DIEP reconstruction and nipple tattoing

Hi all, a couple of questions…

  1. Is it normal for nipple tattooing to be barely visible after the first attempt? Im worried about how many times it will need to be topped up as it is flattening my reconstructed nipple (a risk I was aware of). If its not going to work, Im minded to go and see a rwgular tattoist.
  2. Above my new breast, where I had radiotherapy, there is a dent from loss of fat. Am I allowed to go back a third time (Ive already had a 2nd ‘tidy up’ op) for them to lipo transfer again? (I should add that I had ny treatment privately but was made redundant and now this is a ‘pre-existing condition’, so nack on the NHS, so havent got any plastic surgery appointments).
    Thank you! x

Hi @Pippy14

We recently hosted a Facebook Live with Tanya Buxton, a mastectomy tattoo artist, and one of our nurses, Cassie.

They talked about both decorative and nipple areola tattooing and you may find the answer to some of your questions in their chat, if not I hope you find it useful. You can watch the video here: Mastectomy Tattoos | Can I have a tattoo with an implant reconstruction? How long should I wait after surgery? Our breast nurse Cassie was joined by Tanya Buxton from the… | By Breast Cancer Now | Facebook

Sending our warmest,
Lucy