Survey: The mental health effects of fading and poorly executed medical tattoos on breast cancer survivors 

Areola micropigmentation is currently offered by the NHS in England, and is the main service provider when it comes to Areola pigmentation. There is confusion surrounding certain aspects of how what we offer as traditional tattoo artists is different, when it is in fact superior.

We understand, as a medical professional, you may not be aware of why micropigmentation is unsuitable for a breast cancer survivors, and we are here to share knowledge and ensure that no breast cancer survivor is disappointed with Areola pigmentation.

We hold regular educational Webinars, which are free and open for anyone to join. Each session follows a certain topic, and allows for any questions you may have to be answered by a specialist through the Nipple Innovation Project.

We feel very strongly that the current system in place for Breast Cancer survivors receiving NHS pigmentation needs to be improved.

There is a large level of mistrust and misinformation surrounding tattooing in general, and we are here to bring awareness to how this mistrust is causing harm.

Micro pigmentation is tattooing. They are the same. The only difference is that micro pigmentation embodies the use of ‘cosmetic’ pigments. These pigments are designed to fade and facilitate a yearly top up. This is not appropriate for any tattoo work on damaged tissue. The skin involved in a breast reconstruction, will not tolerate being tattooed on a regular basis. The repeat procedure leads to scarring, and inevitably, complete loss of pigment.

The misinformation we have come across regarding why this treatment is offered by the NHS is easily contested.

Below are some of the reasons given for this service to be in existence along with the facts that lead us to view the reason as misinformation:

“Tattooing is deeper than micro pigmentation”

Micropigmentation IS tattooing. Same process, same equipment, different pigments. Any pigment must be implanted into the dermis. There is no other layer of skin we can implant pigment into to create any kind of tattoo. An experienced specialist will understand that this depth varies over different areas, and in different types of scarring.

“Cosmetic Pigments are used so that the NAC can be moved or changed in the future”

Unfortunately, there is always a risk of future surgeries involved in a breast reconstruction. Cosmetic pigments are very quick to fade, leaving the wearer with a pink smudge.

The pink smudge and scarring caused by repeat tattooing never fade completely, meaning that ‘moving’ a tattoo without complete removal is impossible. We do offer a true temporary alternative to tattooing, for more information see Nipplebacks in the menu.

“Tattoo inks cause cancer”

Despite its recommendations and examples of carcinogenic chemicals being used in inks the ECHA report notes there is currently no direct evidence of a tattoo ink causing cancer.

A 2012 review in the Lancet Oncology medical journal found that even skin cancers, which would seemingly be most closely linked to tattoo inks remained rare. The authors found 50 examples of skin cancers on tattoos after an extensive hunt through the medical literature

The tattoo ink approved by NIP for use, is specifically designed for its purpose and contains suitable ingredients.

The Iron oxide based cosmetic pigments approved by the NHS, are deemed safe as they are unlikely to cause allergic reactions however it is extremely rare to have an allergic reaction to tattoo ink.

Tattoo ink and cosmetic pigments are regulated and manufactured in the same way, the only true difference is the milling process of the actual pigment itself. Iron Oxide refers to the colour of the pigment, and it is not a special ingredient. High iron oxide content pigments can also interfere with MRI.

“Tattoo artists are not qualified to perform medical tattooing”

There are no qualifications in ANY kind of tattooing. A specialist dedicated to their craft, will always yield the best results. We understand that being a tattoo artist is not enough to perform restorative tattooing, and all of our artists are extensively trained in understanding scar tissue, and any procedures our client may have had so that we can ensure we produce the best quality results every time.

We are passionate about making sure that everyone is empowered by a restorative tattoo procedure, and for this reason, we do not agree with non-specialist practitioners using fading pigments.

As part of our research, we have an ongoing survey asking anyone that has had Areola tattooing or micro pigmentation after a breast reconstruction to share their experience.

81% of people that had received micro pigmentation with fading pigments were dissatisfied with the results.

51% of people that had received micro pigmentation with fading pigments felt that the fading of the NAC affected their mental health. Many women felt regret, and a few couldn’t even bare to look at their breast reconstruction. We have created a report on this survey which will be updated regularly.

We regularly see beautiful surgical work, aesthetically ruined by poor medical tattoos. We have the solution to this.

For more information and to read our report, please contact us.