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Cosmetic Care
By: Mariko Takahashi & Charles De Wolf
Asahi Shinbun, June 26, 2002
A story about a volunteer circle that engages in
helping members of a senior citizens' society with cosmetics drew me to
Sashiki-cho in Okinawa. There in the local civic center, four women, aged
79 to 88 sat on folding chairs, each facing a member of the Tampopo-kai
(Dandelion Club).
The volunteers first cleaned and wiped the skin with a lotion, then
applied a cream. Each of their elderly women selected her own preferred
color of rouge and lipstick. The lively chatter between the partners
suggested quite a pleasant rapport. The women repeatedly looked at
themselves in their hand-mirrors, obviously pleased at what they were
seeing.
Seven of the Tampopo-kai members, including Kazuko Shikiya, are
professional
``cosmetic care advisors.'' In the training class organized by the town,
with the assistance of the Okinawa Cosmetic Care Association, they learned
about basic make-up techniques, senior citizen psychology and health
administration.
The association was established at the end of the year 2000. Its director
is Ikue Okuhira, who operates an esthetic salon. Having seen as a
volunteer herself how much pleasure senior citizens were having with
cosmetics, she decided to broaden the base by training advisors throughout
the prefecture.
``Cosmetics,'' she explains, ``are just a means to an end. What is really
important as we fuss about with their skin is the communication, speaking
and listening to them.''
Elderly men too apparently very much enjoy light massages and the tidying
up of their appearance.
There are other benefits as well. Researchers at Ryukyu University are
among those pointing out that cosmetic care provides both prevention and
therapy for dementia.
Editorial writer Mariko Takahashi wrote this column,
which first appeared in the May 22 edition of The Asahi Shimbun. Charles
De Wolf is a professor at Keio University. (IHT/Asahi: June 26,2002)
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