 Hello, Warriors! Welcome to The Breast Place blog and thank you for taking time out of your active schedule to visit! We appreciate our readers to the utmost degree, as we do our patients. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, we welcome you. We cover a range of topics here. From breast cancer management to anti-aging skin treatments to helpful tips for maximizing your overall health and wellness—The Breast Place is committed to sharing the best health practices and treatment options with you! Our offices are open and our staff is prepared to answer any questions you may have about your health, your breast cancer risk, and how to reach your aesthetic goals.
At The Breast Place, we offer several oncoplastic surgical procedures, such as natural reconstruction, nipple-sparing mastectomy, Hidden Scar™, implant reconstruction, and breast lift with or without reduction. Oncoplastic surgery is distinct from both breast cancer surgery and plastic surgery–though you initially assume oncoplastic surgery to be a mixture of both. Rather, the aim of oncoplastic breast surgery is “to achieve good aesthetic outcomes for women with breast cancers who would have unacceptable outcomes with other BCS techniques, and in addition, enable breast-conserving surgery for larger breast cancers.” While breast cancer surgery prioritizes the eradication of cancerous tissue and plastic surgery prioritizes the cosmetic appearance of the breasts, oncoplastic surgery takes both of these aspects into account when planning for the final outcome. You can find out more information about what to look for in an Oncoplastic surgeon here. Our last article discussed easy self-care tips to incorporate into your routine. Self-care refers to the process of taking care of oneself through healthy habits and behaviors. Small tasks like going for a short walk or treating yourself to a warm bubble bath are forms of self-care. Things like journaling, taking a short break from social media, learning something new, and taking time to pamper yourself are all simple ways you can care for yourself. If you are interested in learning more about these techniques, check out our last post! Before we dive into today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of a few promotions available at The Breast Place this March. Spring is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by treating yourself? We’re offering a free EltaMD product with the purchase of Laser Genetics. You can also get double the Alle Rewards when you get Botox or Juvederm! Learn more about that rewards program here. This month we are offering Botox for just $10 per unit, and we will be donating $1 for every unit of Botox to our charity of the quarter. This quarter, we are donating proceeds to the Lonon Foundation, which is a charity dedicated to helping children affected by their parent or caregiver’s cancer diagnosis. You can find out more about the Lonon Foundation here. If you haven’t received a breast screening in a while, we encourage you to schedule one. (You can perform a self-exam in the meantime using this resource.) Overall, we encourage you to use this month to practice self-care techniques and take time to pamper yourself whenever possible. Today, we’ll be discussing some common signs and symptoms of breast cancer, as well as rarer signs that you should watch out for. Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women but it is not unique to the gender, although less than 1% of all breast cancers are found in men. Risk factors can be genetic or based on family history, but other social factors can play a part as well, such as an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Having regular breast cancer screenings such as mammograms is important, but they do not detect every type of breast cancer. Breast cancer signs and symptoms can vary, and some types of breast cancers produce no symptoms. With that being said, it is important to be aware of how your breasts normally look and feel, so that you can identify any changes. It is important to note that breasts are not uniform– What is “normal” is different for every woman. We encourage you to stick around if you are interested in knowing more about the possible symptoms of breast cancer. Let’s get informed! New Lumps or Masses The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast or the underarm. A painless, hard mass is more likely to be cancer, but cancer can also come in the form of soft and tender lumps. Most cancerous lumps have irregular edges, are immobile (don’t move when pushed), and grow over time. Cancerous lumps will not always meet all of these criteria. These lumps may or may not be visible. It is important to note that not all lumps or masses are breast cancer. In fact, the majority of lumps and masses are non-cancerous. Many lumps found in the breast are caused by other medical conditions, such as cysts or fibrocystic breast conditions. If you notice a new lump or mass, you should get it checked by your doctor. Changes of the Skin There are a few different changes of the breast skin that you should be aware of. The swelling or thickening of any part of the breast could be a sign of breast cancer, even if no lump is felt. This may also be on or around the nipples. You should also take note of any redness, irritated or flaky skin on any part of the breast and nipples, including scaly skin. Another change to watch for is dimpling of the skin. Dimpling can be a sign that something is pulling on the breast tissue. This can look like a single indent, or can appear similar to that of an orange peel. Nipple retraction is also something to watch for. When this occurs, the nipple is turned inward or pulled in. There may or may not be pain associated with nipple retraction. Any changes to the skin of the breast area should be addressed. Nipple Discharge Nipple discharge, other than breast milk, can be an early symptom of breast cancer. This is a rare symptom of an early form of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts. Typically, discharge that is clear (especially if only coming from one breast) or bloody is most commonly associated with breast cancer. Discharge may come out on its own, or may only occur if you squeeze the nipple. Nipple discharge is most often caused by a benign condition, but should still be addressed with your doctor, especially if it is accompanied by other changes in the breast or nipples. Swollen Lymph Nodes Lymph Nodes are small structures that are part of the body’s immune system. They filter substances that travel through the lymphatic fluid and contain white blood cells that help the body fight infection and disease. They are located in various parts of the body including the neck, armpit, chest, and groin. Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit can be a sign of breast cancer. These are just some of the possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Doing regular self-breast exams and getting regular screenings are important in detecting early signs of breast cancer. Check out our post about self-breast exams and our post about mammograms here for more information. Any changes in the breasts, including changes in size or shape of the breasts, should be addressed immediately. If you visit a doctor with any of these symptoms, a clinical exam will be performed and your doctor may also order tests such as a biopsy, mammogram, or ultrasound. You can find a guide to different types of breast imaging here. Once again, it is also important to remember that various benign conditions can cause similar symptoms. We hope you found this article helpful. Here at The Breast Place, we offer breast imaging services and provide consultations, clinical breast exams, and dedicated treatment plans. We strongly encourage you to reach out to us for a consultation if you have any questions or concerns about changes in your breasts. We are committed to empowering women, and we are proud to offer treatments and products to help you look and feel your best. Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article and we hope you’ll check back in for future posts about treatments, wellness, and more!
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 Hello, Warriors! How are you doing today? We here at The Breast Place hope you’re enjoying the long days of constant sunshine midsummer has to offer. Whether you’re at the beach with your family or basking in your backyard, remember to slather on a thick layer of your favorite sunscreen!
Today, our aim is to impress upon each of our readers the importance of teaching your daughters how to perform a breast self-exam and how you might go about having such a conversation. We understand these sorts of things can be tricky. It’s our professional opinion: preparation is the pangea to anxiety in situations such as this one. Equipped with knowledge, you can answer any questions your daughter might have about why breast self-exams are necessary and how to perform one herself. This exchange doesn’t have to be awkward. In fact, we hope with the information in this article, both you and your daughter will walk away from the conversation feeling confident and empowered. On the Importance of Self-Examination A breast self-exam (BSE) is, as the name suggests, a self-performed examination of one’s own chest area. The area underneath one’s armpits is also included in a self examination. Early Awareness The chief benefit of self-exams are their potential to alert women to the presence of lumps and masses in their breasts which might be cancerous. Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancer cases are first detected by women who felt a lump. Early awareness is a key factor in determining survival rates in cases involving non-metastatic invasive breast cancer. Sixty-three percent of women are diagnosed while the cancer is still contained within the breast and of these women, the five-year survival rate is ninety-nine percent. However, young women—ages 15 to 39—are less likely to be diagnosed within this early stage because regular breast cancer screenings don’t begin until age forty for most. The chance of women under forty developing breast cancer is only five percent. However minimal this risk factor may seem, it is still a risk. Therefore, teaching your daughters how to perform self-exams is vital. Knowing One’s Own Body The secondary benefit of performing regular self-exams might be the more universal of the two. We all need to have at least a basic understanding of our bodies. Performing regular breast self-exams can help your daughter to become familiar with her own physicality. Doctors recommend young women conduct self-exams less for the chance they’ll find a cancerous mass and more to have a solid understanding of what’s “normal” for them. Only by having a baseline of what your breasts look and feel like can young people identify when something has changed. The Talk Now, you’re ready to have “the talk.” You don’t necessarily have to plan out what you’re going to say. In fact, it’s better if you don’t! You don’t want anything to sound too scripted. This is a natural topic of conversation between you and your daughter. Therefore, it’s always better to keep things casual. When and Where As with any in-depth conversation, you want to choose your moment. On a broader scale, this comes down to when—in your daughter’s timeline of development—you choose to have this conversation. While some doctors don’t recommend starting breast exams until you’re at least twenty and fully developed, others recommend beginning self-exams as soon as puberty. In this aspect, you must gauge the maturity of your child. Will they participate in this sort of conversation or plug their ears and run away? If it’s the latter, you might want to wait until they’re a bit more mature to have this conversation. On a smaller scale, when to have this conversation depends on external factors. Environment. Time-of-day. Even whether or not your child has eaten. For the optimal retention of information, you’ll want to choose a day when your child is well-rested. Choose a private location for this conversation, as well. Though there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, no one wants an audience when they're talking about intimate parts of their bodies. Do Your Research Knowledge is your friend. Don’t go into the conversation unprepared. Chances are, your daughter will have questions about things. If you’re confused about certain aspects of the self-exam, you’ll only transfer your confusion onto her. Make sure you’re able to answer the most common questions. How often should I be performing a self-exam? Once a month. When should I perform the exam? At least a week after your last period. This allows any swelling of the breasts to lessen before the exam. Where should I perform an exam? Self-exams can be performed standing up or lying down. They’ll want to add in the assistance of a mirror (when standing) in order to visually inspect the breasts. Doctors no longer recommend performing self-exams in the shower. What should I be looking for? You’re looking for any lumps, bumps, hard masses, dimpling, discoloration, changes in texture, or discharge. What’s normal? Everyone’s body is different. Therefore, there is no basic definition for normal. You’ll have to develop your own definition after multiple self-exams. Uneven breasts aren’t necessarily an indication of something being wrong. Likewise, stretchmarks (lighter or darker toned striations where the skin has stretched) are no cause for concern. What you want to keep an eye out for is major differences between the breasts (i.e. deformations or dimpling) and other sudden changes in the feel and appearance of your breasts. How do I perform a self-exam? Demonstrate This part of the conversation depends on your level of comfortability. You can either verbally explain what to do or physically demonstrate using hand motions or combine a mixture of both methods. You can also print out a self-exam guide on the National Breast Cancer organization website. Written Instructions Standing Self-Exam Stand in front of a mirror. With your arms by your side, visually assess your chest area. You’re looking for noticeable changes in contour, dimpling, discoloration or strange texture. Next, raise your arms above your head. Continue your visual examination. Next, place your arms on your hips and press to flex your pectoral muscles. Continue your visual examination, searching for major differences in the usual appearance of your breasts. Lying Down Self-Exam Lie down with a pillow placed under the shoulder of the breast you’re examining. Lift the arm on the side of the breast you’re examining until your bicep is beside your ear. Use the three middle fingers of your opposite hand (i.e. ring, middle, index) to make a flat surface. Using the flat surface of the pads of your fingers, palpate the entire breast area, including the armpit. You can use varying degrees of pressure. You can use an up-down motion, make circles, or radiate your palpitation outward from the nipple. Finally, squeeze each nipple to check for blood or discharge. After the Talk What happens after the talk is just as important as the actual conversation. At this point, your child will go off to process the information and perform a self-examination alone. Especially in the beginning, self-examinations can be the catalyst of worry. This next section will help you handle the emotions which might come up as a result of a self-exam. Managing Fear Self-exams shouldn’t be a source of anxiety. In fact, they’re a wonderful tool for assuaging anxiety. Self-exams cannot rule out the possibility of having breast cancer. To rule out any foreign masses, you or your child would need to have a mammogram performed by a doctor. However, self-exams give us a small amount of power in the knowledge they imbue. With an understanding of our own body and what’s “normal” for us, we’re equipped to notice when something goes awry. And, even when something does go awry, it’s not always a reason to panic. Eight out of ten lumps are not cancerous. They can be cysts or benign tumors or even just particularly dense sections of breast tissue. Self-exams take five to ten minutes and only need to be completed once a month. As women, we have a responsibility to ourselves to check in with our own bodies. This is how we manage our health. Fear is most often born out of a lack of knowledge. With regular self-exams, we’re collecting knowledge about ourselves and managing our fear. Assuage and Anticipate Even equipped with the proper knowledge and relevant statistics, self-exams can bring up a lot of guessing and wondering. In the weeks or months following your conversation, check-in with your daughter. Of course, gauge her willingness to continue the conversation first. You might ask her how she’s feeling about her self-exams. Does she have any questions? Even if you’re not able to answer her questions and concerns, you can both take a trip to the doctor’s office and learn about breast health together. Discussing your daughter’s health care concerns doesn’t have to be done alone. Consulting with a healthcare professional can help assuage any fears which might arise after beginning self-exams. That’s why The Breast Place offers consultations concerning breast pain, breast lumps or masses, abcesses and nipple discharge. Our physicians can show you and your daughter how to properly perform a self-exam and run family history risk assessments to see if you’re genetically predisposed to certain forms of breast cancer. If you or your daughter do encounter a lump, don’t panic. Instead, schedule an appointment as soon as you’re able. The Breast Place offers several breast imaging services, including: mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs. Whether you have dense breast tissue or have had an abnormal mammogram, we can assist you in deciding what the next step in your healthcare journey should be and facilitate the necessary care. We’re here to help!  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!  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.  While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is five months away still, we try to educate and spread awareness as much as we can all year round. Today, we are going to be talking about self-breast examinations and everything you need to know about them!
Hello warriors, readers, patients, and friends! We are so glad you're joining us today for our first blog of May! It is a new season, a new spring, a new time in Charleston, and all of it comes with a new sense of hope and strength within it. We hope each of you reading this today feels that feeling with us, and we hope you know that no matter where you are in your journey, we are here to help and support you. First and foremost, we are here to help empower our amazing patients and to help them through their diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. This will never be a path you walk alone. We also offer many specialized services right here in our Charleston offices including abnormal breast imaging, family history and genetic testing, oncoplastic surgery, scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser hair removal, lactation, and much more. If you're looking for the premier breast specialists in Charleston, SC, you've found us! While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is still officially five months away, we try to honor it every day by spreading awareness, talking about the realities of breast cancer for women of all ages, and trying to use every opportunity we can to educate everyone we meet. Today, in honor of this idea, we are going to be talking about self-breast exams; what they are, the best way to go about giving yourself the best exam, and some common myths you might not know! For those new to The Breast Place, welcome! We are here to support you and your breasts at every stage of your life. We've mentioned this in past blogs, but self-breast exams can be one of the most successful first steps in preventing cancer and catching it in its early stages. Self-breast exams are important for women throughout their lives but can be extremely beneficial for younger women with very thick breast tissue. Having thick breast tissue can make it almost impossible for a mammogram to work on women younger than 40. In many situations, self-breast exams can be one of the only ways that cancer can be caught in women younger than 40, and can be an amazing lifesaver. At The Breast Place, we perform clinical breast exams, family history risk assessment, breast ultrasounds, biopsies including fine needle aspirations, and needle core biopsies in the office. However, sometimes your overall experience and reason why you find us at The Breast Palace can begin with a self-breast examination. Today, we will be focusing on self-breast exams so you can successfully carry out this life-saving procedure on yourself! What Is A Self Breast Exam? As it is stated in its name, a self-breast exam is an at-home self-inspection of your beasts to see if there are any changes or abnormalities that have appeared within your breasts. The best way to do a fully successful breast exam is to use both your eyes and hands to determine if there are any changes to the overall feel and look of your breasts. If you do see any changes, it is best to speak to your doctor right away. Please note that, according to the Mayo Clinic, that almost all changes found during a self-breast exam for your breasts appear due to benign causes. However, this never means that you should ignore any changes that might appear. It means you still need to share this information with your doctor and have them determine what should happen next. It is still possible that some changes may mean something serious, like breast cancer. Why Should I Give Myself Self Breast Exams? While breast cancer to this day is still considered something that is only found in women who have gone through menopause, we need to break that stigma! Giving yourself self-breast exams and understanding their importance can help with this! A self-exam or even just examining your breasts on your own can be a huge help with discovering cancer early. This can mean that if cancer is caught and treated earlier, it is more likely to be treated successfully! When self-exams are paired with regular physical exams, they can help make a huge impact on your life and safety. Also remember that giving yourself a breast exam costs you nothing but a little time, and that time is well worth spending on yourself! How Do I Give Myself A Self Breast Examination? Now that you know a little bit more about self-breast exams and why they are so important, it's time to understand how best to go about giving yourself a breast exam. This way they can be as efficient, effective, and successful as possible.
What To Expect From A Self Breast Exam While reading about how to give yourself a self-breast exam may teach you how to do it, that doesn't mean you know exactly what to expect or what it might feel like. Here are a few more extra tips and pieces of insight that might make the whole process a little easier and help prepare you a little more.
Myths About Self Breast Exams & More Just like we've debunked many different things on our blogs before, there are myths about self-breast exams and other related topics that need to be debunked too. The list below is full of myths to avoid and not worry about while going through your life and caring for your breasts. However, if you do have any questions or concerns even after reading this list and the whole blog, please do not hesitate to reach out and speak with us!
Warriors, fight your battles and be strong while doing so. You have the tools now to begin the battle and to keep yourself as prepared and ahead of the diagnosis as possible. Your health is in your hands, quite literally. Please take the time to dedicate a self-breast exam to your schedule every month. In the long run, it might be the biggest key in catching the first sign or stages of cancer that could appear in your body! 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.  The connection between a healthy lifestyle and healthy breasts is incredible. Not only can it help prevent breast cancer, but it can also help increase your odds of beating the disease and not letting it come back!
Hello warriors, readers, and faithful friends! Spring is here and the taste of summer is right around the corner. We've all been getting out more and more as it becomes safer to do so and as the weather allows. There is nothing like a beautiful walk through downtown, on the beach, through one of our many state parks, or one of our many historical sites. The Lowcountry offers so much that it's just calling for us to get up and get out right now! It's also an incredible mecca for foodies and all-natural purveyors! You can find every kind of delicious meal prepared at one of our many fine dining locations or buy it fresh out of the ocean and right off the farm. Healthy lifestyle choices can help you enjoy the beautiful Lowcountry life, make you feel amazing, and it can help you prevent breast cancer, help you defeat it, and make sure it never comes back! Breast cancer is a reality we all face. While some have a genetically higher chance of getting it than others, this silent killer doesn't discriminate. It picks and chooses at will. For those who have had breast cancer and are fighting to make sure it never returns, this battle is a constant worry. While we fight to discover a cure, there are things you can do right now, small changes in your lifestyle, to make whatever battle you might be fighting more successful. It's a tough battle, one that we try to educate everyone we possibly can about. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting more than one and a half million women every year, with more than three million breast cancer survivors in the US alone right now. With numbers like that, it's an overwhelming thought if there is anything we can do to help make a difference in this battle. While there is no cancer-preventing food or specific exercise, a healthy lifestyle and many factors that go along with it correlates with being able to lower your overall risk. Any chances you can take to lower your risk are worth considering and implementing, and we are here to help you with the rest!
There are some things about our bodies and our health that are out of our control. However, when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, our health is in our hands and we have the choice and the ability to care for ourselves. As health guru, fitness trainer, and ex-Rockette Amanda Kloots says "exercising is a privilege that we have every day. Getting up and moving our bodies is a gift." Let's celebrate that we are the incredible, powerful unique women that we are and that we can help our bodies fight against cancer with small daily changes and choices. We are here for you along the way, during your fight, and after. If you would like to begin or if you have any questions about our services including family history and genetic testing, survivorship, scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser hair removal, or lactation, please contact us today! Until next time, get up and get moving. You have another day to make healthy choices!  While mammograms are a yearly procedure that we recommend for our patients that are in their 40's and beyond, there can still be so much mystery in what a mammogram is, how to prepare for one, and what to expect after the experience itself. Today, we are dedicating this blog to everything you need to know about the realities of a mammogram inside and out. We will also be talking about the before, during, and after process of getting one!
Hello warriors! Welcome back to the Breast Place Blog! It has been a very exciting few weeks with a visit from our friend Amanda Syfriend, making appearances at the #pinkintherink hockey game with the South Carolina Stingrays, and supporting an incredible local charity called Share our Suzy. Share our Suzy, for our readers new to the charity, helps local breast cancer patients pay for utility bills, groceries, wigs, childcare, and much more. We are constantly fighting for, supporting, and educating those who are fighting and those who could one day fight if we don't find a cure fast enough. This is one of the many reasons why we invest our time and efforts into our social media pages and our blog, we want to share and spread awareness, support our community, and do everything we can to help. We appreciate all of our readers, followers, and supporters for their love and kindness they've shown to each of these platforms, and we applaud you for helping us achieve these goals, spread our message, and help lift up our warriors and fighters. With a whole year under our belts since the pandemic has started, we are coming out exhausted in more ways than one. There is still so much unknown and we hope that as time goes on, we continue to see a light at the end of the tunnel together. Let's continue to stay safe and make safe choices for our loved ones. Our last few blogs have been dedicated to our products and services that you can find when you visit our offices, their amazing results, and the power they can give to your self-esteem and self-confidence. Today, we are going to be circling back and talking directly about services related to breast cancer and the prevention of it. Today, we are going to be talking about mammograms. While they should become part of your regular yearly checkups once you're over the age of 40, there are still so many people who aren't getting them and so many who are unaware and unsure about what the whole process entails. Today, we are going to continue to use this platform as a tool for education to clear up any questions and confusion about mammograms, and to persuade you to get them if you're not already doing so.
Mammograms are done both for screening and diagnostic purposes. Once your doctor begins to advise you to start getting them, usually around the time you turn 40, these mammograms are used to detect any changes in the breast in women who have shown no previous signs or symptoms of cancer. This can help detect cancer before clinical signs begin. A diagnostic mammogram is used to investigate anything unusual that has appeared in a woman's breast including lumps, pain, changes in skin appearance, and more. This mammogram will include more images than a normal screening. According to the American Cancer Society, women with a normal risk of cancer should receive a mammogram every year starting at age 45 until age 54, while the Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening every two years, starting at age 50 until 74. Those with a higher risk of breast cancer will benefit from starting mammograms sooner, and it is best to speak to your doctor about when best to begin your mammogram process. During the mammogram itself, a patient's breasts will be compressed between two separate hard surfaces to help spread out the breast tissue. This will help the X-ray capture images of the breasts. Once the breasts have been compressed, an X-ray takes black and white photos of the breasts that will then be examined by your doctor for any signs of abnormalities or cancer.
If you have any more questions about mammograms and the experience of getting one, please do not hesitate to reach out! We are here to answer any questions and calm any worries. Until next time warriors, stay strong and keep fighting!  When you visit our website, one of the first things you'll notice is a button that says EMPOWER at the top of your screen. The idea behind the creation of The Breast Place was to help empower women who have been challenged by all aspects of life, to help boost their confidence, and to restore their sense of normalcy. Today, we are going to be talking about the importance and self restorative power of self-confidence as an adult.
Watching as your body changes over the years, seeing your body change due to cancer treatments and surgeries, and sitting in front of the mirror after a hard week can be incredibly difficult, make it hard to feel like yourself, and can be a blow to your self-confidence. It's no secret that every media outlet and our smart devices that we are glued to also add a decent amount of weight to our everyday moods, decisions, how we see ourselves, and how we feel about ourselves. As we grow older, it's hard to keep up with being your own hype woman and keeping your self-confidence up. As a woman-run and owned business, we understand that completely. We opened this clinic as a way to empower women who have been challenged with various aspects of life and encourage them to find beauty in all things. We cherish our survivors and want them to feel loved, respected, and beautiful. We hope that by offering services like skin rejuvenation and scar revision that we can boost their confidence and restore their sense of normalcy in life. After challenging life events, we offer total wellness through skin resurfacing with the latest laser technology, dermal injections to subtly address fine lines and wrinkles, body contouring to tackle unwanted areas of fat with non-invasive treatment, and much more. These services include truSculpt iD, secret RF, excel V+, Botox, and products from Environ and Cutera to help with loose skin, stretch marks, and scars caused by acne. We are dedicated to helping you feel your best. Today, we want to talk about celebrating and nurturing your self-confidence! What Is Wellness? Wellness goes beyond waking up without a cold, having bad allergies, or a runny nose. Wellness goes into how your feeling mentally and emotionally, all of which can be helped by caring for yourself and taking advantage of all of our empowering services. According to the Global Institute of Wellness, it is defined as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and a lifestyle that leads to a state of holistic health. It is an active pursuit towards a healthy lifestyle and state of mind. It is also an individual pursuit. While it is important to surround yourself with supportive and loving people, you have to make these choices and accept what you need to achieve wellness on your own. Making that uphill climb will be worth the outcome. Wellness is also not a one-dimensional thing, it is a six-part dimensional way of thinking and living! It includes:
What are some of the ways you can work towards your overall wellness?
How do you nurture self-confidence? Self-confidence is a difficult thing to maintain and have a healthy relationship with as an adult. However, it doesn't have to be something you are constantly fighting against. This is also hard for everyone, not just women. As you go through life, be gentle and kind with those you come in contact with, you don't know what they're going through. To nurture your self-confidence, you will have to put the work in yourself, and please don't rely on others to provide it for you. This is for you by you.
Being kind to yourself in the process of wellness, self-confidence, and empowerment can be the hardest battle. It's easy to make fun of and downplay the importance of each of these elements in your life, but there is nothing like permitting yourself to go after the wellness and self-confidence you deserve. We are here to help you start that journey and inspire you along the way. We believe in each of you and know that you deserve this kindness. If you have any questions about our services, empowerment, self-confidence, survivorship, or anything else, we are here for you! Dear readers, please know we are always here for you with your best interests at heart. Please stay safe, make smart decisions, and be kind to yourself in 2021!  A new year means new goals and resolutions to many of us. Why not try laser hair removal to kick off your 2021?
Hello readers, warriors, and friends! Welcome to The Breast Place Blog and welcome to a brand new year! For many, a new year means new resolutions, new goals, and trying new things. Remember, when the clock strikes midnight, and you wake up on January 1st ready to make big changes, all the goals you've made are meant to be accomplished throughout the year. Don't try and do everything at once or by the end of January! If you try to do this, you'll be ready to throw all of your goals and resolutions in the garbage before Valentine's Day! Remember, we are all about healthy, steady, and positive growth. The changes that you make that you want important results from take time, patience, and a willingness to get through the good days and the bad. As we all walk into this new year of 2021 together, let's be kind and resilient, let's take our time, let's work hard, and let's support one another with whatever goals we set for ourselves! While we might not be able to help with all of our goals or resolutions for 2021, we can help you with trying new things. Have you been putting off trying something new for yourself that you've been wanting to try for a while now? We can't tell you how often we hear that in our offices with our services like scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, and our laser hair removal services. Many of our patients also say that they wish they would have tried these services sooner, and don't know why they waited so long to try them! Have you been thinking about finally trying some of our services this new year? We are ready to get started, consult with you, and answer any questions you might have. To inspire you, we wanted to dedicate this blog to laser hair removal and talk about the truth behind it, the benefits of laser hair removal, and what our services are like at The Breast Place! LASER HAIR REMOVAL AT THE BREAST PLACE! Hair in unwanted places can offset self-confidence and mental well being. Treatments can also sometimes affect where and how hair grows. The Breast Place is now offering laser hair removal in the office with the latest laser technology. Contact us to schedule a cosmetic consultation with our licensed professionals. THE BENEFITS OF LASER HAIR REMOVAL!
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LASER HAIR REMOVAL On top of all of its many benefits, we also wanted to share a few more pieces of information to consider while you prepare for your treatments.
After reading this blog, you should now know all the basics about how to prepare, what to expect, and all the incredible benefits laser hair removal can provide. However, we welcome you to reach out if you have any questions. It is also extremely easy to book an initial consultation with us on our website! We are so excited to share this new year with you and to help you try those new things you've always been wanting to! Dear readers, please know we are always here for you with your best interests at heart. Please stay safe, make smart decisions, and be kind to yourself in 2021!  The 2020 holidays have been and will continue to be difficult for all of us. Not being able to travel, see our loved ones, or do many of our favorite traditions is going to be strange. While it might be hard, it might be incredibly beneficial for everyone going through and living with a cancer diagnosis.
Hello, warriors, friends, and dear readers! We know the holiday season can be incredibly difficult for you and for many reasons. While going through your cancer treatments you begin to ask those dark lurking questions; how will this affect my family? How long do I have left? Am I going to beat this? When the holidays come around, these questions tend to get a little darker; what will the holidays be like after I'm gone? Is this my last Christmas? How many more holidays do I have left? While we will try to do everything we can to help comfort and support you on this difficult journey, we also know that sometimes even the most comforting words and actions can't touch those dark places and dark thoughts. However, that doesn't mean we are going to stop our positivity and hope that we want to share with you anytime soon. This blog is going to be a few different things; something to help cheer you up, give you some hope, provide some insight to your loved ones and our readers, and to give everyone a little perspective. We've now all heard it one too many times, that this year is going to be different from all the rest. Through all the difficulties this year has given us, and the fact that this will be hard to spend the holidays apart, this might be something good for all of our warriors going through their treatments, diagnosis, and those living in their survivorship. The holidays without cancer are already hard difficult; you're constantly running around, shopping, worrying about seeing everyone, making plans, cooking, attending all the holiday events, and trying to make everyone happy. The holidays with cancer are even more difficult. Its all of your normal holiday stress combined with always being tired, feeling sick, having to say no to things and dealing with the guilt that comes with that, being sick, not being able to taste or eat your favorite foods, not being able to participate in your favorite activities, and more. It's a lot, and when your family and friends outside of your close and supportive care group and team don't quite understand this, it makes it even more difficult. We don't need to go into any more detail, because you already understand this. You're living this right now and you've been going through it ever since you were diagnosed. However, this year might be a little different A Holiday To Pause For the past nine months our lives, what's safe, and how we are living has all changed. For our warriors and those in survivorship and remission, you've had to be extra safe, as have your immediate members of your bubble and everyone who lives with you. You are making even fewer trips outside of your house, you could be working from home, seeing a very limited amount of people, you may have been going into doctors appointments and treatments alone, faced canceled and rescheduled doctors appointments, spent a lot of time on Zoom, and more. Now that the holidays are here and the pandemic numbers haven't improved but have instead continued to grow, everyone is starting to see changes. Our favorite Christmas gatherings have been canceled or made virtual, large gatherings are still not recommended, traveling is still not recommended, and it is still recommended that you limit your exposure and stay home as much as possible. While this is devastating for so many, this is something that needs to be observed by our warriors and their families. While choosing to be healthy and staying healthy, you are also protecting others by limiting your exposure. You can take the opportunity of not being able to gather and travel this year to rest and enjoy the holidays how you choose instead of stressing yourself out. You can slow down and create new traditions with your loved ones inside your bubble and create unique ones with all the family you'll be seeing virtually this year. If your treatments are difficult over the holidays and you're sick, feeling ill, or are exhausted you don't have to make up any excuses or feel bad about not being able to attend a holiday function. As difficult as the holidays are, as difficult as this year has been, take this time to rest, recover, fight, heal, and keep yourself safe while the world is on pause. We do urge you to remember this: please understand to be even more conscious for our warriors who don't have the immune system or strength to battle off what we are all trying to fight off and avoid. Remember, they are already fighting a battle. Don't give them another one to fight. Remember, Please To our dear care teams and family members who make up the family bubbles for all of our warriors, we know this time of year is difficult for you as well, and that 2020 has not made that any easier. Please continue to be safe and to practice all of your safety measures because this isn't just for you. You're doing all of this and being safe for them and everyone else you see this holiday season. Even if it is difficult to say no and you choose to celebrate safely this year, that is the best gift you can give to everyone. With that on your mind, we also wanted to share a few more ideas on how to help your loved ones going through this holiday. We also wanted to share some ideas and tips for our warriors to remember, too!
Recap We know this time of year is difficult. We know this blog might come off a little strangely, but we are searching for and highlighting all the silver linings that we can find. We are here for you, fighting for you, and very much in this boat with you this holiday season. If anything, please remember these things when walking away from the blog today:
Through the difficulties of this year, your battle with breast cancer and remission, the holidays, the pandemic, and everything in between, we are here. We are here to help comfort, help with your healing, and help you feel better in as many ways as possible. Keep searing for your silver linings and let's carry them into the new year! |
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