Two patient advocates, both breast cancer survivors, walk into a tattoo parlor in downtown Seattle. Sounds like an intriguing story, right? It was. I had the honor to have patient advocate Kirstin Litz join me for an intense day of patient advocacy work in the great city of Seattle. Our day began with a cup of coffee for the road, of course. We arrived in the densely populated district of Capitol Hill early morning to visit Eric Eye. We were there to interview him about his work doing breast reconstruction decorative and restorative tattoos.
I have never had a tattoo but after visiting Eric we talked about the possibilities of a decorative tattoo in my future. He asked me what I was thinking about. I told him I have deep Irish heritage and I love to dance. Van Morrison is one of my favorite musical artists. I explained to Eric I always wanted a shamrock tattoo at the top of my hip. When he asked why, I replied, “Well, Van Morrison always said the mark of a good song is anything that makes your “arse” shake!” Now the secret is out!
Eric Eye Focuses on Client Safety in Breast Reconstruction Tattoos
Kirstin has a decorative tattoo. It holds a lot of personal meaning to her as a survivor. I knew she was the perfect person to field some questions to Eric since she has been through the process of getting a tattoo. Our discussion centered around decorative and restorative tattoos for breast cancer patients, post breast reconstruction and mastectomy. Eric is very knowledgeable and places his clients’ safety and interest first. Here is what we learned.
Kirstin points out you can have two types of tattoos post mastectomy:
- Decorative tattoos to cover scars: floral, birds, a meaningful symbol, etc.
- Restorative tattoos for a nipple and areola to be replaced if they were removed due to breast cancer.
The Client and the Tattoo Artist
She explains a decorative tattoo often puts the client more in charge since they come with an idea. Kirstin addresses Eric noting, she feels he is more in charge as a fine art professional for those seeking restorative tattoos when a nipple/areola is lost due to breast cancer. She points out he must create a tattoo from a previous picture and put the color scheme to work to match the client’s current skin tone. In either case, the skin of the client becomes his canvas.
Eric describes the way he engages the client in the progression of getting the tattoo. He wants the client to be mostly in charge of the process. He gives his advice. Eric discusses how having an objective point of view, especially for restorative tattoo, gives him an advantage. He can determine what the shape, size, and dimension will be based on his experience. However, he points out the client can then fine tune his suggestions.
When choosing a decorative tattoo, he agrees giving the client more control is important. He encourages the viewers to choose an artist whose style speaks to them, discuss the desired results, and then let the tattoo artist do their style the way they can do best. When Eric uses the phrase, “Either way it is a collaboration”, Kirstin and I smile. It reminds us of our favorite topic in breast reconstruction, SharedDecisionMaking. We both agree Eric practices this in his own studio.
A Realistic Look for Restorative Tattoos
Kirstin says her expectations for a restorative tattoo to her means, a realistic look. Eric couldn’t agree more. His ultimate goal is for his clients to look in the mirror and not think they have a tattoo there. With decorative tattoos he wants clients to be looking at it all the time and think the tattoo is a thing of beauty and to show it off. A decorative tattoo is to change a scar into a thing of exquisiteness. It truly can become part of the healing process.
Scars and Healing for Tattoos
Kirstin is curious about the progression of scar healing and if it has an affect on the timing of the tattoo. Eric waits until scars have settled and healed before placing a tattoo. He also says a well-designed tattoo will follow the body and musculature underneath the skin in a way that should always compliment the area.
I thought of one final question to ask Eric. I was curious if he ever had a client come in to have a tattoo and he had to tell them they would have to wait. There is time when he does. Why? Because based on his years of experience he knows if a scar is safely ready for a tattoo.
We left his studio knowing he is a reliable source to tell other breast cancer patients about. Many women want a restorative or decorative tattoo after a mastectomy or breast reconstruction. It was an honor to interview Eric Eye about this process. We are grateful. You can listen to the interview here.