Set against New York City’s stunning skyline on the breezy roof of 74Wythe, Coveteur’s recent panel discussion on body image was a compelling tribute to female autonomy and empowerment. The conversation, led by beauty editor Ama Kwarteng and hosted by Coveteur in partnership with Mentor, in celebration of the launch of their MENTOR® MemoryGel BOOST™ Breast Implant (see offer below), explored the nuances of self-love and confidence in the age of ever-evolving pressures from society and social media. The panelists included content creator Helecia (Lee) Williams, sexual wealth coach Jo Portia Mayari, and wellness expert Chinae Alexander, who provided a range of perspectives informed by a diverse spectrum of experience.
Kwarteng opened the discussion with a thoughtful critique of the term ‘body positivity’ that served as a poignant throughline for the duration of the conversation. As she pointed out, loving your body one hundred percent of the time is an impossible standard, and the pressure to think of your body as perfect can be just as damaging as the pressure to look perfect. Alexander, who recently wrote about her relationship with body confidence for Coveteur, agreed with this sentiment. “The whole inception of the body positivity movement was to make us feel less shame about our bodies,” she commented. “But what is more shameful than having to feel good about yourself all the time?” Portia, who works to help women to reclaim their sexuality through Tantra practices, added that she prefers the term body acceptance over body positivity. “I can accept the parts of me that society and the world have rejected,” Portia explains. “And I can accept the parts of me that the world thinks are great and really, really amazing.”
Williams echoed this theme in her account of her decision to get a breast augmentation by Mentor®, a choice she considers both extraordinarily personal and empowering. She didn’t tell anyone about the procedure until afterward, in part because of fear of misguided comments encouraging her to love her body as it was. This wasn’t a decision she felt she needed input on, and loving her body and wanting this procedure were not mutually exclusive. “I didn't ask permission. I didn't need anybody's permission because it wasn't for them,” she explained. “I went through this kind of journey [where I felt] like somebody was basically giving me my cape—like I was now a superhero because I felt complete. I felt like I had actually done something that just solely served me.”
All three panelists emphasized the importance of individual relationships with our bodies over outside influences and demands. “I'm still not gonna absorb that shame and that pressure; I get to start or stop in whatever boundaries make sense for me, whether that's dying my hair or getting breast implants,” Alexander commented. Portia considered her community’s response to her breast augmentation, but she didn’t allow fear of judgment to stop her because to her, that judgment is just another manifestation of the patriarchy. “They've already had 5,000 years of repressing our greatness as women. They don't get to have that. I'm going to step out and say, this is my choice. It's my body. It's my rules.”
In addition to supporting body confidence, for a limited time, Mentor is offering an ENHANCED WARRANTY on its newest option, Mentor® MemoryGel Boost™ Breast Implant. This offer is ONLY for qualifying patients undergoing breast implant surgery between 9/1/2022 and 12/31/2022 without prior history of capsular contracture. Patients are encouraged to register within 45 days of surgery using code "BOOSTED" for ease of future warranty administration. Failure to complete the registration process will not affect rights under the offered warranty, so long as the patient can show in a reasonable manner they met the conditions of the “Boosted” offer.†
†Void where prohibited. “Boosted” warranty offer valid only for qualifying patients who (1) meet the conditions to enroll in Mentor’s Enhanced Plan, and (2) undergo breast implant surgery with MemoryGel® Boost silicone gel breast implants between September 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Patients are encouraged to complete the warranty registration process within 45 days of surgery using discount code “Boosted” for ease of future warranty claim administration. Failure to complete the registration process will not affect rights under the offered warranty, so long as the patient can show in a reasonable manner they met the conditions of the “Boosted” offer. Patients are encouraged to select a surgeon of their own choosing after conducting their own investigation into the particular surgeon’s training, education and experience. If you are registering your patient for Mentor’s Boosted warranty offer, by doing so, you affirm that the patient has not been and will not be billed for the warranty coverage.
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WARNING:
• Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. The longer people have them, the greater the chances are that they will develop complications, some of which will require more surgery.
• Breast implants have been associated with the development of a cancer of the immune system called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). This cancer occurs more commonly in patients with textured breast implants than smooth implants, although rates are not well defined. Some patients have died from BIA-ALCL.
• Patients receiving breast implants have reported a variety of systemic symptoms such as joint pain, muscle aches, confusion, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases and others. Individual patient risk for developing these symptoms has not been well established. Some patients report complete resolution of symptoms when the implants are removed without replacement.
The sale and distribution of Mentor Breast Implant Devices are restricted to users and/or user facilities that provide information to patients about the risks and benefits of the device prior to its use in the form and manner specified in approved labeling to be provided by Mentor Worldwide LLC.
Important Safety Information:
MENTOR® MemoryGel® Breast Implants are indicated for breast augmentation in women at least 22 years old or for breast reconstruction. Breast implant surgery should not be performed in women with active infection anywhere in their body with existing cancer or pre-cancer of their breast who have not received adequate treatment for those conditions or are pregnant or nursing.
Breast implants are not lifetime devices and breast implantation is not necessarily a one-time surgery. The chance of developing complications increases over time. The most common complications with the MemoryGel® Breast Implants include reoperation, capsular contracture, asymmetry, and breast pain. A lower risk of complication is rupture. The health consequences of a ruptured silicone gel-filled breast implant have not been fully established. MRI screenings are recommended three years after initial implant surgery and then every two years after to detect silent rupture. Breast implants are also associated with the risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), an uncommon type of lymphoma. An individual's risk of developing BIA-ALCL with MENTOR® Breast Implants is low based on the incidence of worldwide cases.
Patients should receive a copy of Important Information for Augmentation Patients about MENTOR® MemoryGel® Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants or Important Information for Reconstruction Patients about MENTOR® MemoryGel® Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants. Your patient needs to read and understand the information regarding the risks and benefits of breast implants, with an opportunity to consult with you prior to deciding on surgery.
For detailed indications, contraindications, warning and precautions associated with the use of MemoryGel® Breast Implants please refer to the Instructions for Use (IFU) provided with each product, or online at www.mentorwwllc.com.