Sept. 19, 2017 – During October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, ten domestic violence survivors from Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence will walk into the upscale Atelier Salon, in downtown Willow Glen, and be treated to facials by aestheticians at For The Face – Lieberman & Parikh, as well as haircut, blowdry and makeup sessions by Atelier stylists. It will be a much-needed boost of confidence for these survivors as they begin their new lives without abuse.
The event, “New Day, New You – Day at The Salon” is the first of its kind and launches an ongoing program by Atelier Salons and For The Face to provide cosmetic services to victims of domestic violence. In addition to all the complimentary beauty services, the survivors will be treated to private and safe transportation provided by UBER, delicious food provided by Catered Too and take-home bags full of beauty products.
The idea for “New Day, New You” came about after Karie Bennett, owner of Atelier and Drs. David Lieberman and Sachin Parikh at For The Face realized that unfortunately both of their businesses see a high volume of women who are or have been in abusive situations.
Drs. Lieberman and Parikh, double-board certified facial plastic surgeons who operate out of Campbell, provide free facial surgeries to victims of domestic violence locally through Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence (NDS) and nationally through the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In addition, the practice offers complimentary facials to clients of NDS who have skin issues related to the trauma of abuse.
“Being able to give back to the community is very important us,” said Dr. Parikh. “When patients in our aesthetic practice feel better about the way they look, they also feel better internally and usually have more confidence, so we wanted to extend this type of care to women who need it most.”
In 2016, Drs. Lieberman and Parikh hosted a fundraiser that raised over 15K for Next Door Solutions, a San Jose-based nonprofit dedicated to eradicating domestic violence. The organization serves about 1300 women each year from the Santa Clara County area who face obstacles affecting every part of their lives – financial, emotional, housing, custody, to name a few – when trying to leave a violent domestic situation.
Salons are often the first point of trust and contact for women in abusive situations. Recently, at Atelier, a client came in with visible signs of domestic abuse. The stylist wanted to help but was unsure of what to do. This led Atelier to Next Door Solutions to ask for advice on how to reach out to these women. That led to a connection with For the Face, and the “New Day, New You” program was born.
“The ability to connect with our salon guests is very special to us. Hairstylists are licensed to touch the guest’s hair and face, and this builds a bond of trust that we honor at every visit. To see one of our guests with a visible sign of abuse hurts us as well, and, as we are caring beings in a career that is guided by empathy—we are compelled to give back, and to be of service to women who struggle with self-worth, confidence, and self-image.
Leaving an abusive situation not only takes an emotional toll but it can affect every part of a woman’s life. The survivors who are able to leave, unfortunately spend so much of their time focusing on safety and other essentials that they almost never have time for themselves. Next Door Solutions believes that a beauty day like this will be a small, but important part of their recovery process.
Recently, a survivor who received a facial at For The Face said, “It’s feels like a lifetime since I’ve been able to enjoy some pampering and peace to recalibrate my peace of mind, even for just a moment. I am so grateful for the experience.”
Both Bennett and Drs. Lieberman & Parikh hope that the program, “New Day, New You”, will help hundreds of women reconnect with their inner and outer beauty as they end the cycle of violence.