Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Brown

Hi Holly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

I decided to attend Aesthetic school after helping a friend open and build up a new spa business. She started to get busy and said to me, ” I have to hire an Aesthetician, I wish I could find someone I trust as much as you.” I went home that night and could not stop hearing her in my head. The next day I called the local school and made an appointment to go and talk with the admissions counselor and tour the school. I told my friend and when I called her after the appointment, she said, “How did it go?” I said, “Great, I start next week.” I loved everything about Aesthetic School. My class was mostly older women and we bonded and became family. While I was in Aesthetic school I had a routine MRI for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which I was diagnosed with in 2000. Soon after the MRI my Dr. called me with grave concerns. She explained that all the lymph nodes in my chest were enlarged to an alarming size. I tried to tell her that I received facials daily, and she laughed and said it was much more serious. After graduation, I went to the hospital for a surgical biopsy of my lymph node. Luckily I did not have cancer but was diagnosed with a lung disease called Sarcoidosis (Sarcoid). Now having Sarcoid and MS I went to the MS center in Boston for evaluation. The Drs felt the best form of treatment was chemotherapy. I started on the infusions and developed a terrible rash on my back. When I informed my Dr he looked around the room quizzically and then looked at me and said your an Esthetician, you should know what to do. I was horrified and the more I investigated I saw how prevalent skin side effects were with cancer treatment. I learned there was an oncology Aesthetics class in Arizona, so I took it there. I came back convinced I wanted to start a nonprofit and still to this day have no idea where that came from.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has not been a smooth road. Aside from dealing with serious illness in my young adulthood that meant not being able to complete my dream of being a police officer. When Aesthetic school became a life changer for me, I knew I wanted to work with Oncology and after being trained, founded a nonprofit called Looking & Feeling FAB, Inc. At the beginning because I had no idea what I was doing and no clue how to run a nonprofit I started out asking for money by shaking my can in front of the supermarket. My husband and I went to local craft fairs to hand out our info and talk to people. Where skin care treatments in this country are looked at as a luxury, I was faced with a lot of adversity but was determined. I had a hard time getting people to believe what I was doing and how much it was needed by the cancer community. They had no idea who I was and what Oncology esthetics was. I tried and tried to educate others what a game changer these services were to no avail. After a couple of years of giving away everything free, we ran out of money. We had to leave the facility we were in and needed to regroup. I almost gave up at that point, however, unknown to me my husband had nominated me for the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award through the New England Patriots and we received a $10,000 grant. At that point we set up programs with a limited amount of visits and looked for donated space. The changes were a success.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

At Looking and Feeling FAB, Inc. we are comprised of licensed professionals, Aestheticians and Massage Therapists, all Oncology trained and we exclusively treat skin side effects from cancer treatment. Basically we specialize in hives and rash from chemotherapy, burns from radiation, scars from surgery and issues from targeted and immunotherapies. We also specialize in treating wounds associated with cancer. Since we have started we have worked with over 400 cancer patients who would otherwise suffer in silence. 85% of people who undergo radiation end up with a moderate to severe burn. 1 in 3 cancer survivors stated that the skin issues they experienced negatively affected their lives. No one talks about it or offers services to help. They simply recommend over-the-counter products that oftentimes contain cancer-causing ingredients in them. We were the first nonprofit of its kind in existence when we started and I am most proud of how we have grown to 5 locations in Mass, 1 in Arizona, 1 in California and 1 in Illinois. We are also very respected by all the major hospital and cancer centers in Boston and the surrounding areas. We perfected a method to prevent radiation dermatitis and our case studies have been documented in a peer review scientific study.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?

OMG, I was a spitfire. Always had to be involved in everything and loved to be the center of attention. At the age of two, my mother took me to the Pediatrician and said I just don’t know what to do with her anymore. The Dr. told my mother to sign me up for preschool. I loved school and was a good student. I always had a ton of friends and loved to make people laugh. I tried every sport, even though I wasn’t good at any of them. I was always determined. I hated tv and would sit to watch the kid’s Christmas specials with my older sister. She would cry and cry when Frosty melted or Rudolph wasn’t accepted and I would tell her, “this is all fake, stop crying like a baby.” Preceded by going in my room and coloring or playing school. I always had to be busy and do something.

Pricing:

• Always looking for donations and people or companies to support us!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lookfeelfab.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lookfeelfaborg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lookfeelingfab
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lookingandfeelingfabinc.6768