More Than Wearing Pink: How We Can All Show Up This Breast Cancer Awareness Month

More Than Wearing Pink: How We Can All Show Up This Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is more than just a month in pink. It’s a reminder: breast cancer touches lives and families, every day of the year, not just in October.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to do more than wear ribbons — we want to share knowledge, spark action, and offer hope. That’s why a percentage of every sale from our accessories throughout October will be donated to Prevent Breast Cancer, an organisation for fighting breast cancer, to fund research, awareness, and early detection efforts.

💔 Why This Matters: The Reality of Breast Cancer
• In the UK, around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
• That’s more than 150 cases every single day.
• It’s the most common cancer among women in the UK, making up about 15% of all new cancer cases.
• Over time, survival rates have improved: nearly 9 in 10 women now survive at least 5 years after diagnosis.

These numbers are not just statistics. They are mothers, sisters, daughters, friends and ultimately just people we love and care for.

🔍 Know the Signs: What to Look & Listen For

Breast cancer doesn’t always begin with a lump. Sometimes the first hints are small, subtle, and so easily dismissed. But knowing what to watch for can make all the difference.

Be alert to changes such as:
• A new lump, thickening, or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit area
• Skin changes — dimpling, puckering, redness, or a “peau d’orange” (orange peel texture)
• Changes to the nipple, such as inversion, discharge (particularly if unusual or bloody), or crusting
• Any persistent pain or ache in the breast or underarm (even though pain alone is less often a sign)
• Noticeable change in breast size or shape or asymmetry that worsens

If you see something new, different, or that worries you, no matter how small, it must be checked.

✋ How to Check Yourself (Breast Awareness, Not Just “Self-Exam”)

Medical organisations differ on recommending structured self exams, because routine checks can sometimes cause worry or false alarms.

What’s more widely encouraged is breast awareness: knowing how your breasts usually look and feel, so you’re more likely to notice changes.

Here’s a simple, gentle routine you can use monthly as a guide that many breast cancer organisations suggest you do regularly:

  1. In front of a mirror (upper body bare):
    • Let your arms rest by your sides, look for any changes in shape, swelling, dimpling, puckering, or differences in symmetry.
    • Raise your arms overhead, and observe again.
    • Place your hands on your hips and press firmly; again look for visual changes.
    • Look closely at the nipples: changes in shape, inversion, or discharge (not caused by squeezing) should be noted.

  2. Use your hands to feel (lying down or in the shower):
    • In the shower, when your skin is soapy/slippery, use the flats/pads of your middle three fingers (together) to gently but firmly press across every section of each breast and armpit.
    • Lying down helps spread out breast tissue evenly: place a pillow under your shoulder, arm behind your head, and use the opposite hand to feel in a circular or linear motion, covering all quadrants and the armpit.
    • Don’t forget the area beneath and up to your collarbone (breast tissue extends there)
    • If you feel a lump or thickening, note how big, how firm, whether it moves or is fixed, whether it’s painful, and whether it feels different from the same spot in the other breast.

Important note:
• Most breast changes and lumps are not cancerous — many are benign (e.g. cysts or fibroadenomas).
• Still, anything new or different should be evaluated. Early detection gives the best chance for effective treatment.

🩺 What To Do If You’re Worried

If you notice any change that’s new, unusual, persistent, or different from your usual baseline. Don’t panic — book an appointment with your GP. Explain clearly what you felt or saw, when you first noticed it, and whether it’s changed. This will be the first steps in detecting what’s really going off in your body.

💖 Why Your Purchase Matters (And How We Give Back)

Pink ribbons and hashtags are powerful. But real impact comes when we turn awareness into action.

Throughout October, a percentage of every accessory sale from our collection will go directly toward breast cancer prevention and awareness programmes. Whether it helps fund early screening efforts, community education, or support services for people affected, you are part of this change, simply by choosing us.

✨ Final Words (Because Every Voice Matters)

Breast cancer can feel terrifying, the unknown, the waiting, the questions. But knowledge gives you power. Knowing what to watch for, how to check, and how to act can be your shield and your voice.

You are not alone. Each gift, each conversation, each moment of awareness ripples outward.

This October, wear your pink, check with care, share your story, and shop with purpose. Because when we unite, we don’t just raise awareness - we protect lives. 💗