Healing through ink: transforming scars into stories of strength. 

Do not use recreational drugs or alcohol for 48 hrs prior to nipple tattooing. Nicotine constricts your vascular system and will impede healing. We *highly suggest* that you abstain from smoking at least 2 weeks before and after your session.

You will be sent home in a Tegaderm bandage so your tattoo will be protected. You will be most comfortable if you wear a loose-fitting top. You are free to wear a bra if you are more comfortable in one than without.

Do not take aspirin or NSAID at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. Tylenol is OK, as it does not thin the blood. However, DO NOT STOP regularly prescribed blood thinning medications from your physician, (aspirin or prescriptions). The tattoo is a superficial procedure, not an invasive surgery.

You must wait at least 6 weeks after ceasing chemotherapy. If it’s any sooner than 6 weeks, you must have written consent from your physician prior to your appointment. Skin must be completely free of tinted or self-tanning lotions. We suggest to stop using self-tanning lotions at least 2 weeks prior to your appointment.

While everyone's pain tolerance is different, most patients report little to no pain with areola repigmentation. Depending on the type of breast reconstruction you had, there usually is decreased sensation of the skin - especially with flap (ie: DIEP/Latissimus) rescontructions. After your areola tattoo, you might experience discomfort that is comparabletoa minor sunburn for a few days. During the nipple tattoo, if you experience discomfort, we can apply a topical lidocaine anesthetic. .

If you have a spouse or good friend who can lend encouragement and input on the shape, design, and color of your 3D areola tattoo, we suggest bringing a support person with you. However, if you are more comfortable coming alone for your areola restoration, you can work directly with the artist to determine what is best for your nipple tattoo. Please do not bring young children or pets.

You should schedule your nipple tattoo only once you are completely healed from any surgery or invasive procedure. You should not have any additional revisions scheduled and you must receive approval for areola tattooing from your surgeon. You must be fully healed with no scabbing remaining. You should not schedule an areola tattoo sooner than a minimum of 12 weeks post-op. Regardless of the number of weeks you wait post-op (12, 16, 20+ weeks etc.), it is imperative that ALL incisions must be fully healed–without any scabbing and residual swelling must be gone.

While you may be excited to put the finishing touches on your reconstruction, we highly recommend waiting 3 months (ideal for implant reconstruction) or 5 months (for flap reconstruction) to allow healing to occur and the scars to fully close and settle slightly. Your tattoo is the finishing touch and you want your breast to be fully healed so that you have excellent results. Please don’t rush it if you are still healing.

Your session will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours total. The bulk of the appointment is spent on the consultation, design, and color selection. The actual nipple tattooing process is typically only 40 minutes per areola.

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO PROCEDURE:

1. Avoid the following medications and foods, as their consumption causes an increased likelihood of bleeding problems: Steroids, anti-inflammatories, aspirin, ibuprofen, or any medicines containing aspirin or ibuprofen (i.e. Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, Midol). Foods and herbal supplements containing garlic, ginger, ginkgo, Feverfew, St. John’s Wort, dong quai, pure licorice, fish oil, Glucosamine or Vitamin E (found in all multi-vitamins). Avoid drinking red wine. If you have any questions about a medication or supplement, please call the office.

2. Nicotine must be avoided for two (2) weeks prior to the procedure and two (2) weeks after your procedure.

3. If you are taking any medications that have been prescribed by another physician, please review these with your physician.

ONE DAY PRIOR TO PROCEDURE: 1. Do not drink alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to the procedure. No blood thinning procedure.

DAY OF AREOLA PROCEDURE: 1. Shower and wash area, do not use any creams on the breast area. Wear a loose bra and top for your comfort.

DAY OF SCAR CAMO PROCEDURE: 1. Shower and wash area, do not use any creams on the area being tattooed.

SCAR CAMO AFTERCARE: 1. Keep area away from water for first 24 hours 2. Apply After Inked for 3 to 5 days, applying 2-3 times a day. 3. No vigorous exercise for first 24 hours as it can raise your blood pressure and cause you swell. C

ARE FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE:

1. MEDICATIONS: Take over the counter medication for any discomfort. If you have a history of cellulitis, please take antibiotic tablets as directed.

2. FOLLOW UP: A second procedure is best and necessary post 4-8 weeks to ensure perfection and longevity of definition and color.

3. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Do not peel or scratch off any flaking in tattooed area. No vigorous exercise for first 24 hours as it may ** If you have any concerns about the tattooing while healing, please contact our office at (949) 354-1020. If you experience frequent or unusual bleeding or discomfort please contact us as well as your referring physician.

The first step of your areola tattoo is the consultation. Once you complete the general medical history form and the tattoo consent form, we’ll discuss your expectations and your reconstruction history. I’ll take as much time as needed to answer all of your questions.

Before photos are required. Your face will not be included, but photos of your areola restoration are mandatory for your record. Once we have before pictures completed, we move on to the design part, where we select the size, placement, and color of your nipple tattoo.

The next step in the appointment is the actual tattooing. Each areola is completed in approximately 40 minutes. If you have any discomfort, we simply apply a topical anesthetic and you will be more comfortable after that.

Following the tattooing phase, we’ll take “after” photos and then we apply the Tegaderm bandage which you’ll keep on for 3 days. If you’ve previously been reactive to Tegaderm, we can apply a Telfa pad instead.

We’ll review all aftercare instructions with you and answer any remaining questions about healing