15 Tattoos That Transformed Breast Cancer Scars Into Artwork

There are few events in life that match the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on a woman’s life. It’s seldom a cancer women can weather privately, as it attacks in intimate, yet obvious ways. Now, many breast cancer survivors are reclaiming their bodies with beauty and strength with tattoos. 

1. Two-time breast cancer survivor Cari-Anne Higgins opted for a tattoo because she’d had enough of surgery. Artist Autumn Tierney helped her come up with this design to help her “celebrate survival and living her life to the fullest”.

2. Carrie George underwent a bilateral mastectomy in 2012 and decided against reconstruction. The owl, leaves, and fireball all hold powerful symbolic meaning to her, and she now feels “a sense of peace in my chest that runs even deeper than the relief I feel having significantly reduced my risk of breast cancer.”

3. Patty Carr had a prophylactic double mastectomy and had to undergo several surgeries afterward when her implants got infected. She went to see Shane Wallin at Garnet Tattoo, who brought her ideas to life in ink. 

4. Years after her mastectomy, Barbara brought her design to Darlene DiBona at Sacred Rose Tattoo.