JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In everyday conversation, tattoos are often referred to as body art.
But 3D medical tattooing has a much bigger purpose. After a mastectomy or breast reconstructive surgery, a tattoo can give the appearance of a nipple or even conceal scarring using 3D techniques.
Tracy Russell, a Jacksonville-based permanent makeup artist specializing in 3D medical tattooing, began her professional career as a registered nurse in 2008. She often cared for patients who’d undergone life-changing surgeries, including mastectomies and reconstructive surgery.
When News4JAX spoke to Russell for this story, she was meeting a new client, Kristen Barreira.
For Barreira, Russell’s work is the final step in a long, painful journey that began about a year and a half ago. After having seven children, Barreira decided to undergo breast surgery to correct asymmetry.
But the results were subpar, she said, and she wound up with a bacterial infection so severe that her nipple turned black and her body was badly bruised.
One picture shared with News4JAX shows a literal hole in Barreira’s chest. She said the real blow was learning her nipple needed to be removed.
“They removed it right then and there in the office,” Barreira said. “They asked me, ‘Are you OK with removing this if it’ll help you heal quicker?’ It was pretty much a yes or no within a minute or two. I didn’t really think or get to process it.”
Barreira said after healing, the reality of losing such a vital part of her body began to set in.
“There’s a mourning of who I used to be,” Barreira said. “And I want to not feel so sad when I see myself in the mirror.”
That realization was devastating. She said she no longer saw herself the way she used to.
“The repercussions of looking in the mirror and realizing that half of my identity, as a mom of seven who nursed all my babies, was now missing,” Barreira said through tears. “You don’t expect to mourn a nipple, but especially when you have so many memories as a mom. To just look at my sweet babies and know my body did that, and I made a choice to take that away because I didn’t like that they weren’t even.”
Stories like Barreira’s fuel Russell’s energy to continue helping others. Russell has done the 3D tattooing procedure for a few dozen patients.
With their permission, Russell shared photos showcasing her work on women who’ve undergone mastectomies after breast cancer. She said making these women feel like themselves again is everything to her.
“Imagine how you feel when your hair doesn’t look good. Imagine how you feel when your clothes don’t fit right,” Russell said. “If we can just help people feel a little better in their own skin, the world would be a better place.”
Russell said one hurdle for these patients is access to artists who specialize in this type of tattoo.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people each year in our country and across the world who have scars they want to fix,” Russell said. “Unfortunately, there are so few people that do this specialized tattoo, that a lot of people have to travel to find the artist that is going to give them the result they’re looking for.”
Russell’s transformation on Barreira began with selecting the right shape and pigment for her skin tone. From start to finish, the procedure took just a couple of hours, and Barreira was well-healed a few weeks later.
Barreira was stunned by the result. In fact, she’s so pleased that she said she no longer purposely avoids looking in the mirror.
With her healing journey now coming full circle, Barreira wants people to know this is life-changing for her and her family.
“There are emotions that are attached to this,” Barreira said. “And there’s other people, there’s my husband and my children, that because of what I did, may hold back just a little bit because I changed something within me.”
Now her hope and confidence are restored, through healing art.
Russell explained that for the process, she uses permanent pigment. She explains it will likely last anywhere from five to 10 years before the client feels like they need a touch-up or a darker result.
Russell always wants to remind people to do their self-breast exams.
Her website is: inkedarchespmu.com. Her TikTok handle is: pmugoo.