By Roberta Peixoto, founder of RmonyCare
I’ve been working with breast reconstruction for over 10 years — through permanent makeup and areola & nipple prosthetics. I’ve seen thousands of women go through the long journey that starts with a diagnosis and doesn’t end when the surgery is over.
But there’s something most people still don’t talk about. Something that catches women off guard, sometimes even more than the scars or the loss of the breast itself.
It’s the loss of the areola & nipple. And the silent pain that comes with it.
“They told me about survival. Not about the mirror.”
That’s a phrase I’ve heard over and over.
One woman I cared for recently told me: "The doctors saved my life — and I’m grateful. But I wasn’t prepared for what I’d see in the mirror. I didn’t recognize myself. The absence of the areola felt louder than everything else."
It’s not vanity. It’s not ego. It’s a part of the body we associate with identity, femininity, sensuality — and for many, simply feeling like themselves.
I’ve met women who avoided intimacy for months — or even years — after surgery. Women who’d turn the lights off during sex, or wear a bra at all times. And women who were afraid to love again, not because of fear of rejection, but because they didn’t feel whole.
The day I knew I had to do something
Years ago, I was working with a patient who had just completed her mastectomy. She came to me asking if permanent makeup would be possible.
But what stayed with me wasn’t her medical history. It was what she said in a whisper, almost ashamed:
"I survived the cancer. But I lost a part of myself. And I don’t want to look like a survivor forever. I just want to look like me."
That was the seed that grew into RmonyCare.
I realized we needed more than makeup. We needed a solution that felt natural, that restored symmetry, that gave control back to women — especially when so much had been taken from them.
Why RmonyCare exists
RmonyCare was born to bring back what cancer tried to erase — not just physically, but emotionally.
We created realistic, soft, handcrafted areola & nipple prostheses that can be worn every day. Some of our clients have had bilateral mastectomies — and love our ready-to-wear collections. Others had only one side removed, and we craft custom pieces that match the remaining breast in size, color, and shape.
And for women who haven’t had surgery yet but want to prepare emotionally, we created a Pre‑Surgery Kit that allows them to preserve their natural shape before the procedure — so they have options later, if they choose.
This isn’t about replacing what was lost. It’s about reclaiming confidence, comfort, and connection with your own body — at your own pace.
From one woman to another
If you’re reading this and nodding quietly — I see you.
And I want you to know: it’s okay to mourn what was taken. You don’t have to rush your healing. You don’t have to pretend it doesn’t matter.
Because it does.
And when you're ready to take a small step toward feeling more like yourself again — even if it’s just browsing, even if you’re just curious — we’ll be here. With softness, with respect, and with care that goes beyond the clinical.
You’re not alone. You never were.
With love,
Roberta
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