BIRDSEEDS USED TO BE THE TOP choice for creating the illusion of breasts until a consumer in Germany complained that hers had gotten wet and literally sprouted out of the bra pouch. That?s a true story, too, according to American Breast Care (ABC) CEO Jay Markowitz.
While some women insert handkerchiefs, socks and towels in their undergarments, they not only look different from the real thing, but they are so unstable they actually cause more worries?of slipping, for instance?than peace of mind.
This sense of imbalance even manifests itself physically, said Markowitz. Because something is missing in the chest area, women tend to drop their shoulders in an attempt to hide it.
Today, women who opt out of breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy/lumpectomy have better options for prosthetics. ABC, manufacturer of post-mastectomy bras, breast forms and accessories, introduces to the Philippines its external breast prosthetics and accessories.
Distributed by Confianza, a company dedicated to renewing the self-confidence and self-esteem of breast cancer survivors, ABC prosthetics come in different weights, forms and sizes. Made of silicon approved by the US FDA, and awarded the CE mark proving it is safe for the skin (does not cause damage or rashes to the skin), ABC?s breast forms come in triangle, oval and asymmetric; and its shapers in varying degrees of softness/firmness.
?I can explain to you in minutes how these breast forms and bras work, but it takes an average of two hours for any woman to go through the bras because it is an extremely personal choice,? Markowitz said.
A breast cancer survivor, for instance, might have a scar high up on the chest. ABC addresses this problem by designing a T-shirt bra that conceals such a scar. The company even comes up with stylish designs, he said, so that the bra would not resemble some medical contraption. The women come out of the dressing room completely transformed after trying on their products, he said.
?As long as you have a properly fitted bra, when you put your clothes on, it will look like breasts. Women are able to go outside and rejoin their normal life again. My mother is a breast cancer survivor. This gave me a deeper understanding of what the ladies and their families are going through. It created an extra feeling of sensitivity to the survivors,? he said.
His father was also a founder of a training bra company in the US, he said, so Markowitz?s mother went through six breast reconstruction surgeries before finally deciding to have the implants removed and go for prosthetics instead. He said after going through six anesthesias, six surgeries, implants migrating upward, implants getting replaced, an infection, cocktails of antibiotics, and more, his mother finally decided for the non-invasive route.
Today, Markowitz said about 80-85 percent of women in the US choose to have prosthetics instead of surgery. Aside from the risks involved in surgeries, the other reason is budget. Breast reconstruction can cost anywhere from P100,000 up, while prosthetics cost only about P7,000.
Confianza is at 73 Garnet St., Northway 1, Batasan Hills, Quezon City. Contact Fetty at (02)951-3292 or 0915-1837076, e-mail confianzaenterprise@gmail.com.
