A Tasmanian beauty therapist is providing free nipple tattoos to breast cancer survivors, covering the full cost of the $1,500 procedure. Rachel Bellinger, from Launceston, has been offering the service for two years, using paramedical tattooing to recreate areolae and nipples after breast reconstruction surgery.
Ms Bellinger, who owns a skincare business, began training in nipple tattooing in 2020 after watching a video of a doctor demonstrating the process. She completed a year of training in oncology, wound healing, and color selection, and has since tattooed over a dozen women in her community. The procedure involves a two-hour session where she adds details like Montgomery glands and uses shading for a 3D effect.
One recipient, Megan Burt, 41, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her twenties and underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction in 2010. She contacted Ms Bellinger in November after learning about the free offer in an online breast cancer group. After the tattoo, she said, 'When she showed me in the mirror, I just cried with happiness. For the first time since I was diagnosed at 26, I actually felt like I had real breasts again.'
Ms Bellinger's initiative aligns with the work of Pink Ink, a charity launched in Australia to fund corrective tattoos for breast cancer survivors. Founder June Belkovskis said, 'These tattoos give survivors the opportunity to reclaim their bodies.' Applications for funding are set to open in the first quarter of the year.
