This weekend, Monica unveiled her latest hair slay and opened up about the importance of overall health. 

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On June 18, the 2017 ESSENCE Festival performer revealed that at the end of May, she underwent an eight hour operation to remove cysts, fibroids and a hernia. She said the surgery also removed her endometriosis (tissue that normally lines the uterus growing outside the uterus), an illness she didn’t even know she had until two weeks prior. 

In the post, Monica also goes on to say that it’s important we pay attention to our bodies, and to be thankful for the unexpected joy and pain of life. She also thanked the hospital and staff who helped her during this journey.

On top of opening up about her health issues and recovery, the mother of three also debuted a pretty pastel look to celebrate life and joy.

With a pale pink flowy dress and a lavender pixie cut, colored by Julie Kim, she appears to be in great spirits after such a high risk surgery. 

Monica’s openness about her health sheds light on an issue that is prominent within black communities: uterine fibroids. According to the CDC, black women are three times more likely to develop cysts and uterine fibroids than any other race.

To prevent complications or to relieve pain, it’s important to keep up with health screenings and report any pelvic issues to your gynecologist.

We’re glad to see Monica is recovering so fabulously.