Clinic offering free 3D tattoos to help breast cancer survivors feel whole again

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Going through a breast cancer diagnosis takes a physical and mental toll, and for many women, mastectomy surgery can leave them feeling like they’ve lost a piece of themselves. One local aesthetics clinic is aiming to change that through the gift of free tattoos.

Sonni Sears started her breast cancer journey with a touch feeling a lump during a self-exam in 2020.

“So initially, I would say it was probably about the size of a dime. And then it grew to like the size of a nickel,” Sears said.

With no family history and no warning, she was diagnosed by October with triple negative breast cancer, a fast-growing and hard-to-treat form.

“It was a shock, of course, and then it was like, oh my God, what are we gonna do?” Sears said.

First came a lumpectomy, then chemotherapy, then a bilateral mastectomy, followed by two more surgeries.

“You kind of feel like Frankenstein. You know, you kind of just don’t feel yourself,” Sears said. “I keep my shirt on. It just becomes, like you hide.”

Then came Jennifer Brown, a permanent makeup artist with a needle and a mission: free 3D nipple tattoos for survivors.

“You can see all of the emotions that they go through throughout the entire appointment. You see the hesitation, you see the fear, you see the trust,” Brown said.

“I was nervous. Yeah. Because, you know, it’s like the final thing, right?” Sears said.

Brown said that final look in the mirror is why she’s doing this for the second year — to help survivors see themselves again.

“I’m amazed by her work. I just feel like I got myself back. I feel done,” Sears said. “I got a part of myself back with that that I didn’t know I wanted, really. I didn’t know I needed, and I’m very thankful for.”

Brown said women tend to put themselves last, and offering the service for free is a way to give back to those who may not otherwise have the means.

“There’s no right body after breast cancer,” Sears said. “It’s just learning to love and accept yourself again... this is the new me, but it really is. It changes you.”

Younger Aesthetics in west Panama City Beach offers nipple tattoos for free in the month of October, by appointment only. Survivors can also check with their doctors to see if nipple tattoos are covered by insurance as part of breast reconstruction.

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