There is no greater reward than helping to restore the confidence in someone's appearance and I found this great reward along with tremendous inspiration working with breast cancer survivors.
For years I repeatedly heard from women that they couldn''t do one more thing or go through one more surgery or procedure, not even the tattooing, following their mastectomy. The duress of facing their mortality and often the debilitation of chemotherapy, was all they could bear.
These clients would painfully explain how they avoided both mirrors and their husband's or significant other's eyes from viewing this unfinished canvas. Then, once the dimensional areola complex was tattooed, the naked breast mound took on a new life of realism and familiarity, thus producing confidence.
The issue these women have is they find difficulty in getting their health insurance to cover the tattooing procedure after they are years away from their breast reconstruction. So, I began to offer The Beau Day of Hope, twice each year, (October and May) where I volunteer my services for these women.
Other practitioners offered to come and work with me and we were able to accommodate many more women. It was then, I realized, collectively, permanent makeup practitioners can make this a national volunteer program and reach hundreds of women in need of areola tattooing. I launched the concept at the Naturalook Conference in California, in August, and the excitement was infectious.
To be a part of this process is exhilarating and I am hoping that 100 practitioners across the country will participate in our first year, as a national effort for the October 29, 2013, Beau National Day of Hope.
