Artists Restore Femininity To Breast Cancer Survivors

According to figures from the World Health Organization  , 1.38 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. As you know, breast cancer leaves great emotional, physical and psychological damage. Artists help restore the confidence of breast cancer survivors.

Fortunately, the death rate from this disease is declining. Early diagnosis, along with innovative surgeries and treatments, has shortened the life expectancy of people who have received this diagnosis.

A simple or a radical mastectomy forces women to change their bodies, and it creates a wound that is difficult to heal. Losing your breasts, or undergoing nipple removal surgery, is a difficulty many patients face.

Now movements like ‘Tattoo Artists for Breast Cancer’ offer these brave women the chance to restore their femininity. We’ll explain how they do that.

Restoring the confidence of breast cancer survivors

Many people don’t like tattoos and having a design on their body that will stay with them forever. But like it or not, these stories show  how a simple tattoo can help breast cancer survivors.

Stephanie M. just survived breast cancer. After undergoing a mastectomy, she chose to have her breasts repaired. But  breast reconstruction is a complicated operation in which nipples often do not respond well.

A commonly used technique today is known as ‘staining’. It is a technique similar to a tattoo, but unfortunately rarely used in hospitals and medical clinics. Another factor to keep in mind: It’s not permanent.

A few years ago, Jero Velasco, a tattoo artist from Collado Villalba (Madrid, Spain), launched a new project on social media, offering his tools and services for free to tattoo ‘nipples’ on the breasts of women in need.

Thanks to this initiative, Stephanie M. has breasts again. She stated that this summer, while they were at the beach, her daughter said to her, “Mom, your bikini is falling. Cover yourself, because people can see your breasts!” It may not seem so special, but these words have made her very happy. “I have breasts again,” she smiled.

A very special tattoo

Cancer patients who have had a mastectomy know that this is not just any tattoo. The nipple is an important part of a woman’s femininity. It doesn’t matter if no one but the woman herself and her partner ever get to see them.

It is a precious and delicate area of ​​the female body. The loss of this as a result of having one or both breasts removed, whether you like it or not, is something very traumatic and sensitive.

• Jero Soriano, the tattoo artist, knows this well. He uses a mixture of colors, such as orange and brown, to simulate the texture of the areola and nipple to give these women back the confidence they so much deserve.
• We should point out that breast restructuring often results in two pieces of meat that look nothing like natural breasts. The shape may be so that it looks good under clothes, but there is still something that is missing.

In private, the absence of a nipple can be a cause of low self-esteem for many breast cancer survivors (not all, as everyone will experience this situation individually).

Surgeons and tattooists

It is a joint project. So that these women can make a full recovery, a surgeon and a tattoo artist must recreate  the perfect breast.

While this artist is doing his delicate work, it is almost impossible not to ask questions and thus be influenced by the personal story of each of these women. Breast cancer survivors offer hope.

As he explains, these types of tattoos are usually performed in a private clinic. They often cost between 300 and 400 euros per breast and that is actually outrageous. Prices should never come close to these amounts when a woman’s personal situation is kept in mind.

Many of them have already had to deal with the cost of other things, such as wigs, to still feel like a woman.

These ideas are meant to do more than restore a woman’s dignity. For many, losing your hair and breasts is like erasing your entire femininity. They will always be beautiful in our eyes.

The reality of each individual person is unique and exceptional. Some survivors suffer more than others from the devastating aftermath of cancer. But  it’s caring ideas like this tattoo artist’s that fill us with happiness.