After surviving breast cancer by way of a mastectomy, women are definitely relieved for having survived the seemingly never-ending battle, yet they are also left with the option of going through numerous follow up reconstruction surgeries or living out the rest of their lives with the marks of the darkest period in their lives. A third option that has been increasing in popularity in recent years is applying tattoos over the area, helping women heal and move forward with their lives.
Recently, the University Hospital of Torrejón in Spain procured the assistance of Madrid-based tattoo artist, Álvaro Quesada, to provide their patients with that third option. Quesada has come onboard to lend his expertise in tattooing, offering breast cancer survivors a chance at getting a realistic tattoo of the nipples and areolae that they lost during their triumphant battles.
Quesada is quite possibly the best candidate to do this work being that he can relate to the patients on a deeper level since he himself has battled with tumors throughout his life—a battle which caused him to permanently lose his vision from one eye, and which the artist will continue to fight tomorrow (April 28) as he undergoes surgery to remove a large tumor from behind his eye.
Tattoo artist, Álvaro Quesada. Photo: Courtesy of Álvaro Quesada.