Fear- "An unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined."
There can be apprehension involving this final step of breast reconstruction, especially for those ladies that have never been tattooed before. This can include fear to pick up the phone making an appointment to actually walking through the artist's door.
One of the many responsibilities a restorative tattoo artist has besides properly and safely creating a lovely piece of art on your skin is to help put you at ease. I've spent the last 25+ years of my life as a registered nurse comforting and supporting my patients and their families during some really difficult times. Honestly, the difference between a good and bad nurse really boils down to empathy. You either have it or you don't. It cannot be faked. The same goes for your tattoo artist 🎨. No matter who you pick, make sure they have this work in their heart ❤. You will be able to tell. Having confidence and trust in your artist can be the 1st step of overcoming any fears regarding tattooing you may have.
Those fears can include change because they may have been accustomed to seeing no color present for quite some time and change is scary. Will it look good when done? Will my partner like it? Will the tattoo help how I feel about my body? Will the artist be able to match my existing nipple (for unilateral reconstruction) or use my old photos for guidance? Can the tattoo help detract from my scars?
Also, they may have had an unsatisfactory tattoo done by their physician's office that faded away and honestly didn't look good to start with. ðŸ˜
That's terrible because they had high hopes of feeling normal again and ended up perhaps devastated by a bad tattoo outcome. How is this tattoo going to be different from the big let down I had before? Will it last? Will it look real?
I try to alleviate as much fear as I can by speaking personally with each client either by phone, zoom, or in person with a consultation. It allows an opportunity to ask any questions about tattooing and put some of those fears to rest. I also suggest if you're on the fence to try temporary nipple tattoos. I apply these during consultations. NIPPLEBACKS are awesome. They go on with a damp cloth and last for days. Get different styles, sizes and try them out! If you like a particular style, it can serve as inspiration for your permanent tattoo along with photos of mastectomy tattooing you've found online or your own preoperative pictures. A lot of details that go into your tattoo can best be communicated visually as this can be a hard thing to conceptualize and verbalize to your artist 🎨
XOXO,
The Nipple Fairy 🧚♀️
