Breast surgery, whether it's for augmentation, reduction, reconstruction, or a mastectomy, is a significant life event. After surgery, most are eager to return to their usual routines, including fashion choices that make them feel confident and comfortable. However, if the surgery was not in your life plan, as is the case for most battling breast cancer, there is often a strong emotional journey that accompanies the physical one; the rediscovery of your body and the newfound ways to enjoy the celebration of it. This is exactly 'why' why I started Appeeling, offering pretty pasties to celebrate EVERY-BODY. Really, I do believe pasties are body positivity power tools. In this journey , I have had the good fortune of meeting and collaborating with exceptionally talented and gifted artists many of whom become sources of inspiration for me and I trust that they will be for you, too.
We are so pleased to share this completely unedited Q & A with Rubie (@rubiemagnitude). This is a beautiful, candid insight into how and why to wear pasties post surgery (mastectomy). Thank you Rubie, for being beautiful, strong fashionably fabulous YOU.
Will my skin react differently to pasties/adhesive post surgery?
I can only speak to my personal experience, but there was definitely a change in my skin’s reaction after my post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery. Due to the reduced elasticity of my skin in that area, the pasties now leave a pronounced, reddish imprint on my skin after removal. While this was surprising, slightly alarming, and I’ll admit, also a bit humorous, there was no cause for concern! Despite the area looking irritated, there was no discomfort, and the imprint vanished within an hour (and this has continued to be the case). I should also note this effect only occurs after I wear them for more than an hour or two.
Are certain types of pasties better than others after surgery?
As was mentioned in response to a similar question, yes - and I’ll second the fact that the more conical pasties are trickier to wear if your surgery wasn’t the nipple-saving kind. It’s still possible though! I can attest to the adhesive on the Beapeeling pasties being strong enough to hold the pasties in place for tassel twirling (and you can always add some pastie tape for extra insurance once you’ve worn the pasties a few times and the adhesive isn’t as strong). And a fun perk to the no-nip life has been trying out the vast array of beautiful sticker-type pasties that Beappeeling has - before my surgery, my (not-petite) nipples made it tricky to position them and keep them smooth/flat. Now the possibilities are truly endless!
Is it uncomfortable to tassel twirl after reconstructive breast surgery?
Like any activity involving my upper body, tassel twirling took some getting used to as I adjusted to my post-op physicality (which is a two-part process with expanders first and then implant surgery months later). Range of motion is a little more limited with the tissue expanders, as they are more rigid and only meant to be temporary. So while I could dance, tassel twirling felt challenging and awkward. With implants it has been a little easier, but it’s still a whole new ball game tassel twirling with the unmoving objects that are post-mastectomy breasts, vs. the bounce and momentum you get with natural ones. The effort is more rigorous and relies a lot on the shoulders - and I’ll be honest, two years post-op and I’m still getting the hang of it! But I’d been twirling with natural breasts for fourteen years prior to my operation, so I think it’s fair that I still don’t nail it 100% of the time, haha. But it’s definitely possible, and in terms of any physical pain or discomfort associated with it, from my own experience there’s been none at all. Again, it just feels - understandably - very different!
Did your surgeries affect your confidence as a burlesque dancer/were you nervous to show your post-op body onstage?
I was so excited to get back onstage, and was fortunate enough to be able to do so just eleven weeks after surgery pt. 1 - and that first performance back was easily the most empowering experience of my life so far. It was a Halloween show and I decided to do a Bride of Frankenstein costume so I could incorporate my scars into the look. Rather than wearing pasties, I used black eyeliner to draw exaggerated Frankenstein-style scar & stitch marks over my own scars. I was a little nervous to be this ostentatious and almost chickened out at the last minute, but it was absolutely worth it.
While this initial experience back on stage was amazing, it was definitely a process from there to build up my confidence in flaunting a new body part. I’d been told by surgeons that I shouldn’t expect my post-op breasts to look like “regular” augmented breasts, where the person has implants underneath breast tissue. Despite being advised to lower my expectations, I wasn’t given any point of reference as to what I should expect, so yes, the aesthetic reality of implants with no surrounding breast tissue is one that I took some time to come to terms with. In the early days I had to fight the urge to tell anyone who would listen that I was a breast cancer patient who had a double mastectomy and that’s why my implants looked this way. Doing bartop burlesque in a busy bar helped me overcome this impulse as it would be impossible to share this information with everyone, and of course, totally unnecessary to do so. It was an important reminder that one of the beautiful, most important things about burlesque is that there is no need for anyone, ever, to justify any aspect of their body/appearance.
I’ve had a couple of years now to adjust physically, mentally, and emotionally to my new breasts, and I’m happy to report that most of the time, they feel like they’ve always been there. Fascinating how humans can be so adaptable that way! Burlesque has definitely helped me deepen that connection and comfort to my post-op body, and I’m so happy to have an arsenal of stunning breast accessories by Beappeeling to give me that extra boost of confidence and glamour when I need it.
Rubie Magnitude is a multi-faceted creative with dance and fashion at the forefront. An avid writer since childhood, she aims to add professional author to her list of accomplishments one day. In the meantime, Rubie is tearing up the Toronto burlesque scene as a performer and producer, and is also a proud member of the city’s vibrant Waacking street dance community.
As a survivor of eating disorders, and more recently, breast cancer, Rubie is more committed than ever to pursuing her dreams and living a joy-centered life. She hopes to inspire others to do the same by sharing her stories and leading by example the best she can.