Sara Svati
What's Think- Pink ?
Think-Pink is the name of the Belgian awareness campaign carried out in the context of the fight against breast cancer, the most common form of cancer in women.
The earlier the illness is diagnosed, the sooner the person in need is treated. That's why Think-Pink has a major role and is always present in the medias.
Unfortunately, one in nine women develops breast cancer during her life. Women touched by breast cancer are in two thirds of the cases, more than 50 years. Six in 10 women think that losing their hair just after a chemotherapy is most difficult and painful step of their disease.
Around 8 % of the women even prefer to refuse the chemotherapy so they don't lose their hair which puts their life at risk.
How to help these persons ?
A fund of the association Coupe d’Eclat enables to support women during their chemotherapy treatments offering them a moral and financial support.
Think-Pink collects the hair donations with a minimum of centimeters long, which are then resold to wig manufacturers. The patients touched by breast cancer will receive money to pay a part of their wig, thanks to the profits from the sale of these ponytails and with the contribution of the brand Pantène and the cooperation of the social services of the hospitals. Since the beginning of that action, more than 2 500 femmes received financial help.
Since the creation of the foundation in 2008, about 25 000 women and men cut and give their hair. Each year, the number of hair donations increases and Coupe d’éclat enables to support at a material level but it is especially a symbolic help.
How to make a donation ?
Si If you want give your long hair, here are the instructions :
1. Your hair must be clean and perfectly dry. It can't have any styling product - hairspray, gel or wax -.
2. Tie your hair in a ponytail, with a hair tie, at the level of the neck. Make sure all the strands are in the hair tie. The hair which are not in the ponytail won't be used. Put a second hair tie in the middle of the ponytail to maintain all the strands together.
3. Control the length of the ponytail with a measuring tape. It must be at least 20 centimeters, since the first hair tie until the ends. The smaller ponytails unfortunately won't be used.
4. Cut the ponytail just on the top of the first hair tie. Keep the hair tie so the strands remain together.
5. Put the ponytail in a plastic bag and close it carefully.
6. Introduce the plastic bag in an envelope addressed to
THINK PINK asbl
Rue des tanneurs 58-62
1000 Bruxelles
Belgique
info@think-pink.be
www.think-pink.be
Today, around 27 000 ponytails have been received !
The Angelina Jolie effect
When the internationally renowned actress said she had a mastectomy (amputation of both breasts) because she is a carrier of a mutation of the gene BRCA1, many testimonies of women, who remained silent until now, were collected. This pieces of news resulted in an increase of 200% of the number of women who asked a breast cancer test and especially regarding the gene.
Coupe d'éclat & PANTENE ProV
See also : Adopt the Movember attitude for a good reason