Learning to Cope With Changes in Appearance
- “Real Housewives of New York City” star Jenna Lyons, 55, recently opened up about how she has fake hair and fake teeth due to a genetic disorder called incontinentia pigmenti.
- The disease can affect the skin and other systems of the body, like the teeth, eyes, and more.
- Lyons, the former president of J. Crew, shared that the disease’s effect on her physical appearance is what made her want to go into the fashion industry in the first place. She said she was always searching for ways to look better.
- Many cancer patients can relate to how challenging losing your hair is. Our experts say reaching out to others who have been through the same challenge can be a huge help. There are also many products think wigs, hats, wraps, and more people can use or wear when they’re coping with hair loss.
During an appearance on “The View” this week, Lyons shared that her teeth and hair are both fake due to a genetic disorder she has called incontinentia pigmenti.
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“All my teeth are fake. I paid a lot of money for them,” Lyons told “The View” hosts. “My hair is also fake. I can take it off. It’s like a hat it’s not like a wig.”
She went on to explain that her eye lashes are also fake, as well as her eyebrows.
Lyons, who was previously the president of J. Crew, said that living with the disorder is one of the reasons she went into fashion in the first place.
Learning to Embrace Changes in Appearance
- Ricki Lake is Glowing As She Approaches 53, Embracing Herself After Years of Struggling from Hair Loss; How Cancer Patients Can Cope
- Living With Cancer: Coping With Hair Loss & the Anxiety it Brings
- “It’s Only Temporary”: Dealing With the Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
- Bold, Bald & Beautiful: Kara Ladd Met a New Version of Herself After Her Cancer Diagnosis
“I wanted to look better. I was constantly trying to find ways to fit in,” she explained. The RHONYC star even ended up creating a line of fake eye lashes Love Seen because she felt existing options didn’t meet her unique needs.
Coping With Hair Loss
Like Lyons, so many people who have been through cancer have had to deal with really difficult changes to their physical appearance hair loss can be particularly challenging to cope with.
SurvivorNet previously spoke to New York-based psychiatrist and author, Dr. Samantha Boardman, about how hair loss can cause an incredible amount of anxiety.
“For cancer patients losing one's hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one's hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Boardman explained.
Dr. Samantha Boardman shares guidance for handling stress related to hair loss.
To help cope, Dr. Boardman suggested reaching out to other survivors who have been through a similar situation if you feel comfortable doing so.
It’s also worth noting that there are plenty of products that patients can use or wear when they are dealing with hair loss such as wigs, head wraps, and hats.
Adjusting to a Changing Appearance
Unfortunately, many illnesses require treatments that can alter your appearance and dealing with physical side effects can really take a toll on mental health. These changes, even if they’re temporary, can take a lot of getting used to.
Two-time cancer survivor Biance Muniz, who faced the disease for the first time when she was just 11, previously explained to SurvivorNet that adjusting to the physical changes treatment brought were initially a huge challenge for her.
“Once I started treatment, I started getting these really bad breakouts on my face … I tried all these different skin regiments to try to make it better, and I made it worse,” she explained. “…that was very hard for me to get over. It took a long time for me to finally feel OK about it.”
Survivor Bianca Muniz shares how she learned to cope with changes to her look.
For Bianca, remembering that treatment, and its side effects, are only temporary helped her get through it.
Other survivors have told us that embracing the changes, learning to live with them, or even creating something from them (like Lyons did with her lash line) can make a huge difference as well.
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