Cancer survivors to get basic 6-minute makeup sessions from nonprofit at Locust Valley salon
Zyta Piegari has been "battling [cancer] for 28 years” and the Jamesport resident is now being treated for metastatic breast cancer.
"My hair is growing a little," she said Tuesday as she awaited a special makeup session at Morel Hair Design in Locust Valley. Salon owner Jorge Hernandez would later style her short, bobbed gray wig, replacing the stylish silk headwrap she was wearing.
Piegari, 75, was excited about the session. "I think it's great. I think it's fun."
In the next chair over sat Tracy Winters, 61, of Port Washington, who also was going to get made up by a stylist as part of the launch of a new nonprofit's free makeup services for cancer survivors. Called The Basic Six, it's a beauty routine of "six products, six steps in six minutes," organizers said.
"In 2017, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, lost my hair," Winters said. Continuing with chemotherapy treatments meant more hair loss in 2019. "For me to stay alive, I'm always going to be on some kind of chemo. Right now I'm on an experimental study, so I'm not losing my hair."
Winters said The Basic Six program would fill a need for women going through cancer treatment. "I think a lot of people are very lost when they go through this. I was just in the hospital at Sloan two weeks ago," she said of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"A lot of these women going through the chemo, they lose their hair. It's very overwhelming. I'm older and it's still overwhelming. This is a way for people to feel better about themselves," she said.
And that is the purpose behind The Basic Six, said the nonprofit's president, June Bleich of Manhasset Hills. "It's something to make them feel great when they feel their worst. And The Basic Six is taking all of the frills out of makeup application and bringing it down to just six steps, six products and six minutes. So any woman going through cancer treatment who wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror and has no eyebrows, no lashes, no hair, can in six minutes redo themselves … Because nothing makes you feel worse than looking at a blank face."
Hernandez, of Huntington, the nonprofit's treasurer, and Tom Kechejian of Merrick, a semiretired hair stylist and cosmetologist, are both certified to provide cancer patients with makeup services. Kechejian, the group's vice president, is one of five founding members of The Basic Six.
Hernandez says the focus is "foundation, eyebrows, eyeliner, blush, lipstick. Our sixth step is the wig or head covering." He said the free program also could service Spanish-speakers. They expect to formally launch in a couple of weeks when Hernandez anticipates the calendar will be up on the website — thebasicsix.com. He said he anticipated scheduling people on Mondays, when the salon was normally closed, for the program. Anyone interested in getting additional information can call Bleich at 516-326-2201 or Hernandez at the salon at 516-676-7644.
Kechejian and Hernandez worked their magic on Piegari and Winters. They each set their timers for six minutes and got to work, winning applause when they finished from onlookers, including North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.
In the mix was Bleich's chocolate Lab, Molly, a therapy dog, who rounded out the audience.
DeSena said in an interview that she has been involved in the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer for many years. "So I know that there's so many ways to help improve the outcome," agreeing that helping a woman look better will help her feel better as well.
Zyta Piegari has been "battling [cancer] for 28 years” and the Jamesport resident is now being treated for metastatic breast cancer.
"My hair is growing a little," she said Tuesday as she awaited a special makeup session at Morel Hair Design in Locust Valley. Salon owner Jorge Hernandez would later style her short, bobbed gray wig, replacing the stylish silk headwrap she was wearing.
Piegari, 75, was excited about the session. "I think it's great. I think it's fun."
In the next chair over sat Tracy Winters, 61, of Port Washington, who also was going to get made up by a stylist as part of the launch of a new nonprofit's free makeup services for cancer survivors. Called The Basic Six, it's a beauty routine of "six products, six steps in six minutes," organizers said.
"In 2017, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, lost my hair," Winters said. Continuing with chemotherapy treatments meant more hair loss in 2019. "For me to stay alive, I'm always going to be on some kind of chemo. Right now I'm on an experimental study, so I'm not losing my hair."
Winters said The Basic Six program would fill a need for women going through cancer treatment. "I think a lot of people are very lost when they go through this. I was just in the hospital at Sloan two weeks ago," she said of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Jorge Hernandez, left, works on Zyta Piegari of Jamesport while Thomas Kechejian works on Tracy Winters of Port Washington in giving the cancer survivors The Basic Six at a Locust Valley salon on Tuesday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
"A lot of these women going through the chemo, they lose their hair. It's very overwhelming. I'm older and it's still overwhelming. This is a way for people to feel better about themselves," she said.
And that is the purpose behind The Basic Six, said the nonprofit's president, June Bleich of Manhasset Hills. "It's something to make them feel great when they feel their worst. And The Basic Six is taking all of the frills out of makeup application and bringing it down to just six steps, six products and six minutes. So any woman going through cancer treatment who wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror and has no eyebrows, no lashes, no hair, can in six minutes redo themselves … Because nothing makes you feel worse than looking at a blank face."
Hernandez, of Huntington, the nonprofit's treasurer, and Tom Kechejian of Merrick, a semiretired hair stylist and cosmetologist, are both certified to provide cancer patients with makeup services. Kechejian, the group's vice president, is one of five founding members of The Basic Six.
Hernandez says the focus is "foundation, eyebrows, eyeliner, blush, lipstick. Our sixth step is the wig or head covering." He said the free program also could service Spanish-speakers. They expect to formally launch in a couple of weeks when Hernandez anticipates the calendar will be up on the website — thebasicsix.com. He said he anticipated scheduling people on Mondays, when the salon was normally closed, for the program. Anyone interested in getting additional information can call Bleich at 516-326-2201 or Hernandez at the salon at 516-676-7644.
Kechejian and Hernandez worked their magic on Piegari and Winters. They each set their timers for six minutes and got to work, winning applause when they finished from onlookers, including North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.
In the mix was Bleich's chocolate Lab, Molly, a therapy dog, who rounded out the audience.
DeSena said in an interview that she has been involved in the Manhasset Women's Coalition Against Breast Cancer for many years. "So I know that there's so many ways to help improve the outcome," agreeing that helping a woman look better will help her feel better as well.
