'I'm bald and went boobless by choice - people always ask the rudest questions'

made the brave decision to remove both her boobs and has lived most of her adult life without hair, yet she's never felt more empowered or self-assured.

The 31-year-old has and underwent a preventive double in her twenties after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene, often referred to as the "broccoli gene." The mum to six-year-old Abraham has been transparent about her experiences as she shared: "Okay, so first, my bald head: I have alopecia, and my hair just doesn't grow.

"I've had it for 21 years since I was nine, and for me, it was probably stress-induced. I had a bit of a traumatic childhood," reports Cover Images.

However, Marisa's decision to have the mastectomy wasn't driven by but as a proactive measure to take control of her life. "The other thing that confuses people is that I had a preventive mastectomy - so, no boobs - and not because I've ever had cancer," said Marisa, a Michigan-based photographer.

"It was preventative. I had a preventive mastectomy so that I can be alive to watch my son grow up." Marisa has also been with her husband, Drew, for 13 years, and they've been married for the past eight.

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Her proactive health journey kicked off just before she was about to turn 26, facing the prospect of losing coverage under her parents' insurance. "I asked my doctor if she saw anything in my chart and if she suggested anything, because I didn't know what my insurance situation would be like," she recounted.

"I always noted that my dad's side of the family had a strong history of breast cancer-my grandma, aunts, cousins. Everyone seemed to get it." Marisa's shifted dramatically after a genetic test revealed she carried the BRCA1 mutation, confronting her with an alarming lifetime risk of up to 80% for developing breast cancer.

Marisa reflected on the moment her doctor delivered the sobering news: "Tears just slowly started rolling down my face."

"She was the kindest person. She said, 'I'd love to give you a hug if you'd want one,' and she did. She told me I had options."

With a sense of humour intact, Marisa noted in a TikTok video that she might be destined to be an Avatar. She delved into her choices and made the significant decision to go flat.

She expressed: "I was going to learn to love myself just as I am. At the time, my son was six months old, and I was still breastfeeding. I wanted to breastfeed for at least a year before making any decisions."

Fate threw a wrench in her plans as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled all elective surgeries. She kept nursing her son, Abraham, through the tumultuous year and finally had the preventive surgery in 2021.

Reflecting on her preparedness for the operation, Marisa says confidently: "I had everything ready."

Expanding on her meticulous preparation, Marisa continued: "My insurance was in place, I had saved money to recover mentally, financially, physically. I even had friends in the creative community who filmed my story the week before surgery. I have photos of me breastfeeding the night before I went into the hospital.

"When I woke up from surgery, I had no tattoos, just scars, and a fresh chapter. I made this choice not to make anyone else feel comfortable about my existence, but just for me."

Despite her unwavering self-assurance, Marisa admitted she still faces criticism. "Every time I post a video, I get questions about the way I look. People ask why I don't have boobs or hair-and usually in the rudest way possible. But some people are kind. And when they ask with kindness, I'm happy to share."

She revealed that her battle with alopecia, which resulted in complete hair loss by 19, once dominated her life. "I actually cut off what was left of my hair at 19 because I felt like I was at the bottom of my depression. I couldn't even look in the mirror. Self-love is an everyday type of thing."

Now at 32, she reflected: "It's taken a long time to just be able to look at myself and love everything that I am."

Her journey towards self-acceptance took an unexpected turn when a stranger at Urban Outfitters approached her.

"I was 20 and had just moved to Chicago. I had cut off all my hair the year before and was working at Urban Outfitters. This man came through my checkout line and asked if anyone had ever taken my photo. I thought he was joking. But he gave me his card and said he was a professional photographer."

After verifying his credentials, Marisa decided to go ahead and book a photography session with him.

"That was my first portrait, and it changed my life. He encouraged me to start taking self-portraits as a form of healing. I had never thought of myself as creative. But I went to Best Buy, opened a credit card, bought a camera, and started taking self-portraits. Now, photography is my full-time job."

Her journey with the BRCA1 gene mutation hasn't been easy for Marisa, who's undergone surgeries, including one to remove her tubes recently. "I wanted to make sure I wouldn't pass my genetics on. Those two tiny, paper-cut-looking scars are all I've got to show for how broken my heart is."

Her candid musings on motherhood, health battles, and identity have struck a chord with audiences far and wide. "Society had set the highest of standards for what my postpartum was supposed to look like after birthing my son," she shared.

"I could have never prepared for what my postpartum body journey was to be. I may have lost body parts through my postpartum, but I gained an entirely new outlook on what the bigger picture of life looked like for me. All I'd like my body to do is to carry me through this life of mine. A body that allows me to watch my son grow up without the worry of breast cancer taking me away. This body of mine is a beautiful place for my soul to be."

Even though her alopecia has sometimes regrown hair over the past 14 years, Marisa declared that it doesn't hold power over her anymore. "My alopecia no longer controls my life." Marisa regularly posts her heartfelt, candid, and inspiring content for her followers on TikTok @‌marisakimmel.

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