Body Image: Healing After Cancer
- Actress Olivia Munn is the latest famous face to grace the new SKIMS campaign drop — Kim Kardashian’s mega-popular shapewear brand — but with a deeper message, as the breast cancer survivor bravely shows her double mastectomy scars in a stunning photo shoot. A double mastectomy is a procedure that removes both breasts.
- Munn has said that coping with her new body after surgery to remove her breasts, followed by reconstruction, has affected how she feels about herself, but now says she is “done being insecure” as she takes her body and her mind back from cancer and its aftermath.
- A major health challenge like cancer that results in noticeable changes to your appearance can impact how you feel, physically and emotionally, psychiatrist Dr. Marianna Strongin says, who encourages survivors to look at and appreciate the parts of their bodies that were affected by treatment to take back ownership.
The X-Men: Apocalypse star, who found out she had an aggressive type of breast cancer in April 2023 after first having a clear mammogram, had breast reconstruction after the removal of both breasts, but has publicly said that coping with her new body after her surgeries affected her mental health.
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Added Munn, “It’s really meaningful to be part of an initiative that supports research and helps countless individuals impacted by breast cancer.”
She noted that for the rest of the month of October, 10% of the retail sales from each bra sold (the Ultimate Nipple Bra, which gives the appearance of a nipple in the material, and Ultimate Teardrop Push-Up Bra) will go to Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization.
In the comments, fans and friends, including many fellow survivors, applauded the striking images and sentiment.
“Your scar is badass!! You fought for it. Show it off,” one fan wrote.
“You’re a beast for doing this, Olivia! Love you!!” applauded a second, while a third added: “Always a cool girl, but this is next level. Cheers to your bravery. Truly impressive.”
Munn has come a long way in her healing journey to get to this point. “I felt a sense of freedom,” she told PEOPLE in an interview published on Wednesday about showing her scars for the first time. “It’s a part of my journey that had been hidden, so sharing it felt so liberating.”
During a guest spot on the SheMD podcast in June, the Oklahoma City native, who splits time between L.A. and Tokyo with her family, vocalized the intense pain she was going through at the time of her surgery.
“I was by myself in my bathroom, and I looked at them, and I cried in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever cried in my life. I cried. I was devastated. I didn’t recognize myself,” Munn shared, though thankful that she was able to find her cancer in the first place.
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After Munn received her clear mammogram (and tested negative for the BRCA-gene mutation, which increases your risk for breast and ovarian cancer), she underwent a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, which helps determine a woman’s probability of getting breast cancer. Her results called for additional screening, which finally revealed she had an aggressive form of cancer in both of her breasts.
Self-Acceptance After Breast Cancer
Self-acceptance is an essential part of living with cancer, regardless of the severity of the disease, but many women say it is possible to retrain your brain and how we look at our bodies as a whole.
“Femininity is a state of mind,” celebrity stylist Ann Caruso told SurvivorNet in a prior interview. “Society has us thinking that our breasts are what makes us sexy. You know, there are so many other things. There’s touch, there’s our eyes a glance, the way we speak. It’s the curve of our body, it’s the way that we think. There are so many special things about being a woman.”
Body image, sex and adjusting to a ‘new normal’ after cancer
After a year of intense treatment, Dana Donofree, the founder of AnaOno, could not find a bra that fit her altered body and decided to design her own. Her company, AnaOno, creates bras for breast cancer survivors.
“If you want reconstructed breasts because it makes you feel whole, do it. If you want to remove them because it makes you feel empowered, do it,” said Donofree, adding, “You live in this skin, you express yourself the way you want to.”
Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment
Cancer survivors often struggle with the changes others can see, whether temporary of permanent, like scarring, hair loss and weight gain. However, survivors also struggle with changes that may not be as obvious — such as infertility — and these can create body image issues and make survivors feel vulnerable.
One way to prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also, frequently temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey as well.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shared some tips cancer survivors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.
Dr. Strongin encourages survivors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”
Regaining your sense of self after reconstruction
“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.
Dr. Strongin then suggests looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.
“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re facing the option of having a mastectomy, here are some questions to consider asking your doctor:
- What can I do to prepare for a double mastectomy?
- What happens before and after the procedure?
- For reconstruction, what are the benefits of using implants over my own tissue and vice versa?
- What should I know about implants?
- What will recovery look like after the procedure?
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