![]() Good morning Warriors and welcome back to The Breast Place’s blog! We hope you’ve been recuperating these past few weeks and are up and at’em today! If you’re new here though, I’d like to take a moment to introduce ourselves. We are The Breast Place; a team of individuals in Charleston, SC that aim to assist with treatment, management, and after care for health challenges men and women face such as breast cancer, body contouring, scar revisions, wrinkles, and general education. Breast cancer management and treatment is one of our more significant services, as you could probably tell from our name, but empowering women is our focus! Since our team here specializes in both malignant and benign breast disease, we wanted to take some time to describe what breast cancer management and treatment looks like to the common person. Life is challenging alone, and when you throw breast cancer in the mix it can sometimes seem impossible- but don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re here to listen and support you in your fight against breast cancer, every step of the way. So, what are some common breast cancer management methods or breast cancer treatments? Well, breast cancer can be treated in many ways and it all comes down to what kind of cancer it is and how much it has spread to other areas in your body. Most times, people with breast cancer may get a combination of treatment methods to help them win the fight with this disease. Common treatment options for breast cancer are:
Surgery is typically known as the simpler approach where doctors and surgeons cut out the cancerous tissue directly. Chemotherapy is most commonly associated with cancer treatments these days, but the way it works is by shrinking or killing cancer cells. This medicinal treatment can sometimes be pills or intravenously. Hormone therapy essentially practices preventing the cancer cells from getting the hormones they would need to grow by blocking that off. Biological therapy empowers your immune system to fight the cancer cells more effectively, and can also be used to manage the side effects from other treatments listed. Last but not least, radiation therapy utilizes high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells over time. Though these are the professional and medical treatments for breast cancer, what happens when the treatments are over and you go home? Breast cancer management is more than just your regular doctor’s appointment, there are things to take note and care of when those treatments are all said and done. These professional treatments may help send the cancer into remission or manage it well, but unpleasant side effects are not uncommon. With any combination of the listed breast cancer treatments, your body is putting up a fight! It’s important to acknowledge that and take care of yourself as much as possible. Become the epitome of ‘self care’ during these times, and remember to be gentle with yourself. Some side effects you may experience after breast cancer treatments are fatigue, headaches, pain, menopausal symptoms, memory loss, and poor sleep. Give your body what it needs to heal itself and keep going by taking a look at this list of self care ideas and advice!
To take time and consideration for your mind, we recommend finding the best self care method for you! Self care is less about trendy behaviors and activities and more about what works best for you and your lifestyle. You may be an outdoorsy person where gardening, park trips, beach trips, hiking, picnics, or even just reading or drawing outside makes you happy. Or perhaps you’re an extroverted person who loves being around people! Concerts, public activities, fairs or festivals, networking, clubs, and friend/family gatherings would suit you well. Either way, your favorite hobbies are typically the best route to go when you’re needing self-care. Some of our favorite ways to indulge self care and resting your mind are spa days, massages, beach trips, and meditation! If these things are difficult or are becoming difficult, remember to be kind to yourself as you're going through treatments and aftercare. You are a warrior and part of what makes you strong in this fight is that you’re not alone- the support structure around you made up of your friends, family, and our team here at The Breast Place are here! Keep going and take care, Warriors!
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![]() Hello, Warriors! How are you all doing out there? We hope you’re taking the time and care you need to heal, rest, and fight! Life is slowly returning to normal out there, but we all know that the concept of what our normal was has changed. Though more and more people are getting vaccinated and being aware of the ways our world was impacted by COVID-19, there are many out there who are more comfortable with wearing masks regularly. For some it’s because of the realizations at how easy sickness can spread and for others it is the maintained concern of lingering exposures to COVID. Wearing masks consistently though can be very rough on your face and skin. Wash your mask! Our skins’ pores naturally release sweat and oils throughout the day to retain body temperature and a healthy system. Because of this, it’s recommended to wash your clothes regularly, and a common practice is to wear an outfit for a day and then wash. We all know the laundry drill, right? Well, with more and more people wearing cloth masks regularly, it stands to reason that we should be paying attention to that piece of clothing too! Regularly switching out and washing your cloth masks is our top recommendation when it comes to taking care of the skin on your face while wearing masks, but there are so many others we wanted to share with you today! Being mindful of the action of wearing your mask and how it affects your skin care is important as well in order to prevent damage to your skin or sickness! Chafing & Inflammation Wearing face masks can do damage to your skin even when it’s clean! If your mask is too tight for example, or if you wear it consistently throughout the day, the friction and chafing it can cause on your skin can be a lot like rug burn. The areas most at risk for this kind of discomfort are the areas behind your ears that typically ‘hold’ your mask back, and the bridge of your nose. Hospital workers and nurses have found solutions for some of this discomfort by using monkeys from the typical ‘Barrel of Monkeys’ kids toy to hold the straps against the back of their head instead of on their ears. If you try this and it works for you too, be sure to tag us or comment below! Skin Sensitivities For those with skin sensitivities, residue from detergents and fabric softeners that linger on clothing and cloth masks can irritate your skin too! Skin irritation often looks like inflammation, redness, dry patches, peeling, or dark marks, and if you experience a pre-existing skin condition, like rosacea or dermatitis, inflammation can make it flare up. Acne (Maskne) Acne is a common skin condition you may experience from time to time due to clogged pores from sweat, dirt, and hormone changes that can also be caused by consistent wearing of cloth masks. Remember that sweat and oil that naturally secretes from your skin? Even though you may wash your mask regularly or switch it out, it takes just one clogged pore to create a typically acne bump, and then picking at it can contribute to a full breakout. Your best defense to this? Keep your mask clean, take appropriate breaks from wearing one, and consider purchasing a tightly woven, 100% cotton mask that can be effective, yet gentle on your skin! ‘Maskne’, a term coined recently for the skin condition brought on by prolonged wear of masks and coverings, is medically named acne mechanica. Dermatologists Recommendations: Dermatologists recommend the following steps to fighting maskne and taking better care of the skin on your face:
Have you noticed your skin being more irritated, sensitive, broken out, or stressed since wearing masks more often? We hope some of the tips and advice for skin care while wearing masks were helpful to you! Please feel free to share this blog with someone who may be experiencing skin issues or discomfort related to this topic, we’d love to help! And if you’re ever on the lookout for the perfect skin care product for you, come visit us today or take a look at our products page here on our website for more information on the wonderful skin care brands we carry! We hope this blog has served you well, Warriors! Take care of your skin and wear your masks to help take care of yourself and others. Becoming a mother is one of the most exciting, difficult, rewarding, and beautiful things you can experience. While many parts of your journey as a new mother will have their challenges, lactation can be one of the most difficult. Let us help you with The Breast Place's lactation services!
Hello, Warriors! All of us at The Breast Place hope each of you is doing happy and well out there. We hope you also know that we are here to help and support you no matter what is happening in your life! We understand that life is challenging and we will always be here to listen, treat, and make your life more hopeful. We are so glad you've joined us today! To all of our returning warriors, thank you for your support and we hope you've found comfort, hope, and guidance in our blogs! To all of our new readers, welcome! Let us introduce ourselves a little more before we dive into today's topic about lactation! We are The Breast Place and we work hard to provide hope through wellness and beauty for women facing life's continued challenges. Our team specializes in both malignant and benign breast disease. As a team, we work together with you, educating, treating, and caring for you. We will also grow with you as you change, age, and survive offering self-confidence with scar revision and body contouring, and physical wellness. We offer skincare treatments like resurfacing and rejuvenation using the latest laser technology to address fine lines, wrinkles, and textural issues and antiaging products to keep your skin healthy and youthful. Injectables and IV therapies are available as well! A part of life's changes and processes that many of our warriors go through is becoming a mother, and one of the most common issues that so many go through is troubles with lactation. Here at The Breast Place, our providers are not only lactation specialists, they have first-hand knowledge of the difficulties of breastfeeding. If you are experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding including clogged ducts, mastitis, pain, nipple bleeding or cracking, or fungal infections, please feel free to contact us for a consultation, a latch evaluation, education, and support. Today, we are going to be talking a little bit more about lactation and the difficulties many face while breastfeeding, sharing a little insight on what can cause these issues, and how you can help improve them while waiting to come see us! The decision to breastfeed your child is a very personal one, and we are here to support and respect your choice. However, if you are wanting to breastfeed, that is today's topic of conversation and this blog is for you! Breastfeeding your child is incredibly healthy, providing them with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients that your baby needs. However, it can take a minute for both mom and baby to get the hang of it. So please mamas, don't worry or fret if this journey hasn't been the easiest. It is very common and you are not alone in these struggles. Today, we are going to give you some insight on how to make this process a little easier and to avoid as many of these situations as possible. Thankfully with our guidance and what we are going to be talking about today, we can help both you and your baby get through any difficulties you face, together. While you may not experience every difficulty that we will be mentioning today, don't think that it will be a perfect ride, either.
These are just some of the common lactation and breastfeeding hurdles and issues many women deal with during their first or through every pregnancy. As we've stated before, you might experiences some or just one of these issues, but all of them are common and there are plenty of ways to deal with each issue to help comfort you and your baby. Each healing step is there to help make the breastfeeding process special and enjoyable for both you and your baby. We are here to help you with the whole process. You are not alone, and we are here for you and your baby when you need us most! Until next time, stay safe and be well out there. We understand life is challenging. We are here to listen, support, treat, and help make life a little easier. |
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