In December 2025, actor, Oscar winner, and model Angelina Jolie revealed scars from her double mastectomy on the cover of Time magazine’s French edition. Jolie had a prophylactic, or preventive, double mastectomy in 2013.

Speaking about the cover, Jolie told Time magazine, “I share these scars with many women I love. And I’m always moved when I see other women share theirs.” As conversations about breast cancer prevention continue, Jolie seems more comfortable sharing details about her journey.

Jolie has long understood that her words can influence many people. Soon after her surgery in 2013, she spoke publicly about her choice to have a preventive double mastectomy.

She’s spoken more about her decision in the years since. Here’s what you need to know about her journey and how she advocates for breast health and breast cancer awareness.

Why Did Angelina Jolie Have a Double Mastectomy?

Jolie watched her mother fight breast cancer for 10 years. She shared about this experience as well as her mastectomy for the first time in an op-ed for The New York Times. “She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms,” Jolie said of her mother.

After her mom died, Jolie learned that she was at a higher risk of getting breast cancer herself. She shared, “I have always told [my children] not to worry, but the truth is I carry a ‘faulty’ gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.”

Many doctors recommend a preventive double mastectomy when someone has a high risk of developing breast cancer with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation (change). Because Jolie had a BRCA1 gene mutation, her doctors recommended steps to lower her risk.

Once Jolie knew she had a higher risk of breast cancer, she took action. She chose to have a double mastectomy. The whole process took three months, but she was able to keep it private and continue working until she was ready to share it publicly.

What Was Angelina Jolie’s Mastectomy Like?

For Jolie, as for anyone having a mastectomy, the process was relatively long. She started by having some procedures done to try to save her nipples. These were uncomfortable, but not so much that she couldn’t work or function.

Two weeks after that, she had the most major surgery of the process. Coming out of it felt surreal, but she was soon back to her normal routine. Finally, nine weeks after that surgery, she had another surgery to reconstruct her breasts.

Jolie was happy with the results of the surgery. Not only did her risk of developing breast cancer fall from 87 percent to 5 percent, but she was left with minimal scarring.

She noted that her kids didn’t have to see anything uncomfortable, just some very small scars left from the procedure, which she’s chosen to reveal more recently.

Why Is Angelina Jolie Revealing Her Mastectomy Scars Now?

Jolie told Time’s French edition that she’s revealing her scars now because “Time France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer.”

Jolie continues to use her story to raise awareness about breast cancer. Since her very first op-ed, she’s noted that she wants to help other women, saying, “For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options.”

She shares her own story publicly to empower others. “I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer,” Jolie said.

She also noted that the cost of genetic testing is high, and that she thinks that should change.

Sharing her scars is a way for Jolie to encourage people to get the testing they need and take any necessary steps to stay healthy. She wants people to know that scars can represent a choice to protect their health.

She told France Inter, in a new interview, “I see my scars are a choice I made to do what I could do to stay here as long as I could with my children.”

How Can a Mastectomy Affect Mental Health?

People sometimes struggle with mental health issues after a mastectomy, whether it’s single or double. After all, some people associate breasts with how they feel about themselves and their bodies.

According to El Camino Women’s Medical Group, some people may feel like they’ve lost a part of their womanhood or self-confidence even when they know a mastectomy saved their life.

People have different options after a mastectomy, too. Some will choose breast reconstruction, as Jolie did, while others may choose to wear a prosthetic instead of having additional surgery. The option you choose can also affect how you feel about your body and yourself.

How To Adjust After a Mastectomy

One way to work through emotional challenges after a mastectomy is to think about what it means to you to live with scars. Jolie shared with France Inter that, “I think this is life. And if you get to the end of your life and you haven’t made, you haven’t made mistakes, you haven’t made a mess, you don’t have scars, you haven’t lived a full enough life, I think.”

Jolie sees her scars as part of living an authentic, meaningful life. In fact, she went as far as to say, “I love my scars because [they allow me to live longer with my children], you know, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to have the choice to do something proactive about my health.”

Jolie’s words may offer a helpful way to think about mastectomy scars. Reminding yourself of what your scars represent may help you make peace with them.

Reframing Your Scars

Seeing scars in a new way doesn’t just apply to celebrities like Angelina Jolie. Members of MyBCTeam have shared similar thoughts.

One shared, “Scars are life’s trophies,” echoing much of what Jolie said. Scars show what you’ve been through and how you’ve overcome it. Another member added, “Scars just show you are stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.”

One member’s husband encouraged them with thoughts like this: “He told me that I look like a survivor because that is what I am. Whether visible or not, all of us that have been through any form of breast cancer have scars.”

Remembering what mastectomy scars can represent may help you see them in a new way. One member encouraged another, saying, “You fought hard, and you won. You are here, and don’t ever let that scar bring you down again. You are beautiful.”

Join the Conversation

On MyBCTeam, people share their experiences with breast cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What has your journey through mastectomy been like? Let others know in the comments below.