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Culture May 7, 2020
A form of art therapy that breast cancer survivors are raving about.
Image via Pexels/Gabriel Lara“Instead of a scar slashed across my chest, I had a beautiful, personal piece of art; I couldn’t be happier with it,” says Kerry from Shropshire.
“Instead of a scar slashed across my chest, I had a beautiful, personal piece of art; I couldn’t be happier with it,” says Kerry from Shropshire.
Kerry is among many breast cancer survivors who have chosen to get mastectomy tattoos. These are works of art that range from aesthetic embellishments on a woman’s chest, to three-dimensional recreations of the areola after surgery.
It’s common post-mastectomy for women to feel unwhole, or like their femininity has been ripped away from them. Even those who opt for reconstruction surgery find that looking in the mirror is a constant reminder of what they’ve lost—physically and emotionally.
Another cancer survivor, Sarah, attests, “I thought I was comfortable with my body post-mastectomy, but having the tattoo has transformed me.”
This has become extremely popular in recent years. As a result, several organizations have been established to support and connect women with tattoo artists that specialize in mastectomy tattoos. One such organization is P.ink, whose goal is to “provide a form of healing that no one else can.” They are a non-profit, benefiting solely on donations so that they can cover up their clients’ scars for free.
We’ve compiled some of the best tattoo artists across the country to celebrate their work and inspire any breast cancer survivors looking to empower themselves through art.
David Allen, one of P.ink’s artists, specializes in mastectomy tattoos. He is one of the most well-known tattoo artists in this niche field. Because of this, some clients have to wait six months for an appointment. Most of his art incorporates watercolor flora framing the chest that survivors are attempting to reclaim.
On his website he reflects back on his first patient and the feat they conquered together:
“Her scar was concealed, but more importantly, she took back control. I’ll never forget it. What was clinical became beautiful again…we turned sterile into sensual. We took back control,” he said.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Allen says creating mastectomy tattoos has changed his life. When he started doing these tattoos years ago, he dove into a world where emotional and physical pain runs rampant. He feels that many times he becomes the first person to genuinely hear these women.
With a background in fine art, Amy Black first started doing nipple and areola re-pigmentation in 2011. Subsequently, she founded the Pink Ink Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides support for those undergoing healing post-mastectomy.
Additionally, they aim “[to] increase awareness for realistic nipple/areola tattooing, to help find ways to educate and train technicians, outreach to the medical community, and more.”
When interacting with her clients, Black takes on a “caretaker” role, as she tells the Anti-Cancer Club. Her main focus is her client’s wellbeing, so doing a good job and creating a safe space is of the utmost importance to her.
Shane Wallin’s decorative tattoos display themes of nature, lingerie, fantasy, and more. He provides a service for survivors who want to cover their scars with something beautiful. He also works with those who desire a 3D nipple reconstruction tattoo. Though they probably won’t cover the entire scar, these types of tattoos help women return to some sense of normalcy.
Ike Trimboli from Matthews, North Carolina provides detailed lingerie-style mastectomy tattoos, like this one.
In addition, Trimboli is an artist in The Inked Phoenix Project Story, a nonprofit that allows clients in the Carolinas to receive mastectomy tattoos free of charge. To contact him, email him at [email protected] or visit his Instagram page @amish_mike.
Austin Evans is an artist at the Transformation Gallery in Montana. If you would like something artsy, consider his painted glass interpretation of mastectomy tattoos.
He states in his bio that his “approach to art is primarily founded in the style of art nouveau that implements bold and volumetric lineweight, contrasted with soft, intrinsic colors and gradients creating a dynamic combination of realism and heavy stylization.”
As mentioned in Today, Vinnie Myers first began tattooing three-dimensional nipples in 2011. At one point, he was approached by a woman who worked for a plastic surgeon. She explained to Vinnie that she was displeased with her boss’s tattooing ability.
Since then, Myers has been working directly with plastic surgeons. Furthermore, he has committed his life to making women feel comfortable with their bodies again. To see his realistic recreations, click here.
