I was happy.....
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.....sitting on Wabash Ave a few blocks from north Michigan Ave....Chicago's golden mile.......and waiting for my appointment at a hair salon.....it was sunny ...the perfect early morning temperature.....and I beat the traffic into downtown....so I was killing time....relaxing with a cup of coffee and one of those glossy flyers which highlight local businesses.
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Do you need your areola freshened?
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I had to read that line again.
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A permanent make-up tattoo salon had placed the ad. Services offered included permanent eyeliner.....perky eyebrows......and freshened areola.
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In case you're not familiar with the term.....here's a bit of an explanation.
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The areola is the area around the nipple, and it may be tan, beige, pink, dark brown, or some other shade that's darker than the rest of the breast tissue. Mother Nature adds some extra color here for a reason. Initially, newborns can only distinguish light shades from dark ones, so having this natural pointer to the nipple helps the baby latch on and get fed.
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Women who have never been pregnant often have very pale areolas that are close to the color of their nipple and the surrounding breast skin. As pregnancy progresses, however, and upon giving birth, the areola darkens and expands in diameter.
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Apparently with age....or with a breast augmentation.....the surrounding area could lose some of its natural rosy glow.
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Now....I've heard of tattooing the areola after breast surgery for cancer or trauma. It's actually an art.... and can have, as you can imagine, quite a positive effect on a woman who has lost her natural tissue.
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But freshening? Because....???? you've grown a bit older? and a little paler??
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Damn that's just crazy.......but the seed ....thanks to marketing .....was planted.
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When I returned to my parent's house.....and changed clothes....I pulled my bra down and checked my areola.
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The site of me...frowning and looking at my breasts in the mirror....confirmed my worse fear....
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I'm getting crazy up here in Chicago...big time.... and it's time to go home.
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....which I'll do tomorrow.....
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and in case you want to know....I think my areola are just fine.
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