Nipple tattoo

The nipple tattoo, or tittoo as it is occasionally known,[1] is a body trend which gained widespread recognition in 2013. It is a type of tattoo which appears on the areola and is semi-permanent.[2]

A nipple tattoo that covers most of the areola

Nipple tattooing has its origins as a medical procedure (medical tattoo) for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.[3] It is increasingly commonly used as a cosmetic procedure,[4] which began being reported on in early 2013,[1] used to enlarge, darken and define the nipples and areola, with the intent to improve the 'sexiness' of the nipple.

This practice began in the United States but slowly trickled through to the United Kingdom, with many Britons opting to travel to the US to have the procedure done.[5] The procedure involves having the participant picking the colour of the nipple tattoo (usually involving a mixture of pigments), and then having a local anesthetic applied. The tattoo device is dipped into the pigment and then applied to the nipple until uniform.[6] The procedure usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes.[7]

Breasts can be tattooed so that the colour and shape of the nipples and the areola appear bigger, more deeply coloured, more shapely or with better definition.[1] However, the cosmetic procedure has been criticized, with one blogger on The Guardian complaining that the whole idea of the nipple tattoo "smacks of media confection".[8]

Since September 2011, the Royal Derby Hospital offers free nipple tattoos for breast surgery patients in order to mask the scars of surgery. The purchase of the tattoo device was funded by the Ashbourne Breast Cancer Walk.[7]

Vinnie Myers of Little Vinnie's Tattoos in Finksburg, Maryland, has performed nipple tattoos on over 5,000 women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer, including those of Caitlin Kiernan, who wrote a story about Mr. Myers in The New York Times.[9][10] A similar service offered without charge in 2017 by a cosmetic tattooist in the UK was booked up six months ahead.[11]

References
  1. "My Big Boob Hell". Bodyshockers. 30 May 2015. 4seven.
  2. Townsend, Courtney M. Jr.; Beauchamp, R. Daniel; Evers, B. Mark; Mattox, Kenneth L. (17 February 2012). Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: Expert Consult Premium Edition: Enhanced Online Features. Elsevier Health Sciences.
  3. Arndt, Kenneth A.; Hsu, Jeffrey T. S. (2007). Manual of Dermatologic Therapeutics (illustrated ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 116. ISBN 978-0781760584.
  4. "Nipple tattooing sweeps UK as women strive for 'perfect boobs'". The Daily Telegraph. 17 April 2013.
  5. Locke, Katherine (7 August 2013). "Women choose body art over reconstruction after cancer battle". The Guardian. More women are choosing not to reconstruct after a mastectomy and tattoo over the scar tissue instead.... The mastectomy tattoo will become just another option for post cancer patients and a truly personal way of regaining control over post cancer bodies and proving once and for all that breast cancer is not just a pink ribbon.
  6. Berger, Karen; Bostwick, John (26 November 2014). A Woman's Decision: Breast Care, Treatment and Reconstruction. St. Martin's Griffin.
  7. "New nipple tattoo service for breast surgery patients at Royal Derby Hospital". Royal Derby Hospital. 20 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  8. "Nipple tattoos? Don't pin this 'craze' on us Scouse girls". The Guardian. 19 April 2013.
  9. Caitlin Kiernan (3 June 2014). "Tattoo Therapy After Breast Cancer". The New York Times. p. D6.
  10. Kassie Bracken; Taige Jensen (2 June 2014). "The Nipple Artist (video)". The New York Times. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  11. "Breast tattoo service for cancer patients". BBC News. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
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