Mastectomy Tattooing
A collaborative, care-centered practice for people who have undergone mastectomy — using flowers as a language for reclaiming the body.
This work is deeply personal. My goal is to create floral tattoos that bring you comfort, confidence, and a sense of wholeness based on your needs. I'm honored you're considering me.
What Is a Mastectomy Tattoo?
A mastectomy tattoo is more than decoration. It's a custom floral design created with your body, scars, and story in mind. Some clients choose to cover their scars, others want to frame or even celebrate them. Every approach is valid, and every design is unique.
This process is collaborative — we talk about what flowers and forms feel right to you, how much coverage you'd like, and whether you want to soften or highlight your scars. The tattoo then becomes something deeply personal: not just an image on skin, but a way to reclaim your body and rewrite what the mirror reflects.
Cost
- $5,000 Double mastectomy tattoo
- $3,500 Single mastectomy — additional for shoulder or arm extension
A $1,000 deposit is required to confirm your spot after being selected. This is applied toward the total; the balance is due at the time of your appointment. Your fee includes two days of design consultation, two days of tattooing (one for single), and all preparation and aftercare support.
Joining the Queue
A handful of people are randomly selected from the list every three months. Once selected, you'll receive an email with information to begin the process. We usually start with a Google video call to talk through your expectations and needs.
Once you've joined the queue, I randomly select two people every month to be scheduled for an appointment.
Join the Queue, fill out this form →How It Works
1. We schedule your appointment dates together.
2. About two weeks before your tattoo, we meet over a private video call to discuss your goals, comfort level, floral preferences, coverage, and overall direction.
3. After our conversation, I create 4–6 custom floral concepts and apply them digitally to your body so you can see how they may look anatomically.
4. We edit collaboratively together — adjusting placement, moving leaves or petals, changing flowers, or refining the overall balance until it feels right.
5. Once finalized, we tattoo the design during your scheduled session dates in Chicago.
A Transformation
Coverage
- Chicago Tribune Artist's mastectomy tattoos reveal the beauty of survival
- US News & World Report How Tattoos Are Transforming Mastectomy Scars
- NPR · WBUR 'Reclaiming Their Beauty'
- The Verge Tattoo artist helps breast cancer survivors feel beautiful again
Selected Exhibitions & Publication
- 2018 Items: Is Fashion Modern? — MoMA, New York
- 2018 David Allen: Mastectomy Tattoos and Post-Surgery Healing — International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago
- 2018 Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty — MAK Austrian Museum for Applied Arts / Contemporary Art, Vienna
JAMA · Art and Medicine
"Moving the Needle on Recovery From Breast Cancer: The Healing Role of Postmastectomy Tattoos." The highest-viewed piece in JAMA's Art and Medicine section — 62,000 views. Read the article →
Tattooing is absolutely a viable option. When coupled with an artist you've researched and feel connected to, taking the reins and regaining some sort of control can be empowering.
Wherever you are in your journey, know that you are not alone.