Doctor helps raise breast cancer survivors' self-esteem with restorative tattooing

Restorative tattooing is a procedure that lets breast cancer survivors revive their self-esteem and self-image, according to Dr. Linda Dixon, president of the American Academy of Micropigmentation and owner of Wakeup with Makeup, a cosmetic tattooing practice in Hawaii. 

“I call it the final step in the fight. It’s the one step that gives women back their dignity and it makes them feel whole,” Dixon said. 

The procedure for breast cancer survivors involves tattooing areolas and nipples on women who have had mastectomies or other breast surgeries. 

Restorative areola tattoos helps clients feel less self-conscious about their breasts, in part because of the added color, Dixon said. 

“If you see a breast without an areola and a nipple, without that color ... there’s just these two mounds,” she said. 

Dixon said she began practicing permanent makeup in 1995, when no one was teaching how to tattoo areolas naturally. She said she learned by asking around her professional network and doing some research.  

“I just started researching natural colors. One thing that helped me a lot was if they had one breast remaining so at least I had something to compare with for color and for size,” she said. 

Dixon says she uses a digital tattooing gun, but the procedure can be performed using a hand-tool as well. 

“Sometimes the skin is really fragile. It’s very delicate and some ... have gone through radiation, others have the implants right there ... you want to just be sure to protect the skin,” Dixon said. 

Areola tattooing is an artistic thing, Dixon said.

 “I ... went to a local tattoo artist who I made friends with 16, 17 years ago and I said, ‘Hey Jim, let’s draw areolas and nipples,’” Dixon said. 

“We started drawing ... coloring them in, different layers of color. You sort of layer the color and then you want to see how they heal,” Dixon said. 

Layering, highlighting and shading are techniques Dixon uses to achieve a 3-D look.

“You want to highlight the nipple because light hits from the top down and then you shadow it underneath,” she said. 

Dixon said she has always provided her restorative tattooing services at no charge. 

“It’s my way of giving back. These women have been through a very difficult time in their life. A lot of them are depressed and they have a poor body image now. ... I would be uncomfortable charging them,” she said. 

Dixon said she wanted to find a way to let people know about the free services, so she created the Survivor Academy Action Volunteer Effort (SAAVE) with the American Academy of Micropigmentation. 

“The Academy just said, ‘Hey, if you are willing or if you’re available to do these at no charge, then let us know and we’ll post you on our website,’” Dixon said.  

Providing these services is a rewarding experience, Dixon said. 

“These women, ... they are overjoyed. ... They’ve been through chemotherapy, they’ve been through surgery, they’ve been through reconstruction. A lot of them have been through radiation. ... Finally they have a bright spot,” Dixon said. 

“I guess you could call us the light at the end of the tunnel,” she added. 

You can see the list of SAAVE participants here. 

Native young people leave behind traditional tattooing customs

In indigenous populations, young people are moving away from traditional tribal tattooing customs, according to Lars Krutak. 

Those young people are more interested in getting sports star or public-figure tattoos because those are  trendy and fashion-oriented, Krutak said. 

Those tattoos are also considered more modern, according to Krutak. 

“Traditional tribal tattoos in some places are sort of looked down upon as more primitive and sort of backward,” Krutak said. 

“The youth ... want something more colorful. They don’t want this geometric stuff, and so they’re migrating towards these more modern designs ... which I think is a shame,” Krutak said. 

But some people in these communities try to preserve the tattooing culture, according to Krutak.

“Certain individuals ... are coming up in these communities and trying to ... promote awareness ... that we have something that’s unique and that’s our own. ... that no else has in the world. ... Why would you want to go copy others people’s designs when we have this incredible tattooing culture and history?” Krutak said. 

Krutak said that one of his goals is to honor those who came before and document both their stories and the meaning behind tattooing. 

How do we know where we are going in the future if we don’t know where this all came from in the past? Krutak said. 

Krutak's research is about promoting awareness, educating the public and "trying to create some sort of a renaissance back in these home communities where tattooing is disappearing," he said. 

Researcher: Earliest tattoo was cosmetic

Tattoos are a visual form of language, according to Lars Krutak, archeologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, tattoo researcher and author of three books about tribal tattooing including “Spiritual Skin: Magical Tattoos and Scarification.”

The earliest evidence of tattooing is a mustache on a 7,000-year-old South American mummy, according to Krutak.

The second-earliest evidence comes from the Iceman, Otzi, discovered in the Otztal Alps in 1991, Krutak said.  

“About 85 percent of his linear markings line up with classical acupuncture points to relieve rheumatism, and CT scans showed a body wracked by arthritis,” 

Therapeutic tattooing is still practiced in some parts of the world, according to Krutak. 

“It’s a practice that's continued on for 5,000 years. ... It’s obviously an effective remedy since people have been doing it for so long and they continue to do it,” Krutak said. 

Historically, tattooing has also been used to mark combat victories and other warfare honors, Krutak said.  

Many tattoos also marked significant life achievements and stages, like reaching adulthood, or having a first child. It depends, cross-culturally, according to Krutak. 

“Other tattoos ... served as memorials for individuals ... passed loved ones who died,” he said. 

Some people believed that tattoos could repel evil spirits that brought disease, according to Krutak. 

Tattoos also served as symbols of identity, Krutak said. 

“Clan markers, lineage markers, ... basically, if you know how to read these symbols, you can ultimately tell sort of the biographies of individuals. You can read their life story if you are armed with the ability to read this visual language,” Krutak said.  

Chicago Tattooing & Piercing artist inks a sweet cover-up.

President of the Association of Professional Piercers warns about piercing safety.

The practice of body art involving skin puncturing has increased in recent years, according to a study published by the American Academy of Dermatology. 

But there are no federal standards for body piercing so states must determine their own legislation, according to Elayne Angel, president of the Association for Professional Piercers (APP) and author of “The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing,"

Legislators don't necessarily know anything about body piercing, Angel said. 

The APP assists lawmakers, according to Angel. 

“We do a lot of help with governments that are creating legislations to make sure they are going to be effective and reasonable,” Angel said. 

But state legislation varies widely so it’s important for consumers to be educated, Angel said. 

“There may be laws in certain places that are excellent, but there may not be any staff or budget for enforcement. ... That’s another reason why consumers need to be savvy. ... They cannot count on health departments or other agencies to protect them,” she added.  

In Illinois, the Body Art Code, under the Title 77 Public Health Administrative code, regulates body art shops in Illinois.  

The body art code regulates single-use needles, razors and ‘sharps’ -- any object that may cut the skin, according to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules website. 

Tattoo and piercing shop owners must also complete an annual registration process to certify that their establishment is up to code, according to the committee website. 

Body art practitioners must complete bloodborne pathogen training to practice and studio operators determine whether the artist possesses knowledge of anatomy, infectious disease control, and skin diseases and disorders, according to the committee website. 

Earlobe piercing is not considered body piercing in Illinois, so individuals who pierce earlobes are exempt from the Body Art Code regulations, according to the committee website. 

Some businesses that pierce earlobes use ear piercing cartridges, or guns, which the APP doesn't recommend, according to Angel. 

“The guns are frequently reusable items that are not sterilized or even sanitized between uses,” Angel said. 

“The jewelry that they insert is not a one-size-fits-all type of jewelry so that the earrings that the guns insert are too small for some people. That lack of appropriate size jewelry can result in embedding and other problems,” she added. 

Angel noted that the APP doesn't recommend regular earrings for earlobes because the short post length can be problematic for people with thicker earlobes or for people whose ears swell after the piercing. 

“Jewelry that pinches on the tissue and doesn’t leave room for air circulation or blood circulation is dangerous,” Angel said. 

In terms of ordinary body piercings, none are more dangerous than others as long as they are pierced properly, Angel said. 

After-care is something people should consider before getting pierced, she added. 

“Piercing takes a certain level of commitment and maturity to follow through and care for it properly. Not that care is difficult, but touching with dirty fingers can be very dangerous. It’s a dirty world out there,” she added. 

Chicago nurse discovers her gift for permanent makeup tattooing

Svetlana Schluter, a registered nurse and permanent makeup practitioner, said she never sought out tattooing.

But when she began, she found she had a gift.

“It’s one of those things. Some people are born to play piano. Some people are born to play golf. It’s just talent I guess,” Schluter said.

“I’m born to do eyebrows and makeup and know how to tweak it to change the person’s face for the better,” she added.

Schluter owns Chicago Permanent Makeup by R.N., 4001 W. Devon Ave, Suite 320-A. Schluter says she has been practicing permanent makeup for the past six or seven years. A friend interested in makeup tattooing got Schluter started.

“She just basically showed me how to do it and it became a hobby for me,” Schluter said.

“I would help her sometimes. ... Little by little I started doing more and more. ... Slowly it became a full-time job,” she added.

The procedure is basic, like getting a regular tattoo, Schluter said, though there are some technical differences between body tattoos and makeup tattoos.

The first difference is that for permanent makeup, artists should use pigment thicker than ink, Schluter said. 

“Facial skin is very thin,” Schluter said.

“When facial tattoos started they used ink for permanent makeup. ... It migrates under the skin and after awhile it starts looking like a bruise,” she added.

But pigment will fade, Schluter said.

On average, clients will have to return for a touchup every two to three years, she added.

Schluter uses a machine specifically made for applying make-up tattoos when she applies eyeliner and lipliner, she said.

For eyebrows, Schluter tattoos by hand with a hand-tool that has a row of nine connected needles, she said.

Tattooing by hand takes longer, Schluter said, but the method helps achieve softer, multidimensional looking eyebrows, because the pigment doesn’t go into the skin uniformly.

“The tattoo machine its harsh. ... It make eyebrows look really dark, almost like a ... permanent marker. ... It looks like a solid line,” Schluter said.

Choosing who will apply your permanent makeup is the biggest thing to consider, Schluter said.

“Make sure you completely trust the person,” Schluter said,

“Make sure that you go to somebody who will ask you questions about your health. ... If somebody will take you and does not ask any questions about your health ... that’s a bad sign. That’s a sign of somebody who probably won’t care about the outcome,” she added.

Schluter notes other risks to consider including allergic reactions. Some pigments contain metal, so there are MRI risks as well.

“Do the research, educate yourself, learn everything you can about permanent makeup before you make a move,” Schluter said.

You can view Schluter's portfolio, read client testimonials and get the details on the services Schluter offers on her website 

 

Widowed blogger gets memorial tattoo to honor her late-husband.

By Brittany Keeperman 

Karen Marcus, 40, a blogger in Virginia said she had been thinking about getting a tattoo even before deciding on a design. Her father was very ill, and she planned on getting a memorial tattoo after he died. 

“My father hates tattoos, especially on women,” Marcus said 

“It was a big joke with him and I. ... 'Once you’re dead, Daddy, you’re gonna get a dead daddy tattoo on me,'” she added.  

What Marcus didn’t expect was that her husband, Steve DeRose, would die before her father. DeRose died very suddenly, due to heart problems, according to Marcus. 

“It was time to start getting that stuff checked out again,” Marcus said.

“I was constantly afraid that something would happen to him and well, you know the fallacy of denial. ... It wasn’t going to happen to him, but it did. He had a heart attack one day and he died,” 

Following her husband's death, Marcus began contemplating ideas for her tattoo. DeRose loved to play the guitar, she said, so initially she wanted a tattoo of his first guitar.

“It would go from my lower neck to my hips,” Marcus said. “I’m rather glad I didn’t do that because I’d imagine that’d be quite painful,” she added.

Eventually, Marcus came up with the design that would ultimately be tattooed across her left wrist. A simple “I love you, Steve” in her husband’s handwriting. Marcus said she had saved all the cards and letters DeRose had given to her, and needed a way to remind herself of his love for her. 

“I was spending so much time feeling so much guilt about how I didn’t save him or how we should have done more,” Marcus said. 

“I needed something physically to remind me that he loved me,” she added. 

Marcus went one night to a tattoo shop she said she always drove by.

“If I’d really thought about it I would have looked around a little bit more,” Marcus said, “But there was just a day that I went ‘today’s the day,’”  

Marcus said the process was a little nerve-wracking, particularly because her father had recently died. 

“I knew I was supposed to be walking in there to get the daddy tattoo with my husband next to me,” Marcus said.

“Instead, I’m walking in with one of my best girlfriends, getting the husband tattoo because I can’t even contemplate getting the daddy tattoo,” she added. 

In a way, the tattoo helped the grieving process, Marcus said.

“What I found after my husband died was that everything hurt me,” Marcus said. 

“It got really problematic when I was around other people because I didn’t want to be crying all the time. ..."

"Sometimes it’s hard to look down and see it and know he’s not here but other times I can look down at it and go ‘you know, the world may be throwing everything at me, but he always loved me and I survived it,’” she added. 

Marcus is now engaged, and said that she didn’t think to tell her now-fiancé about her memorial tattoo before the first date. 

She had made it clear from early on that she was a widow and would never stop loving her first husband. 

“If you have a problem with that, if you're going to feel like you’re competing with a dead man, we can just be friends because I'm cool with that,” Marcus said she told him. 

“He’s never had a problem with the tattoo or the fact that I’m still in love with my first husband, for which I’m really lucky,” Marcus said. 

You can read more about Karen Marcus on her blog, lifeaftersteve.blogspot.com