Share your views: Artistic tattooing of breast-cancer mastectomy scars

Erana_ BCNA
Erana_ BCNA Member Posts: 2 ✭
in General discussion

Hi everyone! 

Following up on my previous post, I’d like to invite you to participate in a PhD research study being conducted by Tina-Maree Newlan of Charles Sturt University on artistic tattooing of breast-cancer mastectomy scars. The study aims to investigate the experiences of women who have had breast cancer mastectomy surgery and their experiences with making choices and decisions to decoratively tattoo mastectomy scars and what do those experiences mean for them.   

This request has been reviewed and approved by BCNA, and the project has been approved by Charles Sturt University Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol number H24311).   

You are eligible to participate in this research study if you:  

  • are a women aged 18 or over  

  • have had an early breast cancer diagnosis, breast cancer mastectomy surgery and completed, or are in the process of completing, professional decorative artistic tattooing of mastectomy scarring  

  • Would like to participate in an interview and are English speaking sufficient to participate in an interview  

What does the study involve?  
Eligible participants would take part in an initial 60-minute interview (via Zoom or face to face, depending on geographical location relative to the Gold Coast) and then a subsequent second 30-minute interview around two months later.   

How do I take part?  
If you are interested in participating in this study or have any questions, please contact the researcher, Tina-Maree Newlan at tnewlan@csu.edu.au 

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Comments

  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,197 ✭
    edited December 17
    I've seen some fantastic artistic tattooing (particularly for aesthetic flat double mastectomy.) 

    This one is famous, world wide - and beautiful. 

    Here is the story behind it:  
    https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2013/11/tattoos-after-mastectomy.html


  • Kristen
    Kristen Member Posts: 134 ✭
    edited 12:38PM
    If anyone is  are considering tattooing for decoration, please make sure you are fully informed on all view points and make a choice knowing your risks and then make  your personal risk assessment , everyone has different levels of acceptable risk. Knowing the permanent effect not only the ink will have as it lodges in your lymphatic system forever  , but also the inflamitory response to the extensive skin damage of many many needles punctures ,infection risk, lymphoedema risk (lymphodema  can happen in any body part and  causing damage to tissue;skin anywhere,  floods the area with extra fluid full of infection fighting cells and protians to help it heal, and if you are aready at or near your fluid max capacity, then internal repair can overload your fluid system with too much and cause swelling, which may be temporary , or may be permanent depending on your bodys ability to cope) and many more risks. It is a big decison and not one to be made lightly nor without thorough councelling,assesment and planning. Be prepared mentally for the side effects and potential not good ones too.( Ink in nodes means sentinal node biopsy is not possible as they can not see the tracer ink as they all are already stained with the tattoo ink your body tries to process but it  can not, so it lives in your lymph nodes forever..)

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