Eric Eye is our guest on Episode 11 discussing decorative and restorative tattoos for breast cancer patients on the DiepCJourney podcast. He is a trained visual artist who performs 3D nipple and areola tattoos for patients who have had mastectomy and breast reconstruction after breast cancer. His work can be found on his Instagram account as well as his Facebook page. He is located in Seattle, Washington but Eric has traveled to other locations to provide services for breast cancer patients.
Bringing Art to Life in Decorative and Restorative Tattoos
The story of how he transitioned from years of experience in tattooing to providing restorative tattoos for breast cancer patients is a touching one. What are restorative tattoos? Eric’s work includes beautiful and artistic drawings covering a mastectomy or breast reconstruction scar. This can be across the breast area or an abdominal scar from DIEP flap surgery. They are most often meaningful and personally chosen pieces of art in color or black and white. The restorative tattoos are 3D nipple and areola tattoos for women who no longer have this part of the breast after breast surgery.
Eric must give careful attention to the canvas of the skin. He works with plastic surgeons in the Seattle area to learn what care must be given to breast cancer patients who are healing from surgery or have had radiation treatment to the skin, the canvas, he will be performing the tattoo on. His own fiancé inspired him to begin this work after she returned from getting her tattoo from the well-known tattoo artist, Vinnie Meyers. Eric knew his own background in visual arts would bring these same restorative tattoos to women in the Seattle area and beyond. This was the inspiration to begin his work especially when he found out no one in the Seattle area was performing restorative 3D tattoos. With so much cancer care available in our great city Eric knew he would add this component to his already well-established repertoire of work.
Breast Cancer: Decorative Tattoos Tell a Story
Unlike a scar, something you didn’t want on your body imposed on you by disease like breast cancer, a decorative or restorative tattoo is a choice. Yes, like surgery, a tattoo can involve pain, recovery, and a bit of blood. But now you are more in control of the situation. Your chosen tattoo may not even cover a scar. It might be a work of art on a different part of your body drawing your eye away from the scar.
It is healing in a really big way. I have to share, from my perspective and the tattoo I received from Eric, it was more of a sting. Eric always informed me when he was going to begin and would say, “I’m going to start my pen and touch you now.” I was guided patiently and compassionately along the way. The buzz of the pen became part of the process. Eric senses when someone is having a hard time works continually to put the client at ease. My tattoo became a powerful image of my own personal Journey.
His restorative tattoos can be up to a couple of hours. As he wraps up his work in those two hours it is profound for the patient when they see the first look in the mirror. Eric states, “Nothing I can say that can describe that. You have to be emotionally prepared from an artist’s standpoint.”
Types of Tattoos and Suggestions for Communication for a Decorative Tattoo
Eric performs tattoos on patients who have had implants, flat closure, and a number of different breast surgery and breast reconstruction procedures. The technique is basically the same. However, what Eric pays careful attention to is the different types of scar tissue. Radiation can affect how the pigment takes and heals on patients. He fully understands he had to up his game with breast cancer patients.
Suggestions for communication with your tattoo artist before you get a restorative or decorative tattoo can include the following:
- Begin with an email to introduce yourself.
- Rapport is important. Establish a sense of trust with your tattoo artist.
- Photos, photos, photos! Ask to see fresh photos, touch up photos, and healed photos from the tattoo artists to verify they have done a good amount of this type of work.
- Visit the studio and get a sense of the cleanliness and sterility of the studio.
- Ask your tattoo artist about the ink and tools they use. Cross contamination, pigments they are using, and safety for the patient. These are words you can use in a conversation with the tattoo artist.
- Look for testimonials from clients on their Instagram or Facebook pages.
- Set up an initial consultation: ZOOM meeting, phone call. You must VIBE with them and feel you are treated with respect.
- Connect with those in private Facebook groups like the Journey where ladies share personal experiences.
- This is truly a shared decision-making process with clients and their tattoo artists.
Artistry Beyond the Seattle Area
Eric shared the story of his travel to Montana where he worked for a week. He performed about a dozen restorative tattoos the week he was there. This was set up by a former client who came to see him for a tattoo. She promised to tell the plastic surgery group she worked with about Eric and set things in motion. Eric’s client wrote a grant and with the help of Save a Sister Foundation he flew to Montana. All of the clients he served that week had the cost of their tattoos covered. He tattooed nonstop the week he was there. Eric met some inspirational clients, and states it was a truly emotional charge for him.
He works with a variety of clients and varying canvases of the skin. Age is not a factor. Eric has tattooed a range of ages from early 30’s to late 70’s, many who are having their first tattoos ever. We are both inspired by the breast cancer community through our work and love what we are doing. As Eric stated in the interview,
If you would ask me ten years ago where I’d be at in my career and what I’m doing with my life, never would I have imagined that this would be the answer. I love it!
Eric Eye