June Bleich, founder of The Basic Six, with her dog Molly, and Molly’s trainer Guillermo Roa
Photo courtesy of June Bleich
The Basix Six is an organization with a unique backstory and a few helping hands.
The nonprofit is dedicated to helping women keep up with their appearance while battling cancer. The nonprofit was founded by June Bleich and Jorge Hernandez in 2022 and serves many in the Long Island community.
Bleich had worked as a volunteer coordinator at the American Cancer Society’s Look Good Feel Better Program for over 15 years. She had 24 licensed cosmetologists working under her with the goal of helping make women feel beautiful during cancer treatment. After stepping aside from the organization, Bleich kept in contact with her co-workers which set the framework for the foundation of The Basic Six.
The idea was put into motion at a brunch where Bleich asked cosmetologists that she had kept in touch with from her days with the American Cancer Society, according to the founder. “Can you have a program that women can do in six minutes, with six affordable products and six steps to recreate themselves during the worst period of their life?” she asked. “They said absolutely.”
And that is exactly what The Basix Six provides people with today; in a matter of six minutes, women can recreate their eyebrows, even out their complexion, recreate lashes, fix their wigs and makeup, and do whatever else would be necessary for them to feel their best.
“We’re coming to a time of year that is very difficult for women going through treatment,” Bleich said. “You are supposed to be happy, you are supposed to be looking your best, enjoying a wonderful holiday, and that’s not what you see.”
The Basic Six welcomed Dr. Lyle Leipziger in March as their medical director.
“Most doctors do a wonderful job addressing cancer patients’ physical health, but sometimes a patient’s emotional health may not get the same amount of attention,” said Leipziger in a release after joining the nonprofit.
Leipziger, who is the chief of plastic surgery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital, praised The Basic Six.
“I’m happy to help The Basic Six fill that gap,” he said. “We know that the cosmetic changes cancer treatment causes may lead to anxiety and depression.”
Leipziger will serve as an advisor to the board and team of cosmetologists. He’ll also provide expertise to patients who have questions about cosmetic enhancement and self-esteem, according to the release.
“Dr. Leipziger was the perfect choice for this volunteer role because he understands that the best medical providers consider not just health, but also humanity,” Bleich said in the release. “They see the patient as a whole person, not just a cancer diagnosis.”
Another way that the organization helps people is by giving them support through dog therapy.
Molly, a nine-year-old black lab is present at every beauty session in the salon. If you go to the organization’s website, you’ll also see that Molly is The Basix Six’s logo.
“When women see her, everything changes in the room,” Bleich said about Molly. “The tension to start, the sadness, is lifted immediately as soon as she walks in. I wish I could clone her because I would have a dozen Mollys.”
Bleich adopted Molly when she left the American Cancer Society. She hired Guillermo (Memo) Roa, a native Colombian who emigrated to Long Island and is now a certified dog trainer, to see if the lab was capable of being a therapy dog. There was one big surprise that Bleich didn’t see coming when Molly was being trained.
“I did not know that he was training her in two languages,” she said. “I watched him go through all of her stuff, she was following him in Spanish as well as English.”
Molly and Memo became another organization that was founded in order to help others through dog therapy. The pair worked heavily with the Covenant House in Manhattan and the Bronx, as well as other community-based organizations. Molly’s main mission is now helping Bleich at The Basic Six.
Giving back to those with cancer hit especially hard for Bleich. In 2023, her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I watched my child go through the most horrible time of her life,” Bleich said. “She said to me that she could not look at herself in the mirror.”
The organization will have a Red Carpet Valentine’s Day on Monday, Feb. 10, at Annastasia Salon, 827 Franklin Ave. in Garden City. Two Basic Six sessions will be presented that day, one at 11 a.m. and another at 1 p.m. All guests will be advised to bring the make-up that they apply daily.
The Basix Six typically operates out of Morel Hair Design, located at 39 The Plaza in Locust Valley. Free appointments can be made at https://www.thebasicsix.com/.