How This Paramedical Tattoo Artist Is Helping Breast Cancer Survivors Regain Their Confidence

Zoe Braun, owner of Tiger Lily Collective, offers free 3D areola tattoos to women in the hopes of helping them feel whole again.

Zoe Braun / Courtesy of Zoe Braun

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women. This October, SI Swimsuit is committed to providing resources for breast cancer patients while sharing the stories of warriors who have been impacted by the disease. For more information, click here.

Medical tattoo artist Zoe Braun stumbled into paramedicine after leaving her career in corporate finance. While seeking out permanent eyebrow and eyeliner services for herself, she quickly became infatuated with the biology and science behind permanent makeup—as well as the lasting impact meaningful services like 3D areola reconstruction services can have on breast cancer survivors.

Braun opened Tiger Lily Collective in Wisconsin in 2021, where she offers cosmetic and paramedical tattooing services that help customers feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. While she offers a number of eyebrow, eyeliner and lip permanent makeup services, perhaps the most impactful is the three-dimensional tattooing she does to replicate the areola and nipple for women who have beat breast cancer.

 “When you get in the paramedical side of things, being part of someone’s healing journey and being able to do something a lot of people didn’t know was possible, it’s just beyond rewarding and it’s fun and it’s creative, but it’s also super nerdy,” Braun tells SI Swimsuit.

Zoe Braun / Courtesy of Zoe Braun

The art of 3D areola reconstruction

Braun, who is AAM Board Certified, says the 3D areola tattooing process varies based on each woman’s cancer journey. For example, radiation affects how the pigment heals, while those who have undergone chemotherapy will need to wait a full year before receiving a paramedical tattoo. She also must take into consideration the type of surgery her client had and how to address different types of resulting scar tissue.

“It’s not only just the areola, sometimes it’s scarring that needs help too to heal better or to camouflage,” she explains. “And with regular tattooing, artists can go over scars, but they’re not trained specifically on how to heal and minimize scarring in the process, which is what the paramedical side does more of.”

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A post shared by Zoe Braun | PMU & Medical Tattoo Artist (@tigerlily.pmu)

The number of sessions required to complete the tattoo varies by person, but Braun notes that typically an initial session and at least one touch-up are required. For those who are looking to cover up dramatic scarring following surgery as a result of breast cancer, it might require additional sessions.

 “If they’re really trying to get rid of some scars that healed really poorly, that could be several sessions of revision,” Braun explains. “And then once we get it all flattened out, if it had texture to it, if there’s still discoloration around that we want to camouflage, then that’s another two, three or four sessions.”

As for healing, it takes an average of six to eight weeks for Braun’s work to heal.

How Tiger Lily Collective is giving back to breast cancer patients

Client Jean Blake initially sought out permanent makeup services from Braun, and after being diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, decided to also undergo 3D areola tattooing with Tiger Lily Collective.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Blake tells SI Swimsuit of the results. “I requested photos my plastic surgeon took prior to my mastectomy, and Zoe matched them perfectly. Prior, every glimpse of my Barbie breasts, as I called them, was a reminder of my journey. I actually looked and felt whole again.”

While some women may be fearful of the process, Blake assures that she felt nothing but light pressure during the actual tattooing and that healing was a breeze. Moving forward, she hopes that medical providers share that 3D areola tattooing is an option post-surgery, as it may help inspire women along their healing journey.

“I’ve met too many survivors that have no idea 3D areolas are even an option,” she says. “One woman had a mastectomy over 20 years ago and was brought to tears when she saw my results.”

How to win free 3D areola tattoo services

Helping breast cancer survivors like Blake regain their confidence is incredibly fulfilling work to Braun, which has led her to offer a free 3D areola tattoo to a breast cancer survivor each month. Interested clients can email the shop at info@tigerlilycoll.com or send Braun a DM on Instagram.

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A post shared by Zoe Braun | PMU & Medical Tattoo Artist (@tigerlily.pmu)

While Braun randomly selects a winner each month for the tattoo giveaway, she also stresses that the service is typically covered by insurance, as are other cosmetic tattoos like permanent eyebrows following chemotherapy. For those who do not have health insurance, Braun works with a number of local nonprofit organizations that help cover the costs of 3D areola tattoo services for breast cancer survivors. For more information, and to schedule an appointment, visit Tiger Lily Collective’s official website.

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