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.  

• What Is A Mammogram? 

What comes to mind when you think about what a mammogram is? Just the squashing of your breasts between a piece of machinery to see if you have any signs of breast cancer? While that might be one way to think about it, there is so much more to it than that, and believe us it is worth your time and the compression you'll experience on your breasts. We've talked about mammogram benefits in our blogs over the last few years and why you begin getting them once you turn 40. One of the reasons why women under the age of 40 don't get them is that the tissue in your breasts is too firm to be penetrated with the X-ray that is used in the procedure itself. This is why it can be so difficult to detect breast cancer in women 40 and young. Once you hit 40 and begin to go through menopause, your breast tissue becomes less dense and not as firm, allowing the X-ray to penetrate the breast better. First and foremost, it is very important to remember that mammograms are a very important role in early breast cancer detection to help find it sooner, treat it faster, and help to lower the number of fatalities due to breast cancer.

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. 

• Tips for Getting a Mammogram

You're scheduled for your first mammogram, and you know the basics of what it is and what's going to happen. What are some other things to keep in mind to make it a comfortable experience? 

• Don't be afraid about getting a mammogram. According to the American Cancer Society, only 2 to 4 in 1000 screenings leads to a diagnosis. The more you know, the better you can prevent it! 
• Choose a facility that frequently or only does mammograms, and once you begin going to a facility keep going to the same one. if you have any questions, we can help with that! 
• Make sure to dress comfortably. It is recommended to wear pants or a skirt, so all you need to remove is your top for the exam. 
• If this is your first mammogram, please come prepared with a full medical history and share any changes or abnormalities that have appeared in your breasts. Also, bring a list of any treatments you've had done to your breasts in the past. 
• It's recommended not to get a mammogram during the week before your period. To avoid extra discomfort, schedule an appointment when your breasts aren't tender and swollen. This also helps with the quality of the photos that the X-ray will take. 
• On exam day, don't wear antiperspirants or deodorants. They can contain ingredients that can show up on the X-ray as white spots. 
• If you are breastfeeding or think you could be pregnant, please share this information with your doctor before your exam. 
• During the exam, the procedure will only last 20 minutes and the compression will last a few seconds on each breast. If it does hurt, please tell the tech. Two views of your breasts will be taken, but if you have implants or larger breasts, more might be needed. 
• You will have to undress above the waist but you will be given a wrap to wear during your exam. A tech will be the only one in the room with you. 
• You will be standing for the exam, so comfortable shoes are recommended. 
• Caffeine can make your breasts feel more tender, so limiting your coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate intake a few days before your exam can be helpful. 
• Eat and drink as you normally would before your appointment, and take your daily medications too. 
• Don't wear necklaces during the exam, it's best to leave them at home. 

 

• What To Expect After a Mammogram? 

You've made your appointment and have been seen by the doctor, now what? 

• Once you've finished at the doctor's office, you're all set! It is recommended that while at the doctor's to just go ahead and schedule your next visit. 
• The pain and discomfort felt during the exam should stop very shortly after compression, but aching can be felt for a few days after the exam. Using an anti-inflammatory, a heating pad or bath, and avoiding tight clothes can help! 
• Once you're finished, your doctor will send your full results to your healthcare provider along with a summary mailed directly to you. If you don't hear back from your provider 10 days after the exam, make sure to call and check-in. 
• Please know it is very common to be called back after your screening. Your doctor might have found something they want to look at a little closer just to be safe. This call back will most likely lead to more pictures and tests. This is when a diagnostic mammogram is used! 
• You might also need to get an ultrasound on the area doctors want a better look at and an MRI is also possible. 
• You could be told one of three things in this situation; that it is nothing to worry about and to continue with your regular screenings, that it's nothing to worry about but just to be safe you should come back in 6 months, or that it could be cancer and you need to get a biopsy. Remember, even if you do get a biopsy this still doesn't mean you have 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! 

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!