Heavy scarring is incredibly common after a double mastectomy, and it’s becoming more and more popular to cover these scars with a tattoo. They can be decorative, designed to hide the evidence of the procedure, or a replica of the nipples. For the people getting them, they can be life-changing.
“I finally matched the image in my head to the person looking in the mirror,” says River (he/him). “Getting my mastectomy tattoo was as life-changing as the surgery.” River’s torso features both a nipple tattoo and a large octopus, whose tentacles twist and curl around his scars, hiding them from view. Since having these pieces done, he never wears a shirt – unless he has to.
Noah Vanmol (he/him) does the same. Noah had periareolar surgery, so initially didn’t have big scars, but following post-op complications his left nipple fell off. “I just wanted it to look natural,” he says. He wanted to be able to go to the beach and take his top off without getting any glances. As soon as his chest healed, Noah got both a nipple tattoo and a larger traditional American eagle to cover up the 10cm scar another surgery had left. If anyone stares at the beach now, they are far more likely to be admiring the artwork, as the difference in the nipples is unnoticeable. “I’m really happy with it. It feels like it looks how it was always supposed to.”