancer Centre Singapore is a recipient of the funds raised from the event. Firstly, raising funds for the less fortunate is always a noble cause, especially in this recession. Secondly, it’s a very novel concept. It is very seldom that people relate beauty to the sick.
But why should this be the case? I find it disheartening and unnerving to step into the hospital or clinic and see so many dead, haggard faces staring back at me. It reminds myself of my sickness and makes me feel worst. On the other hand, I believe they stare at me because I look absolutely glowing compared to them.
Life goes on even when one is sick. Unless you're too weak to hold up your make-up pouffe, why choose to look your worst when you can look better? Who knows, you may find that hot, single doctor extremely appealing, but with your drab-looking face, just-got-out-of-bed hair and ratty t-shirt, shorts and slippers, you wouldn’t possibly have the confidence to look him in the face, much less ask him out. Or you may meet a prospective client and you wouldn’t want him to remember you at your worst. Singapore is a small country and there is always a high chance you could bump into someone you know. I’m not sure what could be more depressing; that he sees you and doesn’t recognize you, or he starts raving about how ‘different’ you look from usual.
An even more important reason to maintain a happy and healthy image at all times is the psychological assurance that comes from a good self-image. A love for beauty is associated with a love for life. Looking good and feeling good about oneself does help to boost one’s recovery process. An optimistic patient who enjoys life to the fullest is likely to recover more quickly than a patient who drags himself out of the house for medical appointments and spends the rest of the day at home mopping around in bed clothes.
This psychological influence also extends to the people around us. For someone like me who’s always at the frontline interacting with customers, I always make sure I look my best, even when I’m recuperating from a sickness. If I’m well enough to go to work, I’m certainly well enough to perform my duties, but if I look off-colour, neither my employer nor clients would think I’m capable of doing my job. That said, if you’re well enough to get yourself out of the house, it can’t be too challenging to take a little effort to spruce up your image.
In my next post, I'll discuss simple ways to make yourself look less sickly. With the flu bug going around, there can't be a better time to share such information!
Kudos to Action Hair Salon and NCCS for reminding us of the relevance of beauty and confidence, even for cancer patients.
But why should this be the case? I find it disheartening and unnerving to step into the hospital or clinic and see so many dead, haggard faces staring back at me. It reminds myself of my sickness and makes me feel worst. On the other hand, I believe they stare at me because I look absolutely glowing compared to them.
Life goes on even when one is sick. Unless you're too weak to hold up your make-up pouffe, why choose to look your worst when you can look better? Who knows, you may find that hot, single doctor extremely appealing, but with your drab-looking face, just-got-out-of-bed hair and ratty t-shirt, shorts and slippers, you wouldn’t possibly have the confidence to look him in the face, much less ask him out. Or you may meet a prospective client and you wouldn’t want him to remember you at your worst. Singapore is a small country and there is always a high chance you could bump into someone you know. I’m not sure what could be more depressing; that he sees you and doesn’t recognize you, or he starts raving about how ‘different’ you look from usual.
An even more important reason to maintain a happy and healthy image at all times is the psychological assurance that comes from a good self-image. A love for beauty is associated with a love for life. Looking good and feeling good about oneself does help to boost one’s recovery process. An optimistic patient who enjoys life to the fullest is likely to recover more quickly than a patient who drags himself out of the house for medical appointments and spends the rest of the day at home mopping around in bed clothes.
This psychological influence also extends to the people around us. For someone like me who’s always at the frontline interacting with customers, I always make sure I look my best, even when I’m recuperating from a sickness. If I’m well enough to go to work, I’m certainly well enough to perform my duties, but if I look off-colour, neither my employer nor clients would think I’m capable of doing my job. That said, if you’re well enough to get yourself out of the house, it can’t be too challenging to take a little effort to spruce up your image.
In my next post, I'll discuss simple ways to make yourself look less sickly. With the flu bug going around, there can't be a better time to share such information!
Kudos to Action Hair Salon and NCCS for reminding us of the relevance of beauty and confidence, even for cancer patients.
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