Chapter 27: Living with and beyond cancer
Skip chapter table of contents and go to main content
NIPPLE TATTOOING
This section focuses on the nurse‐led procedure of nipple tattooing for women who have had major breast surgery because of cancer.
Breast cancer surgery constitutes a complex treatment pathway for patients and may be combined with adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Areola tattooing occurs at the end of this surgical journey and improves body image (Goh et al. [114]). This in turn provides a psychological boost to a patient's confidence and can help reduce some of the sexual relationship problems that breast cancer patients face (Piot‐Ziegler et al. [226]). Reports suggest that levels of patient satisfaction are high and patients would recommend this procedure to others (Spear and Arias [262]).
Areolar tattooing can create an optical effect that greatly enhances the appearance of a reconstructed nipple–areola complex (NAC) and can help achieve a natural‐looking appearance. Fading can occur after a variable time period, particularly if the person has previously had radiotherapy, so the procedure may have to be repeated (Aslam et al. [11]). The procedure of nipple tattooing and areolar reconstitution can be successfully undertaken by clinical nurse specialists and appropriate follow‐up carried out in nurse‐led clinics (Clarkson et al. [50], Potter et al. [228]).
