Kildare tattoo artist is one of first in the country specialising in mastectomy restoration tattoos

By Kim O'Leary An inspirational tattoo artist from Co Kildare is helping women who have scars from mastectomy surgeries to feel confident and beautiful again by creating stunning tattoos. Aisling Mahon has been a professional tattoo artist for the past 6 years and she works at Zen Ink in Newbridge. Having spent the past few years specializing in self harm scar tattoos, Aisling decided to take her career to the next level. Aisling was accepted to be a part of the globally recognized team of professional tattoo artists, A.R.T Areola Reconstructive Tattoos,  striving to set the standard for areola and mastectomy restorative tattooing. Aisling has just completed her certification and has become one of the first tattoo artists in Ireland certified to offer these services. Aisling’s style is expressive and dynamic, mixing her love of florals and nature, her style is sure to make your ideas come to life. Helping women reclaim their body after breast cancer has become Aisling’s main goal in her tattoo career and she hopes to reach as many women as possible with these services. Her services include 3 D Areola nipple tattooing, decorative mastectomy tattoos, scar reduction, scar cover ups and collagen induction therapy. Speaking to KildareNow, Aisling said: “I finished training and received my certificate last month in Calgary, Canada. I trained with their leading Mastectomy & Areola Tattoo Artist. Seeing my clients’ reactions as they look in the mirror for the first time since before breast cancer with tears of joy, and the emotions come flooding out. They feel whole again, they’ve reclaimed their femininity and can begin to put it all in the past.”   [caption id="attachment_261795" align="alignnone" width="240"] Aisling Mahon is a professional tattoo artist working at Zen Ink in Newbridge and she now specialises in doing intricate tattoos for women who have had mastectomies and cancer surgery[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_261796" align="alignnone" width="227"] Many of the clients will have had cancer or mastectomy surgeries[/caption]     She explained: “My first areola reconstructive tattoo client brought her husband with her, he was just as excited as she was to see the finished results. To say we were all emotional would be an understatement. She got back what this terrible disease took from her. It’s empowering for all involved. I just want the women of Ireland to realize the amazing options out there for them after breast cancer." "Right now surgeons are attempting to tattoo nipples on their patients. I see it all the time, this unfortunately leads to more scarring as they are not trained in tattooing, never mind tattooing radiated, sensitive skin. That’s where I come in. As I’m trained specifically in this area I’m hoping to reach out to surgeons so they know there are high standards available for their patients with nipple reconstruction," said Aisling. This month is a busy time for Aisling as she is receiving bookings for her services into the New Year. Meanwhile, Aisling is also encouraging women considering tattoos after a mastectomy or any surgery to ensure that they research their practitioner to make sure they have got the right certification and experience. For more information and to view Aisling’s portfolio or make an appointment visit her website www.aislingmahontattoo.com