While we offer so many different kinds of services for our warriors and anyone who comes into our offices, skincare and body care is a big part of what's important to us and what we give to our patients every day! 

Hello to all of our warriors, friends, supporters, and readers! We are so thrilled you're back reading the blog and here to read more about the many different ways The Breast Place can make you feel better, look better, and how you can enjoy a little more out of your everyday life. In our last blog, we debunked some of the top myths about botox, and it got us thinking about all of the products, services, and merchandise we offer here at The Breast Place for all of our patients and patrons. It also got us thinking that we needed to remind all of our readers that everyone is welcome to come visit and work with us. Our offices aren't limited to a certain age group, and we are open to anyone who wants to make their bodies feel and look better. We are here for those incredible warriors who are fighting every day against that tyrant silent killer, breast cancer, and for those who are looking to support their body's natural health to make them feel better with a multitude of skin and body care. So, that inspired us to give a little blog overview on some of our many services and why they are both important and beneficial to those who get them! 

1. Laser Hair Removal

Sometimes hair doesn't always grow where you want it to. It certainly can have a mind of its own and appear wherever it chooses to! Hair in unwanted places can affect self-confidence and mental well being, both of which are very important to us and we fight hard to help our patients keep healthy and strong. Treatment can also sometimes affect where and how your hair grows. The Breast Place is now offering laser hair removal in the office with the latest laser technology. What are some of the other benefits of laser hair removal on top of adding to a strong mental health foundation and good self-confidence? There might be a few more than you realize. 

• One of the biggest reasons why many of our patients get laser hair removal is the cleanliness it offers, and that it helps avoid ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs can appear in some very inconvenient places, can be very painful, and can lead to some pretty serious infection.
• If you are someone who has very sensitive skin and has difficulty with shaving due to the pain and irritation that shaving and waxing can cause you, this is an excellent option to have the smooth skin you want without the irritation and pain. 
• Waxing can come with an array of pros and cons. One of the most difficult is that to get a well done and beneficial wax, you need to let your hair grow out all the way in between waxings, which seems a little counterproductive. This can land you back into some awkward situations dealing with hair on your extremities that you didn't want to have in the first place. With laser hair removal, you can shave as often as you'd like in between treatments. 
• After every treatment, your hair will grow back thinner and softer than it was before! So thick patches of hair will be a thing of the past. The effects also last much longer, and your skin will stay smoother and hair-free longer. 
• The actual process of treating multiple different size areas can happen relatively quickly and can lead to permanent hair loss in your chosen lasered areas after only a few sessions. Those dark and coarsely difficult hairs can be targeted and taken care of without any damage done to your skin 

2. Body Contouring 
No matter how hard you work out, no matter how much you diet, and after going through some very big life changes like having a baby, your body will always decide what it wants to do with the fat in your body. Somehow, it always tends to stay in the places we hate the most, and no amount of push-ups, crunches, mountain climbers, or burpees can chase it away. After any life challenge or natural challenge, unwanted fat can hang around no matter how hard you work. In as little as 15 minutes per treatment, you can target those unwanted areas on your lunch break with no downtime and resume your daily activities right away! The muffin top, love handles, lower abdomen, and "bra-fat" can be treated with our non-invasive body contouring done in the office. Outside of these wonderful benefits, what are some other benefits that body contouring can give you? 

• After you've spent what could be years dieting and exercising to get down to your goal weight, the number on the scale might not bring you as much joy as you expected. Sometimes, in these situations, you are left with excess skin. Being able to remove it can make you feel better and look how you want after you've put in so much work. This procedure can also improve how you feel when those stubborn areas are finally gone. It can help eliminate any unwanted jiggling, chafing, you can avoid weight interference, and everyday tasks can finally be pain-free and easier to do with that stubborn excess fat gone! 
• The results are ones that you just can't beat, for most they are long-lasting effects, if not permanent, and can finally give you the look and confidence that you've been wanting. 
• What's great about a non-invasive procedure is that it allows you to heal quicker, have an incredibly mild recovery, and it doesn't get in the way of your life. You can start looking and feeling great without having to put your life on pause before you do so. Also, it means much less risk than other weight loss surgery and doesn't put the physical stress on it that bypass and other surgeries can do to your body. It highly reduces infection, pain, ulcers, and weight gain compared to other surgery. 
• We understand that surgery isn't for everyone, and we also understand that not all bodies can go through surgery safely. With non-invasive body contouring, this weight loss procedure can be done on anyone, any shape, and for any amount of weight that needs to be lost. 
• It can help reduce the visibility of cellulite on your body in those hard to reach and hard to exercise locations. It can also help get rid of and pause any unwanted lines and wrinkles in your skin by helping promote healthy, strong, and tight skin. 

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3.Facial Rejuvination
You live your life to the fullest and through each trial and celebration that comes with it. While we all work hard to care for our skin and to let it age how we choose, our bodies and our skin makes those decisions. That's where facial rejuvenation comes into play. To keep you looking young even after the effects of treatment, raising children, menopause, or surviving life’s challenges, we now offer facial rejuvenation services, Botox/Dysport, and dermal fillers! Laser resurfacing is used to address pigmentation issues like melasma and sunspots, micro-needling with radiofrequency is to promote collagen rebuilding and with no downtime. Laser resurfacing is the newest technology aiding in rejuvenation and antiaging. If you are concerned with fine lines, wrinkles or redness like rosacea, our Cutera Excel V+ laser treatments are right for you. Paired with the best skin products for optimal results, we hope to empower you to look and feel your best at all times. Outside of all this incredible information, what are some more positive benefits of facial rejuvenation? 

• Our skin reacts and is a product of everything we do. It is affected by our stress, our diets, the sun, exercise, smoking, and much more. Each of these very natural and common practices and choices can lead to the deterioration of the skin. Facial rejuvenation can help slow this down and reverse much of that deterioration. It can also help with scars left behind from acne. 
• Ever feel like the skin on your face is never as clean as you want it to be? Even after a huge amount of product and lotion? Facial rejuvenation can help with this and leave your skin feeling much healthier and cleaner than you could imagine. 
• As you age, even with proper sun protection and doing everything by the book, your skin can begin to change color, could become discolored, and your skin tone could become very uneven. Fail rejuvenation helps with all of this! It can help reduce or get rid of age spots, broken blood vessels, age spots, and more! 
• As we age, our skin begins to weigh a little bit more than we remember, and it can begin to sag in some of our least favorite places. Facial rejuvenation helps tighten your skin around your cheeks, jawline, eyes, and more. This can help make the face look rested, refreshed, and healthier. 
• While we age, your body's amount of collagen production begins to slow down. Facial rejuvenation can help the production speed back up. It can also get rid of that "double chin" effect by eliminating the extra fat in that part of your body! 

There you have it! An insider's look into just three of our many services and products. Can you believe the number of benefits that come from just these three services? There are so many wonderful reasons why these and all of our services are incredibly beneficial for all of our patrons, warriors, and friends that come to our offices! If you have any questions about these or any of our services, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to speak with you about the many ways we could help improve your life with one or all of our treatments. While this blog was dedicated to skincare and much more, we are still the best breast cancer center in Charleston! Be well out there, we know that you're fighting hard. You are not alone in this, and you never will be!

​It's December already, how did that happen?  Have you heard so many holiday greetings that you're going green in the face?  Happy December! How ironic is that sentiment? The world around you is moving fast in Christmas trees, holiday lights, family gatherings, mountains of food, and holiday activities. But where does that leave you? We know a lot of people, especially this time of year, wouldn't come out and say this. But we will. When was the last time you were able to enjoy those things? When was the last time you went to a family gathering without dread or fear of being exhausted? How many festivals, plays, and fun holiday activities have you already missed because of the fight you're waging constantly? We realize with Christmas and many other holidays coming and going, it might not be a very happy time for you. A lot of people use the end of a new year and the exciting dawning of a new one as a time of hope, excitement, and starting a list of resolutions. But for you, it might be a different story.  

It's hard to start a new year with hope when you're just hoping to get through another day. It's hard to have hope because you don't want it to be the last one with your loved ones. It's hard not to think that the end of this year might be the end of time, the end of life, or that you're running out of time. You might be focusing so hard on trying to make everything look and seem normal that you're overcompensating with buying more, doing more, and trying to be more. You're trying to make this time count. We understand that a new year for you doesn't necessarily mean new beginnings. It might mean the end of so many of your beginnings, your fight, your journey. The pink ribbons fade, you're tired of hearing the same news from your doctors and nurses, and you just want life to get back to normal. We want you to know that you're not alone. You might be tired, but you are worthy. You've gotten up time after time when you've fallen. You've kept going for your loved ones, for yourself, and sometimes maybe even out of spite. This year as you start decorating for the holidays - or decide not to celebrate at all - know that your silent thoughts, fears, heartache, and loneliness are not unheard or unfelt.

We respect that what this blog might offer might not be what you need or want to hear. Know that we respect your journey and someone is out there with the same weight on their heart as yours. The holidays are hard, there is no doubt about that. The stress of the holidays causes many people to get sick. Those with breast cancer will be affected by this stress much harder than the rest. Warriors, we know this might be your last holiday. The thought weighs on you that your families might not have you for the next. You could be worrying and thinking of other families who have lost their loved ones before this holiday. You might be worrying about who will take care of the little details and the special things that make this time of year special for your family. You might be thinking that you don't want them to think about a holiday without you, or about losing you in general.

But the holidays are still coming, nothing is stopping that. You want to enjoy them, but how can you bake or cook your favorite holiday meals when you can't eat? How can you enjoy going out and celebrating when this last treatment kicked you down? What about wrapping gifts, hanging ornaments, or playing in the snow when your hands and feet aren't working like they normally do, thanks to your chemo?  Try and remember that this is your time now. Be gentle. Accept where you are today and where it will lead you tomorrow. Get rest, don't make hard plans, and know it's ok to skip out on a tradition or two. Talk about what you need and what you don't need. Throw out the "should be's" the "expectations for the holidays" how "you've always done it this way", and focus on your priorities. Pull your loved ones in, and let these other things go. Believe me, Santa will understand. Give yourself permission to celebrate in your own way, to have this day, and to know that you deserve the next.

What about the holidays after treatment? You've been so focused on just getting through and going through the motions that everything seems a little out of focus. What should you do now? Get outside, reflect on how far you've come, don't let the fear of missing out ruin your time. There is nothing wrong with changing how you celebrate. But there is also nothing wrong with trying to do the little things you love this time of year.

Families, let your warrior celebrate. Buy them the things they love. Maybe this year these things will mean a little bit more. If it's from the heart, it will always be a gift worth giving. Cancer may be a scary word, but your loved ones don't want to be feared. They don't want you to be afraid. This might be the last holiday, so why fill it with doubt or sadness? Life has already given them that. So it is your gift to give them to give love and light.

Warrior, I know you are tired. I know you are lonely. I know you feel unheard and unseen. I know you feel weak and sick. I know you feel angry, sad, confused, and lost. But warrior, I know that you have a good map, a good heart, and a good head on your shoulders. I know that this holiday can still mean something to you.

We have been reading some incredible blogs of women with metastatic cancer recently, and one ended with "survive and shine". It hurts to know that so many of these blogs were published weeks, months, and years ago and their writers might not be with their families this year. But this holiday season, I challenge you to survive and shine for you, your loved ones, and those beautiful warriors who are no longer with us. Make it your own, and make sure you shine as brightly as you can.