Boots already offers a vital service, in partnership with Macmillan, designed to offer support and assistance to people with cancer and their families.
In a number of its stores you can get one-to-one support from Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists, for example, for when you have questions about medication or side-effects. You can also speak to beauty consultants about your changing hair, skin and other concerns.
However, with the country in lockdown and the spread of coronavirus causing many cancer patients to shield indoors, due to their low immunity, such vital in-person services aren’t feasible – until now.
Book a virtual consultation
In addition to waiving fees on certain prescription deliveries, alongside its standard free NHS Repeat Prescription Service, Boots has launched its Macmillan Cancer Support services, in particular its Beauty Consultation, online.
Available Mondays to Saturdays between 10am and 8pm, and 11-4 on Sundays, you can book either video or phone call appointments with trained No7 Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors.
These appointments last around 15-2o minutes and you can ask the advisor for tips and personalised recommendations on skincare and makeup, or how to manage the visible side effects of cancer.
This can include makeup tips and tutorials, what ingredients to look for when shopping for moisturisers for dry or oily skin, the best products for thinning hair and more.
Book a virtual consultation
The services come off the back of research from the cancer charity that found fifth of UK women affected by cancer feel less feminine, with many experiencing sore or itchy skin while going through their treatments.
Some chemotherapy drugs, for instance, make your skin dry and more sensitive to sunlight, which makes using SPF even more important than normal.
Meanwhile, radiotherapy can affect skin colour, causing veins to appear of look more prominent, red patches to appear or dark skin to become darker. These can all make a difference to your foundation match, or what concealer you may need.
And some treatments can cause spot outbreaks, blemishes or rashes. Each of these will usually be explained and detailed by your doctor or nurse, and they should always be the first port of call if anything changes and you’re unsure about it, but if you’re after more cosmetic tips or advice, then the No7 Beauty Advisors are great.
Boots also offers more general virtual beauty sessions open to everyone. These sessions are similarly split into telephone or video calls and they focus on specific topics, such as cosmetics or skincare, as well as how to apply eyeshadow, how to do eyebrows and more. You can see all the services on offer here.
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
