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. Hopefully, you’re taking advantage of the current climate and enjoying our lovely city in autumn. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, 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 are prepared to answer any questions you may have about your health, your breast cancer risk, and how to reach your aesthetic goals. 
 
Before we dive too deeply into today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of a few promotions available at The Breast Place this holiday season. We are partnering with Kendra Scott for their virtual charity event. On November 20th and 21st, you’ll receive a 20% discount on your purchased items when you use the code GIVEBACK-BAYSM at checkout. All proceeds will be donated to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization. To read more about the event, you can visit their site. In December, we’ll be premiering a revamped BOGO--buy one gift one. You can schedule a discounted treatment session for yourself and a loved one after Black Friday. Keep a close eye on our social media for more information on our BOGO sale! We’ll also be offering a few early Black Friday sales, valid through November 22nd and November 24th. To learn about those, follow Empower on Instagram and Facebook!
 
Our last blog was dedicated to detailing the wonderful effects of truSculpt iD, a patented body contouring technology available here at The Breast Place. This fat-targeting treatment utilizes monopolar radio frequencies to melt fat and tighten the skin. Compared to similar body contouring techniques, truSculpt iD is quicker, painless, and effective. We explained how best to use the procedure and how long it’ll take you to see results. Everyone knows you cannot spot-reduce through exercise. Therefore, if you’ve been staying active and eating a well-balanced diet, but still cannot seem to lose stubborn pockets of fat, truSculpt iD is the perfect treatment for you!
 
Today, we’re exploring a serious topic. October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many organizations made a concerted effort to spread the word concerning the importance of screenings and mammograms. This effort couldn’t have come at a better time, as recently published research is now beginning to draw a clear picture of the effect the pandemic had on screening rates. We want to do our part and take a closer look at how the pandemic has affected the breast cancer awareness movement, accessibility to screenings, rates of diagnosis, and more. Hopefully, this will inspire a few of you who have been putting off your screenings for the last year or two to schedule an appointment! 
 
Impact of COVID on Breast Cancer Screenings
 
The outbreak of the coronavirus saw Americans spending countless days inside their homes, avoiding large crowds, and forgoing social interaction for the sake of slowing the deadly spread. While quarantine was for a good purpose, many individuals postponed activities which would mean leaving the safety of their homes, including breast cancer screenings. The issue of declining screenings is multifaceted, as is its effect on breast cancer, meaning we’ll have to break down the impact into its individual parts. The first part is how rates of breast cancer, diagnosed and undiagnosed, have been rising in recent years. 
 
To be clear, breast cancer is considered to be a modern-day epidemic. One in eight American women are predicted to develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes. And, while the rate of death associated with invasive breast cancer has remained steady or decreased in recent decades, the rate of breast cancer development has only increased. Since 2008, breast cancer development has increased by 20%. Breast cancer is now the most common cancer worldwide and accounts for 12% of all new cancer cases according to the World Health Organization. While no one knows for sure why breast cancer is such a prevalent disease and why rates are increasing, several environmental and lifestyle factors are currently being studied to assess their effect on breast cancer development. 
 
The second part of understanding the impact of COVID on breast cancer screenings is understanding the role time plays in survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, when women are diagnosed with localized breast cancers, their five-year survival rate is 99%. This figure means these women are 99% more likely than someone their age without a form of localized breast cancer to survive the next five years. For women diagnosed with regionalized breast cancers, their five-year survival rate is 86%. For women diagnosed with distant breast cancers, their five-year survival rate is 28%. As you can see, the declining trend is directly correlated to the containment or spread of the cancer. Therefore, early diagnosis is perhaps the best means of preventing deaths related to breast cancer. 
 
Now, given the increasing rates of breast cancer among women worldwide and given the importance of diagnosing breast cancer as early as possible, you can fully understand how detrimental the pandemic was to the fight against breast cancer. According to a report released by the American College of Radiology, breast cancer screenings decreased by a whopping 70% worldwide during the pandemic. This decline affected low-income areas disproportionately. The American Cancer Society performed their own study among lower income groups and found an 8% decrease between July 2019 and July 2020. “This study is important because these populations have long-standing barriers to accessing care, lower breast screening rates, higher breast cancer [death] rates, and are especially vulnerable to health care disruptions,” the leader of the American Cancer Society study, Stacey Fedewa, was quoted as saying. In this study alone, the decrease resulted in at least 242 missed breast cancer diagnoses. 
 
Many health facilities, including screening sites, closed during the early days of the pandemic or temporarily discontinued screening services to redirect their resources to assisting with the pandemic. The CDC published a study in Preventative Medicine examining the impact of COVID on their National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. What they found was, between January 2020 and June 2020, the number of breast cancer screening tests declined 86% in metro areas, 88% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas. Declines disportionately effects different ethnic groups, as well, with an 84% decrease in breast cancer screenings of Hispanic women, a 98% decrease in screenings among American Indian/Alaskan Native women, an 82% decrease in screenings among Black women, and a 92% decrease in screenings among Asian Pacific islander women. The lead author of the study, Amy DeGroff, PhD, MPH, said, “This study highlights a decline in cancer screening among women of racial and ethnic minority groups with low incomes when their access to medical services decreased at the beginning of the pandemic.” 
 
Regarding the personal impact this decrease in breast cancer screenings had on individuals, Melannie Bachman is a prime example. She was working as a freediving and certified yoga instructor in North Charleston when she felt a lump during a self-exam. Slamming with work due to layoffs during the pandemic, Bachman postponed going to the doctor. Nine months later, the lump had grown and begun to change shape. Without health insurance or disposable income, she made an appointment with the Department of Health. Bachman was soon diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent four months of chemotherapy before finally receiving a bilateral mastectomy. When asked about her experience, Backman had this to say: “I was one of those who put off my screenings and I am so grateful that we caught it at stage two. But if I had waited a month longer, or even a few weeks longer… Triple-negative breast cancer is the fastest-growing, fastest-spreading, most deadly breast cancer.” To learn more about Melannie Bachman’s story and to hear from our very own Dr. Jennifer Beatty, check out this article!
 
 
To conclude, the pandemic presented a unique challenge to patients and medical professionals alike. As we rebuild in the wake of COVID-19, bringing breast cancer screening rate back up to pre-pandemic levels is more important than ever. Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Breast cancer can and should be diagnosed in a timely manner to allow you a host of treatment options, a better chance at survival, and an easier recovery. At The Breast Place, nothing is more important to us than encouraging regular breast screenings. As you’ve seen here today, increased rates of screening can save lives. Reach out to us to schedule your free consultation! In addition to screening services, we have advanced technologies to perform breast imaging, if necessary. We look forward to hearing from you! Thanks for reading. Until next time!

While October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, April is National Cancer Control Month. As we finish out this month and head closer to summer, we wanted to talk a little bit more about this month, its focus, and what you can do to help spread awareness! 

Hello readers, warriors, and friends! Welcome back to the Breast Place's blog! October, as you know, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While we try to treat every month as Breast Cancer Awareness Month to educate, support, and spread as much information and awareness as we can, we still need your help and support to achieve our goals. While April might not solely focus on breast cancer, it is still one of the many forms of Cancer that are discussed and included in this month's awareness. Many of our new readers and those still adjusting to their diagnosis may also be new to the idea of National Cancer Control Month. What is cancer control? According to cancer.org, cancer control and the month of April helps bring awareness about and focus on reducing the number of individuals who get cancer, end up with complications from their diagnosis, and who die from it. "It uses approaches that have been tested through research to control the number of cancer cases as well as the effect of cancer". This month's whole goal of cancer control is to prevent cancer, reduce the risk of cancer, detect cancer sooner, improve all cancer treatments, help more people who are diagnosed with cancer survive, and improve the quality of life for those who have cancer. Another goal of cancer control is to help with the overall effects and burden cancer puts on your life and how it affects your community, your family, and you! 

April became National Cancer Control month in 1938. Declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, for over 83 years the month of April has been dedicated to raising awareness for all forms of cancer and to support its treatment and cure throughout the United States. Thanks to years of hard work and the push to better educate our citizens here in the US, the death toll from cancer did see a steady decline when National Cancer Control month was created. This education and awareness have been dedicated to teaching how to prevent certain cancers, how to recognize signs and symptoms, and how to find proper treatment. At the time that National Cancer Control was created, so many men and women didn't know what symptoms to look for and they didn't know who to turn to for help. While many would go to their local doctors, they weren't aware of many specialists that existed to help them prevent and recover from any cancer they might have been suffering from.

To this day, one of the most effective ways to help prevent almost all cancers or to catch them in their earliest stages is with screenings. The screening will help detect precancerous cells and provide early treatment to hopefully catch and eliminate the found cancer before it becomes any kind of serious problem. One of the most common and easy screened cancers is breast cancer, thanks to breast imaging like yearly mammograms for women ages 40 and older. 

The battle to fight for cancer in the US truly began as our country was also fighting in WWII. Thanks to President Roosevelt who viewed the diseases as deadly as the enemy we were fighting overseas, cancer awareness finally became a solid reality. While it is something that we are all very aware of now, this hasn't always been the case. While almost all Americans knew and paid close attention to the enemies we were fighting overseas during WWII, far fewer knew the dangers of cancer, and many didn't even realize how serious cancer was. Roosevelt changed this with his declaration of Cancer Control Month. At the time, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, cancer was claiming almost 150,000 American lives every year, many of these cases could have been stopped or prevented with regular checkups, care, and education. When Roosevelt declared April as National Cancer Control Month, he called upon the media, school, universities, medical professionals, and many more to help him with this endeavor. While this was a powerful campaign and has been since it began, cancer and its burdens are still affecting millions of Americans every year. Due to the continued rise of cases, the month of April has shifted its focus into five different categories. 

• Cancer prevention. According to the NFCR, 30-50% of all cancer cases can be preventable. This is done through awareness, reducing exposure to cancer risk factors, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and equipping people with the proper amount of information to protect themselves. 
• Early detection of cancer. This helps greatly increase the chance for successful cancer treatment. There are two main types of early detection, screening, and education. 
• Improving cancer treatments. This is a move geared towards recognizing that not all cancer can be prevented, but working towards making treatment as best as it can be to provide as much life as possible. 
• Increasing the survival rate of cancer. Researching treatments and cures for cancer remains a top priority to provide better and accurate ways of saving lives. 
• Improvise the quality of life for people who do have cancer. This is supporting individuals who have been diagnosed and their loved ones before, during, and after their diagnosis. 

This year, the president made a declaration to the nation regarding National Cancer Control Month, and along with the 83 years it has been around, this year is also the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971. This legislation pushed our nation to really commit to cancer research, established a network of cancer centers, advanced research, clinical trials, and data collection systems. Without this landmark legislation, many breakthroughs against cancer that have happened in recent years might not have occurred. He also made note that due to the pandemic, many disruptions were made to cancer care including routine screenings, therapy, diagnosis, and much more. With National Cancer Control Month on its way out and the covid-19 vaccine on its way in, please do not delay any future treatments, screening, or doctor visits. Now is the time to get back to how to control cancer so it doesn't control us. While we have made exceptional advances against cancer, there is still much to be done. If anything, national cancer control month does an excellent job of reminding us how much we've accomplished and how much farther we still need to go. 

While we all continue to do our part to educate and spread awareness throughout April and every single month throughout the year, this month can be a little overwhelming and make us all feel defeated. When this happens, the best thing to do is to focus on the positive, and focus on what we can do and not on what we still can't. This month is dedicated to uniting us all thanks to the power of knowledge. Help spread the word and get involved. If you can, donate to cancer research to help improve treatment and help with the survival rate. While you might not be able to financially give back and support, there are many free ways to give back and help. One way to do that is with a free cancer prevention and early detection kit from the NFCR. This kit includes tips and suggestions on how to lower your personal chances of getting cancer, information about the different types of cancer screenings available to you, and it comes in a downloadable form so you can share it with anyone and everyone to help spread awareness. While you're in this mindset, don't forget some of the most effective ways to prevent many different types of cancer, including breast cancer, can be achieved by making small changes in your life.

• Avoid tobacco products
• Practice safe sex
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Avoid UV exposure and wear sunscreen and other sun protection
• Remain physically active
• Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water!

Now that you know a little more about cancer control month, its power and its influence depend on people like you; those who are aware and want to share their knowledge, those dealing with all stages of diagnosis, and those who are loved ones of those going through a diagnosis. Keep talking, keep sharing, and keep giving back as much as you can! We are here to help you with all of this, so please never hesitate to reach out to us when you need us most! Don't forget, if you're looking for a women's imaging center near you, breast imaging, laser scar removal, and much more, you have found everything you need right here at The Breast Place. We are your leading professionals in Charleston to provide hope through wellness and beauty for women facing life's challenges. We specialize in malignant and benign breast disease and as a team, we work with you to educate, treat, and provide the best care we can. 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! 

• Maintaining a Healthy Weight

While one's obesity and its link to breast cancer are not fully understood, according to the Cleveland clinic it's still important for women to maintain a healthy weight to reduce their risk of breast cancer. After menopause, the production of estrogen in fatty tissue can become a huge problem. Women who are above a healthy weight are exposed to more estrogen, which can lead to a higher chance of getting cancer. Obese women also tend to be more advanced in the disease when they are diagnosed, more likely to have cancer spread throughout their system, more likely to die from the disease and have a greater risk of the disease returning once they go into remission. Maintaining a healthy weight can help your fight against cancer, and it helps with optimizing your overall health as well. Also, keep these ideas in mind! 

• Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle throughout your entire life and not just when you begin menopause can help you put up a strong and consistent fight throughout your life. 
• A balanced food intake and consistent physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight. 
• Portion sizes, choosing healthy snacks and avoiding fried foods, sweets, refined sugars, and fats can help you maintain a healthy diet and weight. 

• Get Moving, Get Active

Right off the bat, according to the Cleveland Clinic, women who are physically fit are 25% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who are not active. Exercise will help boost and strengthen your natural immunity and your immune function which will, in turn, lower your obesity and help you maintain a healthy weight, and it will lower the levels of estrogen and insulin in your body as well. Staying active and exercising can also help you improve your body's bone mass, an issue that many women have when they've gone through endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. These treatments can cause bone fractures and osteoporosis, so maintaining that healthy bone density can help you stay healthy too. During your treatments and recovery, exercise can help with battling your fatigue symptoms, helps deal with stress, and can help you optimize your health over your entire life. According to hopkinsmedicine.org, the ten-year survival rate is much higher in those who exercise compared to those who do not. Also remember that exercise can help improve your mood, flexibility, endurance, and muscle strength. On those harder days during your treatments and after, your body can keep going and keep fighting when you keep exercise and activity in your routine. When it comes to the amount and what type of exercise you need, it's best to speak to your doctor about this and find out what they recommend and what is best for where you are in your journey at that moment. 

• Eating Well, Drinking Well, Living Well

As we've mentioned before, adding a balanced diet into your life and removing unhealthy processed foods can be a key element in fighting breast cancer. Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water is very important, along with limiting your alcohol intake. Start paying attention to what is exacting going into your body, read the labels before purchasing, and make smarter choices at the store. Note the calories, serving size, and the number of refined sugars and salts that are in your canned and processed foods. According to hopkinsmedicine.org, research has shown that diets high in fat and calories will lead to an increase in estrogen circulating in the blood, which can lead to breast cancer. Maintaining a healthy diet can also help in reducing the risk of your cancer coming back. A plant-based diet has been linked to helping to prevent cancer, and more women who eat this way tend to live longer than those who don't. Take these diet suggestions to heart: 

• Enjoy five to eight servings of fruits and vegetables every day. 
• Whole grains, beans, and lentils should be added to your meals every day. 
• Choose to eat organic foods when you can. 
• Increase your fiber intake. 
• Have at least 2-3 servings of fish every week. Increasing omega 3 fatty acids that are found in salmon and other fish are very beneficial to you. You can also find them in walnuts, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds. 
• Wash your produce thoroughly to prevent pesticide exposure. 
• Avoid eating trans fats and processed sugars
• Limit your red meat intake 

• Take Your Vitamins, You Won't Regret It

Vitamin D is one of the most important that a woman needs in her system to keep her healthy. There is a strong link connected to women who have low levels of vitamin D and for those in remission with lower levels of vitamin D to get cancer or for it to return. You can get plenty of vitamin D by getting 20 minutes of sunshine every day, but don't forget your sunscreen! If you're not able to get outside much, make sure to take a doctor-approved supplement to help with your vitamin D levels! Always have your Vitamin D levels checked too, to make sure you're getting enough and if you need to add anything to your system. 

• Continuing to Stay Healthy

On top of these four fantastic lifestyle changes that can help prevent breast cancer, and fighting against it returning, there are a few other ways to keep up and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep up your battle. 

• Limit your alcohol intake to one drink a day. 
• If you are prescribed endocrine therapies, make sure to take them as you've been told to do. 
• Even once you've beaten your cancer, that doesn't mean you stop your health screenings! Always continue with regular health screenings. 
• Reduce stress across every part of your life as much as you can! 
• Take care of yourself both physically and emotionally. 

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! 

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: 

• Physical - Keeping a healthy body with activity, exercise, plenty of sleep, and a good diet. 
• Mental - Supporting your creativity, continuing to learn, problem-solving, and much more. 
• Emotional - Being in touch with your emotions, understanding your emotions, knowing how to properly and healthily express them, and how to return the favor with other's feelings. 
• Spiritual - Having your personal understanding and belief for the meaning and purpose of life. 
• Social - Interacting, connecting, and giving back to others and your community. 
• Environmental - Putting yourself in a safe and healthy environment that is beneficial to your overall health and the health of your loved ones. 

The pandemic and many personal struggles that are out of our hands have and will continue to make working towards wellness that The Breast Place offers and what you can do for yourself a challenge. However, we are here when you're ready and believe in you that you can reach a very healthy and happy balance of wellness and self-confidence.

What are some of the ways you can work towards your overall wellness? 

• Greet the day with a routine and moments of joy. If you are working at home or the office, take a moment for yourself in the morning to meditate, exercise, journal, eat a good breakfast, wait to look at your phone, or think about what you're thankful for. Keeping a routine can also be very beneficial for your wellness, organization, and to help you be more productive. 
• If stress is getting to you, practice a few breathing techniques. Or, just take a moment away from what you're working on to take a few deep breaths or get some fresh air. 
• Stay active! While the pandemic has changed what that looks like for many of us, keep that blood pumping! Ride your bike, dance around the living room with your loved ones, or try that new workout app you've been eyeing. 
• A good diet can help you from the inside out. It can help with how you feel, think, operate, and it can help you stay in great physical shape. A good diet helps boost your immunity and cutting out those unhealthy foods can help reduce inflammation, help with focus, and much more. 
• Introduce the practice of mindfulness to your wellness journey. Surround yourself with positive and loving people, stay in touch with family and friends, and take the time for positive affirmations and gratitude. Even a few moments of reflection can improve your whole day. 
• Make time to do the things you love to do. You need time away from work and the responsibilities of your life to pursue and spend time doing what you love. 
• Invest in sleeping well and getting enough sleep every night. This might mean putting down your phone, putting down your book, and turning off Netflix much sooner than you would like. 
• Don't be afraid to try new things. Try that new hobby, that new workout class, that new recipe, or go and sign up for that class or even that new degree! 
• Like we mentioned above, do these things for yourself and no one else. While feeding and nurturing yourself can nurture your relationships, it's because you're nurturing your relationship with yourself, not with or for someone else. 
• Invest in time management tools, hacks, apps, and dedicate your time back to what you want and need to use it for. Use it to focus on the important things in your life and not on the things that cause worry and what you have no control over. 

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. 

• First off, acknowledge and realize what in your life is giving you any doubts in your confidence. Too much time on social media? A stressful job or work relationship? Issues at home or with a friend or family member? Ask yourself if the negative things that you are telling yourself connected to these situations are true, and remember that if a loved one would never say these things to you, do not say them to yourself. 
• Forgive yourself for the smallest and biggest mistakes. Just because you've made mistakes does not mean you're a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes, that's what people do. 
• Get off of those social media apps and put down your phone more often. 
• Remove yourself from negative situations and don't be afraid to say no. You can put space between yourself and negative individuals or situations, and you can say no without explaining yourself. 
• Focus on the positive things in your life and consider everything you've learned throughout your life. Focus on the new and positive skills you've learned due to everything you've been through and how that has made your life so much better. 
• Exercise! Keeping active helps boost your self-esteem and will improve your mental health as well. 
• Giving back and doing unto others as you would wish to be treated in kind can also boost your self-esteem. Even the smallest acts of kindness can have the biggest impact. 
• Take time to do activities that show off and use your special unique skills and abilities. 
• Invest in good hygiene and keep up with your yearly doctor's exams. Taking charge of how you feel and your health is very empowering. 
• Keeping learning new things and challenge yourself to learn a new skill, or improve upon the skills you already have. 
• Make time and space for yourself, who you are, and know that it is okay to celebrate yourself, forgive yourself, care for yourself, and be kind to yourself.  

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! 

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!

Botox has developed an interesting reputation and has been connected to a certain age group and demographic over the years. Today, we are going to break these molds by debunking the top 5 myths about botox!

Hello warriors and welcome back! We hope that Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all of October was wonderful for you and your family! Remember that it is within your power to make every month and every day Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is up to you to help spread the word, spread awareness, and help fight to find the cure faster than ever before. Stay strong, stay resilient, and keep on fighting!

In this first blog of the month, we are going to be stepping into a much different topic than our most recent blogs. While the Breast Place is dedicated to helping women navigate their bodies during their breast cancer treatments and through their survivorship, we offer so much more. Did you know that we also offer a plethora of other services including laser hair removal, facial rejuvenation, body contouring, scar revision, many different kinds of skincare treatments, tru sculpt, and Botox? A lot of people think that many of these services are for certain age groups and not welcomed or accessible to younger audiences. It might surprise you to learn that our youngest patients that we see are in their early 20s and they have had very successful treatments and experiences in our offices. Botox is one of the most popular of these services, and we see a wide range of patients from all age groups for this service.

Over time, Botox has attracted a very unique reputation and a lot of people out there believe that only older women use Botox, and it was designed for only them in mind. We are here to tell you just how wrong these connotations are! Due to all of this negativity and the bad reputation that has attached itself to Botox and those who use it, we wanted to debunk some of the top myths out there about Botox! Please note before we begin, that Botox is one of the most common and safest aesthetic treatments out there - and you will be amazed at what all it can do for you.

Myth #1 Botox will Freeze My Face and Leave Me Expressionless!
Truth: Thanks to pop culture, this idea has been solidified in our minds that if you get Botox you will no longer be able to move your face muscles and your face will be stuck in one expression forever. The only time that your face will even remotely have a slightly frozen reaction is if you get your Botox injections from someone who has poor technique and they don't truly know what they're doing. To help avoid situations like these, please visit us to get the proper treatment or make sure to do in-depth research when choosing where to get your Botox injections. Botox relaxes wrinkle-producing muscles only at the point of injection, and will not affect any other muscles that are involved or help create your facial expressions. After your Botox treatment, you will still have your full range of facial movements and responses all while looking refreshed and rejuvenated.

Myth #2: Botox Is Painful
Truth: With a trained hand and excellent expertise, the doctors and medical professionals you should be going to you for your injections will make sure that the experience is not painful, does not cause damage, discoloring, or any bruising. Skilled and expert treatment shouldn't be noticeable, meaning the treatments and injections should be done gently and gradually so no one realizes that you're even receiving injections. The needles used for Botox are incredibly thin, and only a small amount of liquid is injected into the skin. If patients feel anything at all, they describe it as a small pinch that only lasts for a few seconds.

Myth #3 Botox is Just for Wrinkles
Truth: While Botox is most commonly known for the treatment of getting rid of wrinkles and lines today, there are many other aesthetic and medical uses for Botox. As a matter of fact, it was first approved by the FDA and used to help treat a condition called strabismus, which is a flickering and spasming of the eyes. Doctors didn't know that Botox could be used for cosmetic purposes until they treated eye conditions such as this. Today Botox can be used to treat limb spasticity, excessive sweating, over reactive bladders, chronic migraines, cervical dystonia, eyelid muscle spasms, TMJ conditions, back and neck pain, and more.

Myth #4 Botox is Dangerous and Toxic
Truth: Botox has been used in the aesthetic and medical world for over 20 years. It was officially approved by the FDA in 1989 and is a completely safe treatment. The treatment for it to be used cosmetically came in 2002. The reason why so many think it's toxic is that is connected to the botulinum toxin that is related to the cause of food poisoning. What is injected into your face and body is a purified protein version of this toxin making it extremely nontoxic. To even have some kind of problem or reaction, you would have to have 100 to 300 times the accepted amount of the toxin to cause any problems.

Myth #5: Botox is Addictive
Truth: There is nothing inside the Botox injection that has an addictive property, and if you choose to stop getting treatments it will not make your wrinkles or lines worse. There is nothing that will physically or chemically make the patient addicted to Botox itself. What people do become dependent on is the results of the injects making them look younger and being so excited and thrilled about the results. The only thing close to addiction is becoming very reliant on the results and the patient's features and has nothing to do with the injection itself.

How do you feel about Botox now? For our readers, do you feel a little more comfortable with the idea of Botox? Are you excited to try it out? We couldn't blame you if you were! That's what we are hoping for you to feel! Please remember that Botox is also not just for one type of person, one age group, or just women. Botox has incredible benefits for everyone. If you have any questions or concerns about Botox, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to speak with you about the many ways Botox could improve your life. 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!