“Ultimately, these should be your decisions because they are staying with you forever.”
It wasn’t until the late ’80s and early ’90s that medical nipple and areola tattooing gained popularity.
She also foundedSauler Institute of Tattooing, where she trains tattoo artists and medical providers.
Bella Geraci / Getty Images
She focuses on the entire reconstruction process and offers patients the post-mastectomy option of nipple-areola tattooing.
To understand how these procedures work, it’s useful to know how nipples are naturally structured.
Although many people think of the nipple and areola as one entity, they’re actually two separate ones.
“It’s the nipple in the center and the areola on the outside,” Sauler explains.
Nipple reconstruction involves only the nipple.
Frank Dellacroce, plastic surgeon and founding partner at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery atSt.
Dellacroce says that having an artist’s eye to help with the nipple-areola tattooing is important.
In contrast, because every patient’s mastectomy results are different, areola tattooing is highly individualized.
“Its really unpredictable what [a client will] come in with,” Aava says.
And sometimes it takes multiple treatments."
Every areola tattoo is different, depending on what the client may (or may not) already have.
We draw [the tattoo] first and confirm that there’s symmetry.
It’s all about shading and making it look realistic and three dimensional."
However, if there is any remaining sensation, Aava will apply a numbing cream before doing the tattoo.
“[The tattoo] is really not invasive,” she says.
There is always a minor risk with any tattoo, even ones that are done professionally.
“you’re able to’t do anything like cosmetic tattoos while going through chemo.
confirm youre fully healed and get an okay from your doctor.”
Patients often came to her to have the work corrected or touched up.
Of course, you should always check with your doctor before having any reconstructive work.
“You want to double-check you’re fully healed and get an okay from your doctor.”
Delivering this information can help overcome some mental barriers that could prevent a patient from seeking treatment.
“I think a lot of [those barriers are] fear,” he says.
Breast cancer can be a scary subject to tackle.
“It’s bigger than the sum of the parts,” he says.
you’re free to follow her onInstagram.
Check out her newest project,The Radical Database, a website dedicated to anti-racist resources.
