Areola Tattooing Helped Stephanie Wachtel Reclaim Confidence After Cancer

In an interview with CURE, Stephanie Wachtel shared how areola tattooing became one of the most empowering moments of her recovery after HER2-positive breast cancer.

Done at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the process allowed her to choose the color, size and detail, restoring a sense of control and reconnecting her to her artistic roots as a fashion designer. The natural-looking result helped her feel confident and whole again.

Transcript

Tell me a bit about your decision to undergo areola tattooing and what it involved?

I definitely wanted to feel as normal as possible after all my surgeries, and getting the areola tattoos helped me do that. It gave me a sense of control over my body for once and let me choose what I wanted to do. Deciding to have that done was something I finally had power over, and it was probably one of the most empowering moments of my journey.

I chose to have it done at MSK rather than somewhere else because it’s done within your team of doctors — everyone communicates, and it really feels like a community. Another reason was cleanliness and safety. Some people go to regular tattoo shops, but you don’t always know their practices, and having an already compromised immune system, I wanted to feel safe.

The process itself was unbelievable. I got to choose the color, size and level of detail. We tested different shades on my skin to make sure they matched, and the nurse and PAs worked with me to draw everything on and make sure it was centered and exactly how I wanted. Like I mentioned, it gave me that sense of control I had been missing.

It also gave me a lot of inspiration and brought me back to my roots as a fashion designer. Mixing colors, picking out shades, sizes and textures — it reminded me of painting. It made me feel like myself again. Now when I look in the mirror, I think, “If someone didn’t know, they’d never realize these were tattoos.” They’re so detailed that they look completely natural. It made me proud and more confident in myself.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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