Unveiling beauty: Insight into being tattooed postmastectomy

BACKGROUND: It could be argued that mastectomy tattoos are being considered by some women in contemporary society as an alternative to breast reconstruction. AIM: To gain insight into the experience of “being” tattooed where breast(s) once occupied space, six women with mastectomy tattoos were interviewed. METHODOLOGY: The teachings of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics were engaged to better understand what it means “to be” tattooed postmastectomy. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Discoveries include feeling sad and damaged postmastectomy, embodying the tattoo as a novel representation of self for women living without breast(s), and reclaiming power, control, and confidence in a way that is symbolically meaningful. CONCLUSION: Health care providers working with women diagnosed with breast cancer are invited to learn from women with mastectomy tattoos and to consider expanding discourse about care to include options beyond breast reconstruction.