Patients getting pamper care- Vanessa’s mum Linda gets her nails done by volunteer Bella, while Colleen gives a mini-facial. 63358

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
SEEING a friend or family member go through cancer can be a horrifying ordeal, but two Warburton women decided to use their skills to help.
Vanessa Greig and Colleen Schulz opened their Warburton salon in August, but in November Vanessa’s mother Linda was re-diagnosed with cancer.
“Two years ago, she got bladder cancer, and it hasn’t been easy,” Ms Greig said.
“She had quite a difficult time, and we didn’t know what we would do.”
The women realised there must be more hidden stories of cancer in the valley, and decided to open up their salon once a month to give sufferers a night off to pamper and relax. Knowing that skincare products can be affected by radiation, the women decided to source as many organic products as possible.
“Cancer patients can’t use a lot of products when they go to radiation, as the chemicals can react with their skin,” Ms Schulz said. An eco-friendly hair care company, and an organic skin care company, have donated products for the women to use in their once-a-month pamper sessions.
“We want these women, who’ve been affected by cancer, to come and have a relaxing time with us,” Ms Schulz said.
The pamper nights will be a chance for women in the valley who have been affected by cancer to sit back, relax, and be pampered with hair cuts, blow dries, mini-facials and painted nails.
“It’s just as much about socialising and talking together, as well as the pampering,” Ms Schulz said.
“They still have to follow their doctor’s treatment, but we just want to give them a nice night out.”
As well as the free samples, they will have “Wigs on Wheels” come with a variety of wigs so women don’t have to go down the line. “Funding is there for breast cancer, but for others the funding isn’t there,” Ms Schulz said. “They go through the same feelings and there’s nothing there for them, so we just thought, ‘what can we do to help?’” Local businesses have already been kind enough to donate products, and the salon’s clients have been volunteering their own skills to the cause. The next free pamper session for women who have been affected by cancer will be held at 6pm on Thursday 5 May at The Salon of Warburton, 3395 Warburton Highway. Find out more on 5966 5646.