Allyn Rose Discusses The Importance Of Monthly Self Breast Exams - Exclusive

Everyone knows how important mammograms are, but monthly self breast exams are just as important in order to catch cancer early. But while doctors may remind us all time and time again not to forget to do them, many women secretly feel afraid to perform these exams themselves. "It's because no one ever teaches us how to do a proper self breast exam," former Miss America contestant Allyn Rose said during an exclusive interview with Health Digest.

Rose understands the importance of staying on top of monthly self exams after losing her mother, grandmother, and great-aunt to breast cancer. After undergoing a prophylactic double mastectomy herself in 2015, Rose has made it her mission to teach women around the world how to perform self exams from the safety of their homes using the hashtag #SelfExamGram.

Yet even after spreading the word about self exam reminders, Rose has had many women admit to her that they have no idea what they're doing. "It comes across like it should be self explanatory, but it's really not," Rose told us. "It's simple, but only once you've learned the steps and what to do."

It turns out that your body can give you a natural reminder of when to perform a self breast exam each month. "You should be doing your self exam a week after your period, because that's when your body is at its most stable state, where you're not having any swelling or hormonal changes," Allyn Rose told Health Digest. "You're going to want to repeat that at the exact same time once a month."

It can be normal to have lumps, so getting to know your body is a must. During your self exam, you're searching for anything that seems new or out of the ordinary. Going with your gut instinct if something feels off is one of the best ways of detecting breast cancer. "Most women find their own breast cancer," Rose said. "And they either do it by accident or through something like a self breast exam."

After a few self exams, you'll get more familiar with your body and what it feels like when something isn't right — and a self exam could even save your life one day. "That's a life skill, the ultimate form of self care that you can take with you your entire life," Rose said. "It's the first line of defense against breast cancer."

For more details on how to perform a self breast exam and to get monthly reminders to do them, follow Allyn Rose on Instagram @allynrose. You can also visit her website The Previvor, which is the first fully comprehensive platform for everyone to learn about breast health, as well as genetic testing, mastectomies and reconstruction, IVF and fertility, how to support a family member or a friend, and more.