“If we can face life challenges feeling good about ourselves, we can often meet those challenges with more clarity, more determination, and more understanding.  At no time is such love of self more important than when fighting cancer.  Yet many women find their love of self becomes compromised by the emotions stirred when they find a bald, sick-looking person staring back at them in them mirror.”

The above is an excerpt of an article I wrote titled “Loving Our Bald Selves” that appears in Coping with Cancer magazine that is currently posted on Coping With Cancer’s website homepage. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my message about the potential emotional upheaval experienced by women with medical hair loss and about the need for greater awareness and understanding of those emotions in the context of cancer treatment and support.  I hope you will read the entire article, available at Coping Magazine’s web site, just below Meridith Baxter’s photo and her story about being a breast cancer survivor.

Susan Beausang, Founder and President 4Women.com

At four years of age the majority of kids have conquered some of life’s most important skills: talking, walking, potty training and maybe even a bit of reading and writing!  If your parents are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, however, your four year old skills may include a keen fashion sense which has reportedly fueled the collection of a pint-sized wardrobe valued at over 3 million dollars!  There has been considerable backlash from the Hollywood community over Suri’s amassed wardrobe and  other daring moves in the name of fashion, such as Suri’s new high heeled shoes.  Homes and Cruise’s publicist deny the multi-million dollar wardrobe claims.  Apparently Suri loves dressing up and anyone that has encountered the will of a 4year old knows how confrontational choosing the days outfits can become. The budding fashionista has also helped her beautiful Mom get dressed in designer duds as well.  Already at 4, Sure is a highly publicized female fashion icon. The Cruise family is constantly hounded by paparazzi and discussion of their wardrobes can make daily headlines. In 2009 they were named one of the best dressed families in Hollywood.

Katie  is viewed in our society as a model of beauty, grace, style and self-confidence and  pages of  magazines and fashion web sites have been adorned with pictures of Holmes wearing a wide variety of beautiful head scarves. Her love of head scarves did not go unnoticed  by 4Women.com, as surely it did not go unnoticed by the millions of women with medical hair loss all over the world.    We all know the importance of role models in teaching us to love and accept ourselves and at  no time is such love of self more important than while battling cancer and experiencing medical hair loss.  We got to thinking that Katie’s love of head scarves could possibly provide women without hair an important role model.  As women, we tend to do a lot of comparing.  We evaluate our appearance, our clothing, our professional achievements largely depending on how they measure up to those of the women around us, often our peers, or to the images we see in the media.

So,  several months ago, we sent Katie and Suri matching Black and Bloom beaubeaus™ (our signature scarf) and matching transitional scarves with a promise from her publicist that the scarves would be delivered.  We tried to convey to Katie the impact she could have on women and girls with medical hair loss by simply wearing one of our favorite head scarves!   Women are constantly barraged by a plethora of visual messages about how we should look and celebrities often provide women with fashion role models, as we try and emulate their style and manner of dress.

But is it possible that a fashionista such as Katie Holmes (and even little Suri!)wearing a simple  head scarf can really offer confidence to the follically impaired?    Celebrities in headscarves may think they are just stylishly covering up a bad hair day, but in fact, their public display of head coverings is helping the millions of women who suffer medical hair loss rebuild the self esteem they lost. So by Halle Barry simply covering her head before a trip to the spa, or Katie Holmes sporting a beautiful silk headscarf by the pool, women without hair see that there is a fashionable and comfortable option that is not viewed as a medical necessity!

Head scarves have historically been viewed as a fashionable accessory that can add style and character  to any outfit and seems to be eternally in vogue! Look at the influence that Jackie Kennedy had on women and fashion as she donned her infamous kerchief scarf and large sunglasses.  50 years ago, Kennedy changed fashions with her classic pill box hat and made wearing the kerchief an acceptable head covering for church.  It is definitely not too far fetched to believe that one person can make a difference!   Today,  Katie Holmes is not the only celeb to flaunt the use of head scarves.  Nicole Ritchie is often photographed wearing a headband scarf as well as Rhinanna,  Jennifer Lopez, Halle Barry, Victoria Beckman and yes even Keith Richards!

Katie, if you are reading this, please grab your Black and Bloom beaubeau™ the next time you are thinking of wearing a head scarf.  We ask that you use  your status as a fashion role model to reunite countless bald girls and women with the world of feminine fashion and become a true BeauDiva!!! We will continue to scour the pages of InStyle Magazine and other fashion outlets for a glimpse of Mom and Suri in their matching beaubeaus™!

Susan Beausang

4women.com

The world is stunned by the devastation and suffering brought about by the earthquake in Haiti.  Like most people I know, I very much want to do something, anything, to help Haiti. While the suffering of the Haitian people is beyond heartbreaking, the surge of worldwide support for and solidarity with the Haitian people is so inspiring.  My family has been connected to and supporting Haitian orphans for decades, but I now feel compelled to do more, as so much more is needed.  The 4Women.com team wants to help our fellow humans in their moment of need.  Now through the end of February, our company will donate $1.00 from each sale to Partners In Health.  PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. This organization works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world.  Our support will go directly to PIH’s “STAND WITH HAITI” fund.  We are proud to support them in their efforts to help the Haitian people emerge from this huge humanitarian disaster.  It can be surreal going about our daily lives knowing that at the very same moment,  Haitian men, women, and children are suffering so deeply.  Now, purchasing a BeauBeau head scarf will help you to feel fashionable and confident and help PIH to provide desperately needed relief to the people of Haiti.

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late”….Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you for your support.

Susan M. Beausang, President 4women.com

During our steamy Florida summers, my bald scalp does give me some advantage over  my thick-haired girlfriends when it comes to cooling down.  Come winter though, I am convinced that no one with hair feels the cold like I and my bald sisters do.  No matter how much clothing I put on, I absolutely cannot stop shivering unless I insulate my head.  Is it just my imagination, or is there a heat valve on top of my head?  During my “hair days” I never really enjoyed overly thick hair, so is it really my lack of hair that makes me so cold sensitive OR am I just becoming less and less tolerant of the cold, now that I’ve become a Floridian?  Turns out I’m not the only one who’s wondered about the insulation value of hair.

Some Cornell students conducted a study exploring the extent to which hair insulates the head and whether bald people are at an extreme disadvantage in winter weather, even if they wear a hat or scarf.  In their report “Bald is Beautiful, but is it warm?”, the researchers concluded that individuals wearing a hat (regardless of how much hair they had) experience the cold temperature the same as those with a full head of hair with skin temperatures only varying a small degree.  However without a head covering, the amount of hair can make a difference. Small amounts of hair seem to have very little effect on the overall temperature of the skin after twelve minutes in cold temperatures BUT the head of someone with  thick lush locks of hair becomes significantly insulated and skin temperatures are much higher. Conclusion? The hair on your head can provide warmth and those of us without hair do in fact experience the cold to a much greater degree.  As a bald woman, I certainly didn’t need a team of Cornell researchers to explain why I am sleeping with a sleep cap and socks!  As the Arctic chill blankets most of the country (including the normally warm state of Florida) it is comforting to know that with a simple head covering, we can still conserve as much heat as someone with a full head of hair!

Thank you headwarmers and sleep caps - winter would not be the same without you!

Susan M. Beausang, www.4women.com

As 2009’s ‘Season of Cheer ‘ arrives on the heels of a year that has brought so much hardship to so many people, I admit that I have been struggling to get into a holiday frame of mind. I once heard a piece of advice that I never forgot - that the best cure for boosting your spirits is by helping someone else. Those words are ringing true more than ever for me. Throughout the course of the year, I am blessed by the notes and letters of gratitude that so many women take the time to send me. Recently 4Women.com concluded its first beaubeau photo contest which received an overwhelming response. I received fabulous photos that captured your vibrant smiles framed by your beaubeau’s. Many of these photos were accompanied by heartfelt notes that expressed how the beaubeau scarf made such a difference in the way you felt about yourselves while experiencing medical hair loss. How could my spirits NOT be lifted? I simply can’t hide the smile that appears each time I visit the 4Women.com photo contest gallery!

Like most of us, I feel rather helpless with respect to the many troubling and frightening issues that confront us on a daily basis. I am so grateful though that despite the many overarching challenges that face us, I can still make a difference in individuals’ lives. The knowledge that I can offer women something to not just cover up their head or hide their hair loss, but truly offer them something that will allow them to shine their inner and outer beauty on their friends and loved one’s makes this day and every day special. I want to thank each and every one of you, for being you, for sharing your gratitude and beautiful spirits with me and for helping my holidays to be special. I extend my wishes for this holiday to be filled with peace, health and happiness for you and your loved ones in the year to come.

Warm Regards,
Susan Beausang, President 4Women.com

Hollywood has a unique way of portraying real life drama with their robust budgets, effective editing, and massive make-up sessions. Marriage, divorce, birth, and death are all common elements found in today’s sitcom world. One significant life drama we don’t often see, however, is cancer. Nevertheless, several television series in recent years have brought women’s struggle with cancer into our living rooms, notably Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones on “Sex and the City”, Candice Bergen as Murphy on “Murphy Brown”, Felicity Huffman as Lynette on “Desperate Housewives” as well as Katherine Heigl as Izzy on “Grey’s Anatomy”. This season “Brothers and Sisters”, one of my favorite shows, diagnosed character Kitty Walker, played by Calista Flockhart, with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and is currently following her struggle with the disease.

These actress’s depiction as women with the disease play an important role in the cohesion of the cancer image in America, highlighting the various options women have when dealing with the side effects of cancer and chemotherapy. Diagnosing a popular sitcom character with cancer, especially a female character, goes beyond just highlighting options however. It is a huge opportunity to help women fighting the disease feel normal by publicly displaying their cancer related symptoms, such as hair loss. Considering the impact television shows have had on women’s hair in the past, cue Jennifer Aniston’s Rachael haircut on “Friends” in the 90’s, it becomes clear that the choices these producers make in portraying a woman’s struggle with cancer have the potential to affect the way real women feel about their own cancer diagnoses.

In “Brothers and Sisters”, character Kitty Walker is portrayed as a successful, bold, and defiant women with solid conservative beliefs. In the show Kitty was a former New York radio show host who leaves that position to become part of a political television show in Los Angeles. Eventually she quit her position and became the communication director for Senator Robert Mc Callister, whom she ended up marrying.

This season finds Kitty undergoing chemotherapy for her treatment of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. After her hair begins to fall out, she decides to shave her head. The show depicts Kitty’s struggle with hair loss by portraying her in several headwear options. Initially, Kitty chose to wear a wig, but in the last several episodes, Kitty has been seen in a variety of unattractive and unfeminine head coverings. These choices are completely uncharacteristic of her role as Kitty Walker: a professional mother and wife of a senator. Her selection seems almost alien to the character that the viewer has come to know, love, and respect. You have to wonder: what type of research did the producers of this show do in preparation for Kitty’s post-head shave appearance?

These unfeminine head coverings Kitty has worn have been a complete anti-thesis to what a successful woman would choose to wear after losing her hair. All of her scarf options seem to broadcast her illness. The scarf worn in the last episode put me over the edge. I wanted to jump through my television set and save poor Kitty from any further embarrassment. She appeared to be wearing a hospital gown wrapped around her bald head! Calista Flockhart must cringe when her stylist presents her with these scarf choices. Flockhart is a petite woman and the headwear options she is assigned completely overwhelm her stature, making her head appear very much out of proportion to the rest of her body.

A woman’s hair is more than just a facial frame and heat incubator; it’s an extension of herself and her personality. The Hollywood realm has held true to this as well, character’s hair styles are part of their wardrobe, and Kitty Walker, as I know her through “Brothers and Sisters”, would not be happy with this image. Television does more than just entertain America; it directly impacts people’s perceptions and opinions on style, relationships, learning, and even disease. Viewers develop emotional connections to the character’s they devotedly watch week after week. Thus writers and producers possess a power to sway viewers, and choosing to reflect Kitty Walker’s hair loss in such an unrealistic manner is a poor use of such influence, in my opinion. Kitty’s illness and her treatment seemed like such a perfect opportunity to highlight women experiencing medical hair loss in a fashionable and stylish manner. Kitty Walker was devastated when she started to lose her hair, and as a woman who has always pushed for what she wants and believes in, it‘s totally out of place for her to choose drab headwear in combination with her savvy and stylish clothing. Cancer is a diagnosis to fight, it should not be one in which women give up on the option of a ‘crowning glory’! Women who are experiencing cancer and hair loss need to know this, and an opportunity to broadcast such an option on “Brothers and Sisters” is not being utilized.

If the NBC network is reading this, please, please provide Kitty with the fashionable headwear options that she deserves! No more turbans, no more overpowering, unattractive scarves - please help those of us without hair to have a positive image to associate with - Your viewers want to see realistic options - Have her stylist call me - I can help!

Susan M. Beausang, President 4Women.com

Now that the dust has settled on the mammogram issue, I’ve had time to digest all of the news. In as much as I am from 3 generations of breast cancer survivors and carry the BRCA2 gene, I may be too biased to see any other perspective other than the pro-early detection side of the mammogram debate BUT I’m not too biased to be confused by the conflicting reporting of the last week.   The new recommended standard of not having mammograms until the age of 50 (and then every two years) and the report that discourages doctors from teaching self-examination techniques are so foreign to how I’ve managed my own breast cancer threat as well as the other women in my family affected by breast cancer.   Three out of the 5 women  who had breast cancer were diagnosed years before their 40th birthday and self exam saved my Mother’s life so without early detection, mammograms and breast self-examinations, I would have to re-write my family history to say I’m from 3 generations of breast cancer victims.

The reason for the new recommended standards, according to the task force  (USPSTF), is that studies show that “the additional benefit gained by starting screening at age 40 years rather than at age 50 years is small, and that moderate harms from screening remain at any age.”  They also cite  the potential harms of screening as anxiety, extra procedures and costs due to false-positive results.  Anxiety should not have a bearing on whether women ages 40-49 are screened.  I’ve experienced a false positive MRI breast cancer screening however the anxiety was a minor concern. I needed to know whether I had breast cancer which required an extra procedure. Furthermore, switching ‘recommendation gears’ so suddenly must also be considered anxiety producing!   So what is the USPSTF referring to when they say “additional benefit” is small?  They apparently are referring to the 1 in 2000 women who were screened (ages 40-50?) and were fortunate enough to discover their breast cancer through mammograms or other diagnostic testing.  That number may seem insignificant unless that ‘one’ number is your mother, sister, daughter, partner or someone else you love.  Are we to become just a number in a statistical model, a cost that outweighs a benefit in a cost/benefit ratio?  I guess it depends on your perspective.  Let’s face it, our perspectives can and do change based upon what life throws our way!

I guess what I’m saying here is that these are subjective questions and I’m afraid the answers are just as subjective, which raises another question - who is the United States Preventive Services Task Force? According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services website, the “USPSTF” is “an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention.”  The mission of the USPSTF is to “evaluate the benefits of individual services based on age, gender, and risk factors for disease; make recommendations about which preventive services should be incorporated routinely into primary medical care and for which populations; and identify a research agenda for clinical preventive care.”  According to the U.S. Dept of Health & Human Service, the panel consists of a group of professionals, almost all of them being either academic medical professors or medical professionals.   If you want to see who exactly are the current members of the USPSTF, you can view the entire list on  the US Department of Health & Human Services web site.  Apparently this panel was appointed during the Bush administration.  The creation of the task force dates back to 1984, at a time when screening methods for cancer, cholesterol levels and diabetes were just emerging and rarely paid for by insurers.  Dr. J. Michael McGinnis, deputy assistant secretary for health, decided to set up a group to evaluate how well such methods worked.  McGinnis wanted the group to be insulated from politics and choose a panel that could objectively evaluate evidence.  He wanted to avoid this group being exposed to political pressure.  Although appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services, the group works at arms length and makes decisions without consulting the agency. This seems to be the case in as much as the current Secretary  (Kathleen Sebelius) has publicly distanced herself from the panel’s recommendations by saying “mammograms have always been an  important lifesaving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today.  Keep doing what you have been doing for years - talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions and make the decision that is right for you”. Stop - I don’t know who to believe!

Regarding the mammogram report, the group maintains that in their research, considering costs is prohibited, and that their findings are the result of scientific evidence.   Some of the panel members are quite surprised by the public reaction to their findings.  Some claim that the task force’s message was distorted and in fact they meant to report that women should make their own decisions.  I ask, can it get anymore confusing?  Women are so conditioned to yearly mammogram screening - it’s almost part of our culture - magnets for the fridge, reminders from your insurance companies, fundraisers for those that can’t afford screening - the list and media hype regarding mammograms is overwhelming.  Did the panel really think they could overturn a 40 year old mindset by simply putting out  new guidelines?  Perhaps they didn’t take into consideration that women are no longer passive participants in their health issues.  The days of women blindly following their doctors recommendations  are long gone.  Women have become pro-active in their health decisions and if they are unable to do so themselves they have someone else advocating for them.  We’ve come a long way since the 1950’s when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She went into the hospital with a suspicious lump and woke up without a breast! Glad those days are behind us!

Before I even had time to digest the mammogram issue, next up for debate is the Pap Smear guidelines - suggesting that women can now hold off until they are 21 for their fist Pap Smear and  after reaching the age of 30 and having 3 consecutive normal pap smears they can be tested every three years AND  finally, no pap smears recommended for women over 65!   Is it pure coincidence that these guidelines were released just days after the mammogram debacle?

I can’t help but wonder if there is another shift in recommendations on the horizon?   The fact is that all of this MAY  in fact reflect evolving scientific evidence but only time will tell.   Being prudent may  still be the best way to go.  It’s not a guarantee or insurance to good health but then again, there are no guarantees in life.  Personally, I’ll continue to educate myself, be my own advocate and feel empowered by the decisions I make concerning  my  health. I know my proactive measures won’t control my destiny however  I’m grateful I had the opportunity to make those decisions.  Fortunately for me,  I no longer need mammograms-  one less thing to worry about and one less issue to try and sort out!

Susan M. Beausang

4women.com

What do Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, and Patrick Stewart, Sean Connery or Samuel L. Jackson all have in common?  They are famous fallen follicle ambassadors or bald male role models in today’s world.  One qualifying name not on that list, a name very popular in the news recently, is that of Andre Agassi, the tennis world’s former bad boy of the 90’s - the face (and hair) associated with the “Image is Everything” ad campaign by Cannon Camera.

In his recent autobiography “Open”, Agassi ‘opens up’ about his hair issues.  Apparently Agassi began to lose his hair when he was just 17, however, he chose to hide it with hair weaves and hair systems. This is understandable as Madison Avenue had carved out his image and sponsorships were riding on his talent as well as the look of his a blond, highlighted, feathered, shoulder-length mullet hair style with color-coordinated headband.  In his book, Agassi describes  the terror he felt when he experienced problems with his hair weave on the night before the 1990 French Open Final.  His fear of being exposed as wearing a hair piece contributed to his sporadic performance in that match. He was afraid to move for fear of losing his hair!  Those of us who have worn a wig can surely relate to that fear of being exposed in a public arena!  I’ve attempted to play tennis in a wig and it’s quite uncomfortable, definitely not conducive to movement.   Agassi was paid for his long-haired bad boy image, was paid well, which is one of the reasons why he didn’t just shave it off when male pattern baldness hit him early on.  Finally, he chose to shed his artificial image and rid himself of the cumbersome hair pieces with a head shave!  After this bold move, Agassi is quoted as saying “a stranger stood before me in the mirror and I smiled”   When my hair fell out, I too stood before the mirror curiously gazing at the stranger,  but I cried.

Agassi quickly joined the ranks of bald athletic role models such as Michael Jordan, Duncan Goodhew, Olympic gold medalists for swimming, Charlie Villanueva, NBA basketball player for the Detroit Pistons  - it didn’t affect his career, his performance or his ratings.  Wasn’t it fortunate for him that men with bald heads are viewed as hip and sexy?  Wasn’t it fortunate for him that he had options!

Women don’t!   We’ve all seem pictures of female celebrities going bald for a short moment, Demi  Moore, Sigourney Weaver, and Natalie Portman have all ventured outside their comfort zone and made a bald statement.  Except these women all had something in common - the were being paid for their head shaving.  No matter how you look at it, bald women are NOT viewed the same in our society.  Such fleeting moments of celebrity baldness only prove this point further - when Demi and Natalie went bald, they stood out, big time, which is all find and good for celebrities.  It I was being handsomely paid to sheer off my locks (or what is left of my locks), I’d gladly ask for a razor.  Yet, I’m not and neither are any of us who are experiencing medical hair loss.  Society looks at bald women and thinks one of a few things:  sick, different, unfeminine.

A woman’s hair is so full of complex and irrevocable personal feelings, social implications, as well as protective functionality.  It’s not “just hair”!  Often referred to as a woman’s “crowning glory,” much of our female identity is defined by our hair.  Without hair, we feel stripped of our identity, stripped of ourselves.   What is important to remember during such emotional upheaval, is that those feelings are completely valid, and normal.  Women have every right to want to feel good about themselves, inside AND out.  At no time is such love of self more important than when dealing with a major life event such as a serious medical condition.

Despite the fact that women may feel they don’t have the freedom to just shave their head and bare all, it is so important that women with any kind of hair loss find what does work best for them, whether that option is a beautiful headscarf, a wig, a hat or to wear nothing at all.

As an avid tennis fan, I’ve always respected Agassi as a great sportsman and still do.  I certainly have much sympathy for a his follically challenged situation.  It is my hope though that maybe one day a strong and famous woman will step forward with her bald head and make a statement to the world - Freedom to choose - Freedom to be accepted - freedom to be herself!  Until then, we can all be our own role models, strong, bald, and always beautiful, inside and out!

Susan Beausang

www.4women.com

I don’t normally consider myself an angry individual however a recurrence of Alopecia Areata is testing my resilience.  Eight years ago I was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis. I was completely bald for 7 years and then miraculously my hair re-appeared just in time for my son’s wedding.  Go figure!  I’ve enjoyed the precious follicles for over a year but Alopecia is having it’s way again - and the shedding is relentless.    As anyone who has experienced hair loss will testify the emotions attached to appearance issues are difficult to properly explain and more difficult to experience.   When my hair began to grow, I cautioned myself not to become attached but as the months slipped by and my hair remained anchored, I began to believe that my hair loss was a thing of the past.

As with my first bout of hair loss, loved ones and friends try to reassure me that my bald spots aren’t visible  and that my hair isn’t thin.   I’m angry about losing my hair but I’m more angry about having to convince those around me that the many large bald spots are real and that I have considerable hair loss!  MIRRORS DON’T LIE!

Is there such a thing as “hair anger management”?  Sign me up - I need a crash course.

Susan M. Beausang

4Women.com

The beat was bumping, the fashions were flaunted and the scarves were stylin’ on October 4th at TPC Perstancia in Sarasota, Florida. Our event, Scarf it Up for Women’s Cancer, was a huge success! The night began with some enjoyable mingling over cocktails and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and allowed everyone to get a good look at the seemingly endless amount of donated items up for auction. Many businesses donated a service or an item for us to auction, which was greatly appreciated. There were some great items, my personal favorite being the Alex & Ani bangle bracelet set! The entertainment was priceless - the ballet performance by students from Revelle Academy was truly special and instantly captured the crowd. The ballerinas were remarkably talented. The string quartet, Musicans Out of the Box, were equally as magnificent, as their beautiful live orchestra music complemented the ballet performance perfectly. The Musicians Out of the Box also played a fantastic piece entitled “Meditation” by Joseph Suk. Marie Borsellino, a nurse navigator from Sarasota Memorial Hospital, enlightened the crowd with her inspirational speech.

The fashion show was split into three parts throughout the night. Our specially made designer BeauBeaus, custom-made for the event with fabrics donated by top fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs and Vera Wang, were paired with KELIETZA’s unique international fashions. The models cat-walked before the audience epitomizing high fashion from head to toe, walking in rhythm to catchy tunes from current musical artists such as Lady Gaga. For the fashion show finale, the models showed off beautiful wedding gowns from Alfred Sung, complete with one-of-a-kind, stunning wedding BeauBeaus. It was a spectacular fashion show. At the end of the evening, after everyone had a chance to play at the gaming tables, the auction was held. What a fabulous and fun event! We are already looking forward to holding this again next year! The outcome of Scarf it Up was very successful as hundreds of scarves and dollars have been donated to Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new Scarf Bank. We are so glad that so many people showed up to join us in our efforts to create a lasting gift for women undergoing chemotherapy. We truly showed that women without hair can make a beautiful fashion statement.

Susan M. Beausang
4Women.com