Let’s celebrate life and spread the word of early detection

There’s a point that’s not well understood by those who would censure us for availing ourselves of anti-ageing, body-shaping and rejuvenation treatments. The point is that we are neither denying our age nor the bodies we were given or have acquired over time. Instead, by choosing to take care of ourselves and put our best selves forward, we are celebrating our lives and giving ourselves our best shot at enjoying and making the most of what the future has in store for us.

And since we are celebrating our lives and since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s take a moment to reflect on another responsibility we have towards ourselves – the responsibility to ensure our continued good breast health.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), on average, 1 in 29 South African women are diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Your exact risk will also differ depending on your race – White women have a 1:14 risk, Coloured women a 1:17 risk, Asian women a 1:20 risk and Black women a 1:53 risk.

Regardless of which risk category we fall into, any risk is too great to ignore and we owe it to ourselves to take the necessary steps to ensure that if it’s going to one of us, we’re going to fall into the early detection category, where we have the best chance of a successful outcome!

That means we need to put our health first, which is harder than it sounds. Let’s just say it like it is Ladies… We’re women, so we’re expected to be multi-tasking wonder-women who can take on as much responsibility as is thrown at us, while taking care of and nurturing those we love and still, somehow, finding the time to take care of ourselves. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No, precisely because we are women!

So add Breast Health to your to-do list and get on with it. It starts with regular monthly breast self-examination and scheduling a mammogram if you are over 40. It’s important to keep the x-rays of each and every mammogram you ever have done and to present them all to the radiologist and/or doctor when you have your next one done. This enables them to track any changes in your breast tissue, over time.

Apart from that, you can put effort into minimising your risk of contracting Breast Cancer to start with. There is sufficient research to support the notion that a healthy, balanced lifestyle can in fact minimise this risk.

Some ways to achieve this include, exercising for between 45 minutes and an hour, five times a week; staying at a healthy weight; keeping alcohol intake to one 120ml glass of wine daily; eating a healthy, balanced diet that is low in processed foods and preservatives and rich in fresh fruit and vegetables; and, my personal favourite, nurturing a positive attitude and a sense of humour, because laughter stimulates your immune system! I guess you could say that aesthetic treatments will have a similar effect, because taking care of yourself leaves you feeling happy and satisfied.

On that happy note, have a fabulous October, spread the word that early detection of Breast Cancer is paramount and don’t forget to schedule your next aesthetic treatment session to boost your mood and immunity!