Permanently Beautiful

A recent report by Dr. Sapna Parikh of WABC New York suggests that the chemotherapy drug Avastin may help to shrink tumors and even possibly improve the results of breast surgery so that patients need less of it.

The report was sparked by two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medication.  The studies, which included 3,000 women, showed that those who were given the drug Avastin before their breast surgeries had an increased chance of their tumor shrinking completely.  These findings might suggest that, for some women, Avastin given before breast surgery might eliminate the need for a full mastectomy, thus saving their breasts.  Alternatively, only a relatively less traumatic lumpectomy would need to be performed.

Due to a variety of other factors that must still be researched further, however, it is not yet clear whether it is worth giving Avastin before breast surgery or whether or not it is safe.  The drug Avastin is no longer approved by the FDA for use with breast cancer patients.  The approval was revoked last November when the agency was unable to show the drug to be both safe and effective.

This means many women who Avastin may have helped will still need to undergo full lateral or bilateral mastectomies in order to ensure the best chance of complete tumor removal.  Fortunately, for these women, reconstructive surgery, scar camouflage and nipple replacement can still help to save the look of their breasts.

When radiation and chemotherapy aren’t enough, many women with breast cancer have to undergo unilateral mastectomies in order to have their cancerous breast tissue aggressively removed.  If you’ve been faced with taking this difficult and often frightening step towards recovery, it might be of some comfort to become mentally prepared ahead of time, arming yourself with knowledge about what to expect after the procedure.

During your procedure, an incision will be made in your breast.  Most mastectomy incisions are in the shape of an oval around the nipple, running across the width of the breast.  Your incision might be smaller or larger depending on the exact type of mastectomy you’re having.  Some incisions are only around the nipple areola, while others run across the entire breast.  Check with your doctor to be sure.

Most women opt to have a breast reconstruction procedure immediately after their mastectomy.  If you have opted for this, you can expect to see a reconstructed breast after your bandages are removed, but you should be prepared to see a fair amount of scarring, particularly around the nipple.  The
nipple on your reconstructed breast will not likely match the nipple on your natural breast.  Your next step should be to consult with the expert paramedical tattooing professionals at the Melany Whitney Center of Permanent Cosmetics regarding areola restoration.  Melany and the friendly and understanding staff at her New York and New Jersey area facility will work to help you regain the look of beautiful and matching breasts, along with your self confidence.

As women we reject the chauvinistic notion that we are defined by our most protruding feature. We are not our breasts. Yet, the undeniable reality is that our breasts do differentiate us as wholly female and are inextricably intertwined with our sense of femininity. When a woman loses a breast to cancer, she grieves. Part of what makes her feel female is gone forever. The emotional struggle to adjust to the loss of a breast from mastectomy is one more hurdle toward recovery.

Breast reconstruction surgery has helped many breast cancer survivors regain confidence in their femininity. But breast reconstruction provides only the shape of the lost breast. For many women, the scarring and lack of areola and nipple definition can be as horrible as the initial loss and a jarring daily reminder of that loss. A breast is more than a mound of tissue. The deeper colored areola and protruding nipple define a woman’s breast. Without that essential definition it is difficult for many women to embrace a reconstructed breast as their own.

Many plastic surgeons do not understand the emotional need to create an aesthetically realistic breast. Through her work with mastectomy patients, paramedical tattoo expert Melany Whitney came to realize the deep emotional need breast cancer survivors had for reconstructed breasts that looked real. Combining her artistic ability and professional expertise, Melany developed a unique micropigmentation tattoo technique that recreates the natural, three-dimensional look of a real breast. Click here to see actual results. Paramedical breast restoration can be the final step in successful breast cancer recovery.

Time to wear pink! October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we’re happy to report that progress is being made. According to the American Cancer Society, since 1990 breast cancer deaths in the U.S. have been declining by about 2% a year. Even so, 192,370 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,170 will die from the disease. The good news is that survival rates are improving: 89% at five years after diagnosis, 82% after 10 years and 75% after 15 years. But survival often carries a high price tag. Women lose their hair, eyebrows and eyelashes to chemotherapy. They may lose a breast if they have to undergo a mastectomy. Cancer surgery can leave unsightly scars. Certainly, it seems a small price to pay for life; but the physical aftermath of battling cancer can continue to reopen emotional wounds as survivors try to move on with their lives.

If you are a cancer survivor, we want you to know that you are not alone. The caring staff at the Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics offers our support. Specialized paramedical tattooing techniques perfected by nationally-recognized technician Melany Whitney can help cancer survivors regain their beauty and self-confidence. Permanent makeup can recreate natural eyebrows and eyelashes lost during chemotherapy. Artistic paramedical tattooing can camouflage scars from tumor surgery. Melany’s unique three-dimensional nipple and areola restoration can make surgically reconstructed breasts look natural again. There is life after cancer. Permanent makeup can help a beautiful new you enjoy each new day.

Just a year after a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Christina Applegate looked radiant at this year’s Emmy Awards in a stunning navy silk charmeuse gown from Basil Soda. I loved the sensually draped bodice and eye-catching sheer lace midriff. At the January SAG awards, the Samantha Who? star was just as gorgeous in an emerald green off-the-shoulder gown from Emanuel Ungaro. Christina hasn’t let her battle with breast cancer or her decision to undergo a double mastectomy hold her back. Thanks to the surgery, the television comedian is cancer free, as lovely as ever and working hard.

Like many women who undergo a mastectomy for breast cancer, Christina had breast reconstruction surgery. While surgery can return nature’s curves to a woman’s body, the lack of visible areola and nipples can make reconstructed breasts seem less than real to cancer survivors. It was her desire to help cancer survivors reclaim their femininity that led nationally recognized paramedical tattoo artist and permanent makeup specialist Melany Whitney to develop a realistic-looking three-dimensional areola/nipple complex for reconstructed breasts. Click here to see the amazingly realistic results of Melany’s unique nipple and areola restoration technique.

As Christina knows, self confidence comes from within, but how we look does affect how we feel. Paramedical tattooing restores the breast’s natural beauty, helping cancer victims regain confidence in their own femininity.

Breast cancer survivors who have undergone mastectomy are often anxious to proceed with breast reconstruction surgery. When the trauma and worry of surgery and subsequent treatment end, they are eager to move forward and reclaim their femininity. It can be hard to wait when you just want to feel whole again.

Difficult as it may be, it is necessary to allow the body to adjust after surgery so that the finished breast reconstruction will look natural. After the breast mound has been reconstructed, breast cancer survivors must wait another two to three months before the nipple and areola can be recreated with paramedical tattooing. It takes time for swelling in the breast mound to reduce and for the new breast to settle into its natural sag. It is necessary to wait so that the permanent cosmetics technician can correctly place the nipple and areola in line with the other breast to achieve a naturally symmetrical appearance.

Observing first-hand the pain and doubt that affect breast cancer survivors as they struggle to rebuild their sense of self, permanent makeup and paramedical tattoo artist Melany Whitney has developed a unique paramedical tattooing technique that creates the three-dimensional appearance of a nipple and areola on a reconstructed breast. To view photographs, visit The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics website.

Every four seconds another woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Many will lose one or both breasts during their courageous fight against this disease. Breast reconstruction has become a common practice in America and an integral element in the healing process after a mastectomy. Complete breast reconstruction recreates not only the shape and balance of the breast mounds, but strives to recreate the appearance of a normal areola and nipple. This is what makes a breast mound look real, giving a healing cancer patient renewed confidence in her appearance as a woman.

Too often this final important step in the breast reconstruction process is performed by the individual’s surgeon, his nurse or a technician. While these individuals may be skilled in their respective fields, the application of paramedical tattooing to create a natural-looking nipple and areola is a highly specialized skill. Too often a cancer survivor must suffer one more indignity when inexpertly applied micropigmentation fails to produce a natural-looking or even acceptable result.

The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics‘ Melany Whitney is a nationally-recognized expert in paramedical tattooing. Her compassion for the breast cancer survivors she treats led Melany to develop a revolutionary micropigmentation technique that successfully creates the illusion of a lifelike areola and three-dimensional nipple. Through Melany’s unique blend of technical expertise and artistry, breast cancer survivors are able to again have normal-looking, attractive breasts.

New techniques in breast reconstruction offer breast cancer patients who have lost one or both breasts from mastectomy options they didn’t have before. Unfortunately, many doctors fail to share these new procedures with their patients. Reasons vary. Sometimes the doctor is not trained in these state-of-the-art procedures and so is not able to perform them. Sometimes these procedures, which are often more complex than standard surgical options, are not offered because they are less profitable for doctors and hospitals. Often doctors don’t even discuss reconstruction options with their patients; they offer only one surgical option.

“It is clear that many reconstruction patients are not being given the full picture of their options,” Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families recently told Natasha Singer of The New York Times.

Women who have experienced problems with traditional breast reconstruction procedures have been sharing information about new options at breastcancer.org, a patient-information website.  One of the procedures discussed in the site’s chat room is the construction of new breasts from a wedge of fat and blood vessels transplanted from the abdomen or buttocks. While more surgically complex than traditional reconstruction with implants, the new procedure offers a viable option for the many women who experience difficulties with saline and silicon breast implants. 

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is promoting new techniques in breast reconstruction to raise awareness of new procedures by emphasizing a woman’s power to choose whether and how to reconstruct her breasts. Visit our website for information on Melany Whitney’s revolutionary new micropigmentation technique that creates a natural looking areola and three-dimensional nipple for breast reconstruction patients.

The removal of a breast due to cancer surgery is a deeply felt loss. Our breasts are part of what defines us as women. Though we understand the necessity of the medical procedure and are grateful for the renewed opportunity to embrace life, the loss is still painful. We grieve for our lost femininity and feel less whole. Breast reconstruction surgery allows us to reclaim our bodies and our femininity.

Breast reconstruction begins with the surgical creation of the 3-dimensional breast shape. But what makes a reconstructed breast seem real and feminine is the repigmentation of the skin that creates a natural-looking areola and nipple and makes the breast look real. Feeling that you look as feminine and whole as you did before surgery can be critical to a woman’s emotional recovery from breast cancer and her ability to accept herself.

Unfortunately not all reconstructive efforts result in a natural-looking breast. Many plastic surgeons lack the expertise and artistry necessary to perform the exacting paramedical tattooing involved in repigmenting the skin to create a natural-appearing areola and nipple. Some leave this vitally important procedure to inexperienced nurses or medical personnel. Many never mention to their patients that there are other options to having this critical final step performed in the surgeon’s office. 

Nationally recognized permanent makeup and paramedical tattooing expert Melany Whitney has developed a unique micropigmentation process for use in breast restoration that restores a woman’s sense of beauty. Calling upon her considerable skill and experience, Melany is able to artistically recreate a realistic, naturally-colored areola and three-dimensional appearing nipple. Grateful clients call Melany’s new technique nothing short of a miracle. For full information visit the Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics.

The Whitney Center For Permanent Cosmetics

Perhaps you’re wondering why we just changed our name to The Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics. We wanted to recognize the artistry and skill of our premier permanent makeup expert, Melany Whitney. A pioneer in the field of permanent cosmetics, Melany Whitney is a nationally recognized expert in permanent makeup and artistic medical tattooing. Melany Whitney is the “Voice of Permanent Makeup.”

When the news media seek out expert information on the permanent cosmetics industry, they turn to Melany for professional comment and analysis. The growing popularity of permanent cosmetics to enhance natural beauty has led to interviews on many major news programs, including ABC Eyewitness News 7 in New York City, Fox 5 News New York, the NBC Today Show, CNN, Inside Edition, ET and Bravo. Articles featuring new beauty trends and Melany’s innovative beauty techniques and have appeared in Elle, Women, New Beauty, The New York Observer, New Jersey Monthly and a host of other magazines and newspapers. 

But permanent cosmetics have important applications outside the realm of everyday, around the clock beauty. Melany is a pioneer in the field of paramedical cosmetic tattooing.  When prominent plastic surgeons and physicians seek the services of a medical tattoo professional to restore the beauty and confidence of their patients, they recommend Melany. She is nationally recognized and sought not only for her expert professional technique, but also for the realistic artistry she brings to facial and breast restoration following surgery. In support of Cancer Awareness Month, Melany was recently interviewed about the unique areola restoration technique she developed that restores the three-dimensional appearance of a natural nipple and areola to the reconstructed breasts of cancer patients.

A Board Certified Permanent Makeup Artist and Instructor, Melany has earned a host of certifications and credentials in pursuit of professional excellence. Her extensive artistic background allows Melany to bring unparalleled artistry to her work, whether she is augmenting an individual’s natural beauty or restoring the delicate beauty and confidence of a cancer patient.