Pampering advice from Boots beauty team is a real tonic for cancer patients

Amanda Crowe with Eileen Hillier

A cancer survivor has praised a Boots skincare manager for making her feel better after her battle with the disease.

Eileen Hillier, 79, who now has the all-clear following treatment for breast cancer, is one of the many people to benefit from the help available from the specially trained team of Macmillan beauty advisors based on the No. 7 counter at Boots.

Eileen, who lives in Castleton, said: “I was diagnosed with cancer in my right breast last November and the following month had two operations at North Manchester General Hospital, the first to remove the lump and the second just to make sure everything was clear.

“I then had 15 doses of radiotherapy which went on until the end of March this year. Luckily, I was then given the all-clear and I’m now feeling fine.

“I heard about the help Amanda and her team were giving to cancer patients at Boots in Rochdale and went in there to see her about some little red marks that had been appearing on my face following the treatment.

“We had a nice talk and she gave me advice on how to cover up the marks and tested my reaction to different preparations for doing this. It worked very well and I went in a couple more times when she told me how to put on my foundation.”

In a recent survey, more than three quarters of women said the visible side effects of cancer treatment had a negative impact on their confidence, while more than two thirds said they didn’t know how to disguise them.

That’s why a network of specially trained Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors has been introduced as part of a long-standing partnership between the chemist chain and the charity with the aim of giving cancer patients a tonic by making them feel good about themselves during and after their treatment.

Among those who have undergone special training to become advisors are all three members of the No.7 team at Boots, led by their manager, Amanda Crowe.

Amanda, who lives in Rochdale, and has been with No. 7 for the past 17 years, said: “It’s all about giving people who have had cancer the feel good factor. As a result of their treatment they can have problems with their skin and perhaps lose their eyebrows or eyelashes.

“We’re able to give them advice about how to look after their skin, show them the things to do and generally feel good about themselves again.

“We also have little conversations with them when we let them know that just because they’ve had cancer it doesn’t mean they can’t look good. It’s about breaking down the taboos about cancer.”

Amanda and her two No.7 colleagues, Janet Neal and Samantha Holt, who also both live in Rochdale, had their special Macmillan training last year.

Eileen added: “I’ve never had any pampering like that before but it really made me feel better and look like a different person. I know this is true because a neighbour of mine said to me that I looked like a different person and 10 years younger.

“I’m really grateful for the advice Amanda gave me and being able to have a chat with her was good because she is so kind and understanding. I definitely recommend other people in my situation to go in and see how she and her team can help them too.”