Cancer patients and cancer survivors may have eyebrows, eyeliner (simulated eyelashes), areola/nipple tattooing discounted or free depending on their income level. Verification and permission needed by the attending physician.

Marcia Renner, a nurse, is a qualified 'provider' of areola tattooing for insurance reimbursement. Insurance companies require the provider have a medical license. Marcia is the only permanent cosmetic technician in Kansas City, Missouri who is also a nurse.

Nipple Areola Tattoo

The finishing touch to breast reconstruction is having your nipple areola tattooed. Tattooing is a simple, fast procedure. There is no need to be scared. If you are matching a new nipple areola to the existing breast, Marcia will mix various colors and shades to get the correct pigment. If you had bilateral reconstructions, Marcia can use your preoperative photos to recreate the nipple color, or you can pick a new color that you like against your skin tones.

As with any tattoo, the pigment will fade in time. Getting the right shade of color may require more than one tattoo procedure. If you have had a breast implant and regained some breast skin sensation, Marcia will give you a topical local anesthetic. However, most patients with flap reconstruction have little sensation. After drawing the outline of the areola with a surgical marking pen, Marcia will start your tattooing. The entire process can take approximately 1 hour or more. As Marcia approaches the outer edge of the areola she will start stippeling which means a slight 'fade-out'. The Areola complex will have a dimensional effect with a shiny appearance at the nipple and a darker shade around the nipple and lighter as it fades out.

A totally NATURAL look is our goal. The patient will be fully part of how small or large the areola complex will be. Also the choice of colors: pink, brown pink, beige, brown or dark brown appearance.

Post-Operative Tattoo

You will have ointment and a gauze dressing placed inside your bra or taped onto your breast reconstruction. You will need gauze and Aquaphor at home in order to change the dressing every few hours for the first few days.. It is best to use a non-adherent type of gauze dressing and a generous amount of ointment on the tattoo. For the first day, the tattoo will bleed or ooze a mixture of ink and blood. The color of the tattoo will appear to be quite dark. Do not panic, this is completely normal. You will need to care for the tattoo for several days. During this period, the ink and blood will scab off, and the true color of the tattoo will be revealed. It is important not to let the tattoo get dry. While in the comfort of you own home, if you can sit without clothing and maintain the ointment over the tattoo, the healing process will be faster. Having clothes rub against the tattoo may be uncomfortable, and the ink or scabs may stain your clothing.

A follow-up visit will be required. The tattoo will mature over the course of several weeks. If you find the color is too light, you can always go back and have more pigment added. If you already had an emotional boost from having your nipple surgery, once the tattoo has healed, you are officially done!