Permanently Beautiful

Traditionally, women had to choose between saline or silicone gel implants if they wanted to enlarge their bust line.  Today, however, many plastic surgeons offering breast enlargement by way of fat transfer, an alternative that many patients are reportedly opting for

Constantino G. Mendieta, a breast contour specialist, based conveniently near the towns of Boca Raton and Miami Florida, is one surgeon providing numerous patients with more defined shapes using their own fat.  During the procedure fat is first suctioned and harvested from another area of the body and then transferred by way of injection into the breast or even buttocks to provide more volume in these areas.

Many surgeons maintain that fat transfer to the breasts is less risky than saline and silicone implants.  You may want to consider the procedure if you have asymmetrical breasts, as an accessory to a breast lift, or if you are interested in achieving very natural looking results after your breast enlargement.

There are some downsides to fat transfer implants such as higher cost, unpredictability, and the possibility of some fat being absorbed by the body, creating loss of volume.  Scarring, as with all breast surgeries, is also something Florida breast surgery patients must consider.  Since hypopigmented scarring will often occur at incision sites, Boca Raton scar camouflage and Boca Raton nipple replacement may be necessary.

Artist Melany Whitney at the Whitney Center for Permanent Cosmetics helps to change the lives of both men and women who are unhappy with the appearance of their breast areolas.  Those who have lost their breast areolas due to mastectomy or gynecomastia can visit one of Melany’s permanent cosmetics offices in New York, New Jersey, or Florida in order to have the look of their nipple areolas fully restored. 

The last thing a breast cancer survivor wants is to be reminded of the tragic ordeal they’ve been through.  Those who have had to endure a mastectomy, whose nipples are either removed or left asymmetrical or changed, are often saddened by looking down or in the mirror.  Fortunately permanent cosmetics can help them regain their confidence. 

Permanent cosmetics can even be used to make nipples larger, smaller, or more even depending on what a client wants.  “I spend a minimum of two hours with each one of my clients because I like to take my time with my art,” Melany Whitney told AOL News during a recent press interview.  Spending time with clients allows Melany to make a client’s new nipple areolas to look extremely natural through the use of shading and texture work.

Women’s breasts are often the focus of attention, but male breasts are more often exposed to public view. Men doff their shirts during a pick up game of basketball or while they’re mowing the lawn to cool their bodies down. In the gym or at the beach, it’s male breasts that are out there for all to see. For men who have suffered breast cancer or gynecomastia, a glandular problem that causes the breast to swell around the nipples, scarring left after surgery makes them uncomfortable among their peers and often embarrassed about having what most perceive to be a “woman’s problem.” Their bodies feel damaged, no longer virile or complete. The loss of a man’s nipples and deformation of the surrounding areola during surgery can be devastating to a man’s self-confidence and personal sense of masculinity.

Developed to help restore the breasts of women who had undergone a mastectomy due to breast cancer, permanent cosmetics nipple and areola restoration is finding a new market helping men who are recovering from male breast cancer or gynecomastia. Increasingly, men who have had breast surgery are turning to nationally-renowned paramedical tattoo artist Melany Whitney to restore their bodies. The innovative cosmetic tattoo technique Melany originally developed to help female breast cancer survivors has found a new use helping men recover from male breast cancer and gynecomastia. Melany is able to create natural-looking, three-dimensional male nipples and areolas that are perfectly blended to the patient’s skin color and give every appearance of being original equipment.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and traditional tattoo shops are doing a brisk business in pink ribbon and cancer tribute tattoos. The body art industry has also expressed an admirable increased awareness in the need for permanent cosmetic and paramedical tattoo services to assist recovering cancer patients. However, there is considerable concern among experienced paramedical tattoo professionals that unsuspecting breast cancer survivors who rely on the limited training and fledgling experience of ink artists focused on expanding their financial base will be deeply disappointed in the results obtained. Should results fall short of expectations, the potential to inflict additional emotional pain on already suffering cancer survivors is tragically real.

A Massachusetts ink artist who 8 years ago decided to expand his tattoo business into the paramedical field began the transition with a week-long certification course at a Texas intradermal cosmetics technical school. In an interview with The Herald News, the ink artist admitted that it took years of practical experience after receiving his certification “to get to the point where you’re actually getting the ink to go where you want it to go.” He said that his experience as a former makeup artist gave him an edge in learning the complex pigment-blending techniques necessary to create the natural-looking skin colors so important to successful paramedical tattooing. He also had to learn sanitary and anesthetizing procedures that were quite different from those practiced by ink artists.

Next time: Choose your paramedical tattoo artist wisely

The nice weather has brought out waves of pink-shirted walkers and runners bobbing their way through American towns. They wind through city streets in their pink shirts to support women who are fighting breast cancer and to raise money for local cancer hospitals and the American Cancer Society. Nearly everyone in America has shared a family member’s battle with cancer or has supported a friend who is fighting against this insidious disease. Every year, breast cancer strikes 1in 8 women and a number of men. An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were reported among American women in 2009, in addition to 62,280 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. Among U.S. men, 1,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer were reported.

When breast cancer necessitates the removal of a breast, the decision can be traumatic, affecting a woman’s core view of herself. Our breasts are part of what define us as women. Losing a breast to mastectomy makes many breast cancer survivors feel less feminine and less confident about their appearance. Long experience working with breast cancer survivors led paramedical cosmetic tattoo expert Melany Whitney to develop a realistic three-dimensional nipple and areola restoration technique that helps women regain their feeling of femininity after a mastectomy. Click here to find out more.

Christina Applegate

With advances in breast reconstruction surgery, more women are choosing to fight cancer by having their entire breast removed instead of just the immediately affected tissue. They feel that when cancer is diagnosed, removal of the entire breast gives them the best chance of long-term health. By removing the entire breast, women feel they are removing the opportunity for cancer to recur or spread. In fact, the emotional, physical and financial cost of fighting breast cancer and the constant worry of recurrence or spread has a growing number of women pressuring surgeons to remove healthy breasts as a preventive measure.

Many women were shocked by Christina Applegate’s decision to have both healthy breasts removed two years ago when she discovered she carried a known genetic risk marker for breast cancer. But since then more than 9,000 women have followed her lead and had a healthy breast removed, according to a new study in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Expert permanent makeup artist Melany Whitney works closely with many breast cancer patients and their surgeons to help create real-looking breasts after mastectomy. Through her work with breast cancer patients, Melany has developed a unique paramedical tattooing technique that can create a real-looking three-dimensional nipple and areola on a reconstructed breast. Melany’s technique and artistry allow breast cancer survivors to feel confident and proud about their breasts after mastectomy.

In good news for breast cancer survivors, a new survey of women who underwent paramedical tattooing to create nipple-areolas as part of breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy found a high rate of long-term patient satisfaction. Published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, the report demonstrates acceptance by both the medical community and breast cancer patients of nipple-areola tattooing as a viable alternative to additional surgery in breast reconstruction.

Six years following paramedical tattooing, fully 84% of the women surveyed continued to rate their nipple-areola tattoo as satisfactorily pleasing in appearance; and 86% of patients agreed they would again choose a nipple-areola tattoo over other possible breast reconstruction options. Two to six years post surgery, more than half of the women (57%) surveyed reported that their nipple-areola tattoo still looked like a normal areola. Fewer than 3% reported problems with rash or infection post-procedure.

While 60% of tattoos in the study were marginally lighter in coloration than the natural areola, only 10% required any touching up to correct for excessive fading. Expert paramedical tattoo artist Melany Whitney has developed a procedure that minimizes potential fading of nipple-areola tattoos. By implanting a second layer of pigments six weeks after the initial implantation of permanent cosmetics, Melany is able to increase color retention and tattoo longevity. She has received no complaints about premature fading from her nipple-areola patients. In fact, Melany’s clients have been amazed by the realism and illusion of nipple protrusion achieved by Melany’s unique artistry and expert tattooing technique.

What's you bra color?

Tiger stripes. Purple with lace. Boring beige. Plain white. What’s the update in your Facebook status box today? Color. Just a single word statement of solidarity and support. Women started posting their bra color to their Facebook status update in the morning. Before they arrived at the office the phenomenon had gone viral. Single color statements of white or black were soon joined by the more colorful choices of women who enjoy expressing their individuality with their undergarments. Plaid with tiny flowers. Pink roses. Leopard spots. Red with yellow polka dots. No one really knew what was going on or why but it was fun!

For many it turned became a way to “spread the wings of cancer awareness.” It started out just for us girls with women sending their status only to gal pals. But it didn’t take men — and the media – long to catch on. Some guys even started posting their boxer colors in support! Whatever the reason for participating, it was a fun way to show your support for the fight against breast cancer.

Permanent cosmetics expert Melany Whitney is a long-time supporter of breast cancer awareness. Her revolutionary areola repigmentation and nipple restoration techniques have helped breast cancer patients undergoing breast reconstruction regain confidence in their personal beauty and femininity. Combining her skilled artistry with expert cosmetic tattoo micropigmentation techniques, Melany is able to create a natural three-dimensional appearing nipple and areola for women who have lost a breast to cancer.

The cameras may be positioned to make it less obvious, but look carefully and you’ll notice that hunky Twilight star Robert Pattinson suffers from grossly uneven nipples. Perhaps it’s embarrassment about his nipples and not his professed fear of injuring his beloved that is really at the core of vampire Edward Cullen’s sexual abstinence. Pattison’s Twilight alter ego is rarely shown shirtless, perhaps with good reason.

Fortunately, fans of the vampirous Brit need not worry. Robert’s uneven nipples can be permanently fixed by areola restoration, a specialized type of paramedical tattooing perfected by Melany Whitney. A nationally recognized expert and innovator in the field of permanent makeup, Melany has developed a unique tattooing process using special tools and pigments to create realistic-looking nipples. Originally developed to help breast cancer patients undergoing breast reconstruction, Melany’s innovative tattooing process produces a normal-looking, textured, three-dimensional nipple.

Melany’s cosmetic tattooing procedure can be used to provide men with the perfectly symmetrical nipples every man desires. Small nipples can be made to look larger. Melany’s specialized tattoo shading techniques can correct the size, color and shape of male nipples and areola (the colored skin surrounding the nipple) so that they are larger, attractively tinted and perfectly positioned. Don’t be embarrassed to take your shirt off. Melany Whitney can make male nipples look normal again.

Find out more about Melany’s unique tattooing techniques on our website.

I love the cool tat-designed Warriors in Pink t-shirt worn by NCIS star Pauley Perrette in the new Ford Cares fight against breast cancer public service announcement. Pauley plays the fabulously funky, tat-loving, sweet and huggable Princess of Darkness Abby Sciuto on the hit CBS crime show. The fight against breast cancer is close to Pauley’s heart. She lost her mom to breast cancer in 2002. When you purchase Pauley’s cool Midnight Warrior T-Shirt or other Warriors in Pink gear, Ford donates 100% of net profits to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Warriors in Pink is just one of several new breast cancer awareness efforts aimed at younger women. At the forefront of this edgier, humorously self-aware approach is Canadian-based charity Rethink Breast Cancer. Their tongue-in-cheek, jiggly, giggly Save the Boobs psa recently rocked YouTube. Sponsors of Toronto’s annual Boobyball breast cancer benefit gala, the group is trying to connect with MTV-raised women who don’t see breast cancer as a personal risk, despite the fact that 5% of U.S. women battling breast cancer are under 40.

Pink t-shirts proclaiming “Save the ta-tas” and other cheeky slogans have catapulted Julia Fikse’s same-named Southern Cal t-shirt business to popularity among 20- and 30-somethings. The fashion designer donates 5% of every sale to breast cancer research and awareness in support of family members who are battling the disease.

That same personal involvement with women battling breast cancer led renowned paramedical tattoo artist Melany Whitney to develop her unique 3-D nipple and areola breast restoration technique.