“I wanted to recapture some of the old me, rather than letting cancer take another part of my life”
Tanya, aged 47 from Nottingham, had breast cancer twice, and her husband left her following her first chemotherapy treatment. Now healthy, she wanted to boost her depleted confidence levels. She tells her story.
“I have had cancer twice. I was first diagnosed in 2016, when my breast started itching. I pressed on the area, and I found a lump, which an oncologist confirmed was breast cancer following a biopsy.”
“I had a full mastectomy and reconstruction, as well as chemotherapy. I got on with my life, but three years later, my bra seemed to be sticking into me on the side. I pressed the area, and there seemed to be another lump. As I had had a full mastectomy, I was told it would likely be scar tissue or a swollen lymph node. However, another biopsy confirmed the cancer had come back at the side of my chest. Doctors removed the cancer and I had another reconstruction, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. That was three years ago. I am still on hormone therapy, which I will take for another seven years.”
Tanya shares the impact of her cancer treatment: “The treatment takes it out of you physically, you’re absolutely drained. The chemotherapy itself affects your skin, joints and hair, and I’ve been left with arthritis in my back. Meanwhile, hormone therapy has caused me to gain weight. Along with natural ageing, the hormones and chemotherapy have left me looking tired and sagging. The treatments have definitely changed how I feel about myself overall.”
Whilst undergoing treatment for her breast cancer, Tanya suffered another blow. “My husband left me. I’d just finished chemotherapy for the first time, and I was feeling really low. I had no hair, and had been through this trauma. I couldn’t see how to get back to the life I had before.”
Wanting to look and feel like herself before she had cancer, Taya sought the help of aesthetic expert Dr Olha Vorodyukhina. “I wanted to recapture some of the old me, rather than letting cancer take another part of my life. I just wanted to feel like me again. I would look at pictures of myself before and after cancer and I could see a difference. It was almost like looking at another person. I tried to carry on as normal, but my confidence was really affected. I wanted to know if there was anything that could be done to help me feel more like myself.”
Dr Olha recommend a new Hyaluronic Acid (HA) filler treatment called MaiLi, which helps with lost volume and replenishes lost moisture and healthy vitality. “Dr Olha explained that I had a weak chin, which was causing my skin to look looser than it actually was, in addition to the impact the hormone treatment was having on my face. She told me using filler could make a big difference to both. I couldn’t wait to look fresher, and more like I did before I had cancer.”
“Dr Ohla put some MaiLi filler into my cheekbones to lift the sagging area”, explains Tanya. “She also placed some filler in my chin, building up the area. This balanced my profile, and actually helped the overall appearance of my sagging area. I’m so happy with the result – I wanted it to be really subtle and still look very natural. People think I have lost weight; they can’t tell exactly what I have had done.”
Tayna was treated with Hyaluronic Acid (HA) product called MaiLi, from Sinclair Pharma which uses 24% less filler[1] for unparalleled volume and suppleness. She is a big fan of the new MaiLi product as she explains: “The soft and springlike gel is unique and the first where less product provides greater fullness and flexibility. MaiLi allows for natural movement, and lasts for up to one year² in lips, saving time between top ups as normal HA fillers need to be replaced after 4-6 months.”
The product has a spring-like effect because of a new Smart Spring Science. The world first preserves the natural entanglements between the long HA chains, which means fewer chemical links are needed. This creates a bouncy gel, which allows for natural movement, volume, and longevity*.
After her treatment, Tanya feels like herself again. “I feel so much better in myself. It’s helped with my confidence. You don’t need to look a certain way to feel better, but for me it has really helped, and has absolutely built my self-esteem back. There are things I am doing now that I would never have dreamt of doing before. I’m planning to become a life coach for other people who have been through a trauma like I have. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and want to help others with support and guidance.”
“This is my time to rebuild my life”, concludes Tanya. “I’m putting myself first for the first time in my life. I’ve spent my life trying to make somebody else happy, and for the first time, my life is about me.”
MaiLi treatments must be carried out by a trained medical professional like Dr Olha Vorodyukhina.
[1] Clinical investigation: in comparison to Juvéderm® Voluma, 24% less product of MaiLi Extreme is required for the same results in the treatment of the cheek area.