Nipple tattoo!

 When I was initially diagnosed, I regularly attended informational sessions about different aspects of breast cancer. I remember one evening session featured my plastic surgeon discussing the reconstruction process. Nipples and tattooing were the final step. The surgeon mentioned that some women don't finish the process, but that for him and his colleagues the process wasn't complete without the nipples. Not only does it bring back some sense of normalcy, it also brings attention away from scarring.

After my reconstructed nipple healed, I was able to have nipple and areola tattooing. When I was first diagnosed, I became familiar with one tattoo artist who created the most realistic nipples I had ever seen. She works out of a shop and also used to work at a plastic surgeon's office. Because it had been over a decade since I first looked into nipple tattooing, she was no longer working at a surgeon's office. I decided to still go with her and pay out of pocket. 

For tattooing, it's a benefit that the "breast mound" has virtually no sensation. For standing in pictures and not knowing you are actually brushing up against someone's back, it's less beneficial. The process was pretty cool. The artist set up her colors and had me remove my top. Because the goal was to match my original nipple, she kept checking colors and mixing along the way. She asked questions like, would I like Montgomery glands tattooed? I was going for a natural realistic look, so why not?! She also measured and marked. I'm still in awe of her talent and ability to recreate a very realistic nipple and areola.

I followed the tattoo aftercare and haven't really looked back. I knew that seeing the absence of a nipple was something I noted almost daily. The addition of a nipple is something I barely see anymore. My brain sees symmetry and doesn't need a second look. There's nothing to note and while my original parts are not the same, they almost look the same.