Nipple tattooing

slreneau
slreneau Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am scheduled for nipple and aureola tattooing on March 12. I'd love to hear from those of you who had that done. I've had bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, so I know this is a very minor deal in comparison, but the thought of tattooing (even though I have no feeling in my nipple area) just makes me a little queasy! I'd like to know how long it takes, if you had any problems, if you felt better about your breasts afterward, etc. - all the usual stuff. Thanks is advance for your response.
Sherri

Comments

  • kit45
    kit45 Member Posts: 89
    #2
    tattooing
    Hi Sherri,

    I am scheduled for the same on March 11th so I can appreciate your question. My plastic surgeon told me it takes about 15 minutes and very easy procedure. I googled to see what the web says and there are some great pictures to look at which helped me know what to expect. I'll keep in touch. Kit
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #3
    Hi Sherri: I had it done in
    Hi Sherri: I had it done in December but because I had to have fat grafting also, mine was done in the or. So, I can't tell you how long it took sorry. After wards, I had to keep it moist by putting bacitracin on it for about 2 weeks. It does look more normal now with some color on it. Hugs, Lili
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #4
    kit45 said:

    tattooing
    Hi Sherri,

    I am scheduled for the same on March 11th so I can appreciate your question. My plastic surgeon told me it takes about 15 minutes and very easy procedure. I googled to see what the web says and there are some great pictures to look at which helped me know what to expect. I'll keep in touch. Kit

    Nipple tattooing
    Kit,
    Good to hear from you - sounds like we are going to do this together! I hope all goes well, drop me an email after your procedure , if you feel like it. I'm just glad that this is finally the last step in this process that started in Feb. 2007. I'll be thinking about you.
    Sherri
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #5
    mmontero38 said:

    Hi Sherri: I had it done in
    Hi Sherri: I had it done in December but because I had to have fat grafting also, mine was done in the or. So, I can't tell you how long it took sorry. After wards, I had to keep it moist by putting bacitracin on it for about 2 weeks. It does look more normal now with some color on it. Hugs, Lili

    Nipple tattooing
    Lili,
    Sounds like you've had a long road with your breast cancer. We had our mastectomies in the same summer. It'sbeen so long I can hardly remember what a normal breast looks like! I am ready to finish up with this part of my life!

    Hope all is going well fo you.
    Take care,
    Sherri
  • ohilly
    ohilly Member Posts: 441
    #6
    me, too
    I am supposed to have this done in April, so let me know how it goes.

    Ohilly
  • Trisia
    Trisia Member Posts: 10
    #7
    Nipple Tattooing
    Hi, I too had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I am a little behind you. I had the nipple reconstruction 2 weeks ago and had the stitches removed today. I have to wait another 4 weeks and then we are going to schedule the tattooing. From what I hear it is not too painful. My plastic surgeon assured me that he would give me a shot to anesthetize the area if need be. I heard from many people that the results are amazing. I am so happy to be nearing the end of this journey!! Good luck to you!
    Trisia
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #8
    ohilly said:

    me, too
    I am supposed to have this done in April, so let me know how it goes.

    Ohilly

    Tattooing
    I will - good luck to us all!
    Sherri
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #9
    Trisia said:

    Nipple Tattooing
    Hi, I too had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I am a little behind you. I had the nipple reconstruction 2 weeks ago and had the stitches removed today. I have to wait another 4 weeks and then we are going to schedule the tattooing. From what I hear it is not too painful. My plastic surgeon assured me that he would give me a shot to anesthetize the area if need be. I heard from many people that the results are amazing. I am so happy to be nearing the end of this journey!! Good luck to you!
    Trisia

    Tattooing
    Congrats on the nipple reconstruction. Mine was in October and my doctor wanted to wait at least 3-6 months. I did feel better about my breasts after I got the nipples, though I really didn't know that till after I got them. My doctor also said that he'd be available to give me a shot if I had any pain, but I have such awful memories of the pain shot I got for the needle biopsy that I hope I don't need that. I'm glad we're both getting close to the last step on this - I want the whole thing OUT of life!

    Take care and I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

    Sherri
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #10
    Interesting topic
    I am interested in this topic because I had a bilateral mastectomy, currently have expanders in. I will have reconstruction summer of 09 because I work in public schools and that way I have the summer to recuperate and won't have to take off work. But...I have been going back and forth about having nipples done. My husband is very supportive and says he is happy with whatever I decide. Sometimes I think I should have the nipple surgery and tatoo just to have a "finished" product. Other times I think it is better to go without. I have read a few posts about women who chose not to have nipples made. I would be interested in reading more posts on both sides of the issue with the reasons pro and con.

    Thanks, seof
  • Trisia
    Trisia Member Posts: 10
    #11
    Nipple Tattooing
    I was the same way....back and forth about whether or not to do the nipple reconstruction....and finally decided, why not? I am a teacher also and had the surgery over my February break. I was talking to my ps today and he was telling me how twice recently he came into the room while women were being tatooed. He found them crying and became concerned that they were in pain....but no, they said they were tears of happiness because their breasts looked real again.
    Also, I recently heard of another alternative where no nipple reconstruction is done and the the nipple is tattooed on. Supposedly it is kind of a 3D effect and the women who did it were very satisfied with their results...so many options!!! Ultimately it is an individual decision and I am sure you will decide to do what feels best for you. Good luck with your decision.
    Trisia
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #12
    slreneau said:

    Nipple tattooing
    Lili,
    Sounds like you've had a long road with your breast cancer. We had our mastectomies in the same summer. It'sbeen so long I can hardly remember what a normal breast looks like! I am ready to finish up with this part of my life!

    Hope all is going well fo you.
    Take care,
    Sherri

    Yes Sherri it has been a
    Yes Sherri it has been a long trip. It will be 2 years for me this June. I am just glad that it's almost done. Luck to you. Hugs, Lili
  • dbs1673
    dbs1673 Member Posts: 203
    #13
    Trisia said:

    Nipple Tattooing
    I was the same way....back and forth about whether or not to do the nipple reconstruction....and finally decided, why not? I am a teacher also and had the surgery over my February break. I was talking to my ps today and he was telling me how twice recently he came into the room while women were being tatooed. He found them crying and became concerned that they were in pain....but no, they said they were tears of happiness because their breasts looked real again.
    Also, I recently heard of another alternative where no nipple reconstruction is done and the the nipple is tattooed on. Supposedly it is kind of a 3D effect and the women who did it were very satisfied with their results...so many options!!! Ultimately it is an individual decision and I am sure you will decide to do what feels best for you. Good luck with your decision.
    Trisia

    never say never
    I used to say I'm not the tatoo type. HA! Got those little tatoo marks for the radiation and ate my words. I'm also very confused on the idea of nipple reconstruction. I'm get in my expanders out and the implants in in April. Just having something soft on my chest again is an overwhelming concept. When I think about the nipples I remind my self of all the past bra shopping I had to do to find the right bra so there would be no nipple show. Now I'm thinking of putting them and the problem back there?! Having a finished product sounds nice though. I'd really like to hear more about the tatooing of the nipple itself. Please keep me updated.
  • chriss26
    chriss26 Member Posts: 18
    #14
    No pain but big gain
    To all who want input on nipple tattooing. DO IT!! I have no feeling in my reconstructed breast so I was amazed to watch the tattoo being done. They pick the color and color it in. My doctor did put a topical litacane on the area but I did not need it. I was amazed at the entire reconstruction process and I used that as my focus on recovering from the devastation of cancer. The tattooing takes about 20 - 30 minutes. Why not take advantage of the progress that has been made. Best Wishes for continued good health girls!! Chris
  • Trisia
    Trisia Member Posts: 10
    #15
    Nipple Tattooing
    You are going to love the implants after dealing with the expanders. I have silicone and they are so soft and feel more and more natural each day. I had mine put in in November. I am going through the nipple reconstruction now. The nipple looks large when it is first done but I have been assured that it gets smaller as time goes on. My plastic surgeon called the end result more of an illusion and said that they are not visible through a t-shirt. If this is true, bra shopping should not be an issue. I never thought I would EVER get a tattoo but I've come this far so I am going to finish the process...I'll let you know how it goes!
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #16
    seof said:

    Interesting topic
    I am interested in this topic because I had a bilateral mastectomy, currently have expanders in. I will have reconstruction summer of 09 because I work in public schools and that way I have the summer to recuperate and won't have to take off work. But...I have been going back and forth about having nipples done. My husband is very supportive and says he is happy with whatever I decide. Sometimes I think I should have the nipple surgery and tatoo just to have a "finished" product. Other times I think it is better to go without. I have read a few posts about women who chose not to have nipples made. I would be interested in reading more posts on both sides of the issue with the reasons pro and con.

    Thanks, seof

    Nipples, etc.
    I wondered about nipples in the beginning also. I spoke with a volunteer at the hospital and she said she had chosen not to get them because she didn't want to have to wear a bra anymore and she felt that they would show without one, which seemed like a good point. However, when they removed my gigantic expanders, I told my doctor I wanted to be about a C cup (I had been D-DD before). When I woke up, I was about an A cup or less. It was just another punch in the gut and a really big surprise. The breasts look great and feel fine - it was just a shock since we had been discussing this for many months while the expanders were being filled and discussed it the day of the surgery as well. So, since I was already pretty disappointed with the results, I was ready to do whatever might make me feel better - thus the decision to go ahead with the nipples. I'm glad I did it - I think when all the emotion of the last two years recedes, it will help me to not always be faced with a reminder of the whole cancer thing every time I see myself. Best of luck to you!
    Sherri
  • slreneau
    slreneau Member Posts: 7
    #17
    chriss26 said:

    No pain but big gain
    To all who want input on nipple tattooing. DO IT!! I have no feeling in my reconstructed breast so I was amazed to watch the tattoo being done. They pick the color and color it in. My doctor did put a topical litacane on the area but I did not need it. I was amazed at the entire reconstruction process and I used that as my focus on recovering from the devastation of cancer. The tattooing takes about 20 - 30 minutes. Why not take advantage of the progress that has been made. Best Wishes for continued good health girls!! Chris

    Nipple tattooing
    Thanks for the input, Chris. That makes me feel better. I'll post sometime next week after the procedure and let you all know how it went.
  • chwoodall
    chwoodall Member Posts: 10
    #18
    good luck with this. I'm
    good luck with this. I'm going through the expansion process right now, will have my implants put in some time this summer and will then go through the nipple reconstruction and tattooing process. My plastic surgeon recommends going through the entire process and assures me it will be worth it in the end and that I will look fantastic. I'm glad to read the posts about the implants and how much better they are than the softball-like expanders.
    take care and best wishes....you are close to the end of this....:)
    cw
  • bewilson7
    bewilson7 Member Posts: 2
    #19
    kit45 said:

    tattooing
    Hi Sherri,

    I am scheduled for the same on March 11th so I can appreciate your question. My plastic surgeon told me it takes about 15 minutes and very easy procedure. I googled to see what the web says and there are some great pictures to look at which helped me know what to expect. I'll keep in touch. Kit

    Nipple Tattooing
    I am thinking about the 3D tattoo. What website did you go to and see pictures? I see my plastic surgeon this Thursday to discuss my options.
  • bfbear
    bfbear Member Posts: 380
    #20
    chwoodall said:

    good luck with this. I'm
    good luck with this. I'm going through the expansion process right now, will have my implants put in some time this summer and will then go through the nipple reconstruction and tattooing process. My plastic surgeon recommends going through the entire process and assures me it will be worth it in the end and that I will look fantastic. I'm glad to read the posts about the implants and how much better they are than the softball-like expanders.
    take care and best wishes....you are close to the end of this....:)
    cw

    So???????????
    So, what's been happening ???
    I am having a dbl. mastectomy with reconstruction on 5/6/09 and would love to hear more from those of you who have undergone the nipple/tattoo part since the last post, about how it went....

    I am into hearing good news right now, and trying not to worry about any "surprises" in the final pathology report.

    Thanks,
    Debi

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