October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Jayd Hernandez specializes in camouflage tattooing. Every Friday until the end of 2021, she is gifting free temporary areola tattoos and touch-up sessions on any previous areola tattoos that have faded, discolored or fallen "flat" (lack of hyper realism dimension) for all breast cancer survivors.
Appointments are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by calling 602-510-6464 at Studio Conceal, 2212 E. Williams Field Road, Suite 300, in Gilbert. https://studioconceal.
Hernandez has been a successful camouflage tattoo artist since 2018 and has completed an advanced training on areola restorative tattoos for mastectomy patients. Areola repigmentation is not just about drawing a pretty nipple, but about the full, integrative healing experience a practitioner can provide clients. Unfortunately, not a lot of artists (including doctors and nurses) are skilled in the art of body tattooing and often create more damage on the cancer survivor by overworking the scar tissue, or creating areolas that end up fading over time. This can cause more trauma to the survivor because they've already experienced so much with their bodies to have an areola tattoo "fail."
“A temporary nipple tattoo is a great way for someone to experience what having their areolas restored feels like, before committing to a permanent tattoo," said Hernandez. "We offer a variety of realistic nipple shapes, sizes and colors that can match what they used to have before her mastectomy. We'll even place the temporary tattoos on her to be sure they're symmetrical so that she can enjoy the weekend out with new nipples."
Having a mastectomy changes a woman emotionally as well a physically. A recent Studio Conceal client who received a permanent nipple tattoo shared, “You have no idea what you have given me back, they look so real."
Hernandez is a camouflage tattoo artist and educator proficient in stretch mark and scar camouflage, scalp micropigmentation (hair loss tattooing) and areola repigmentation. In addition, her mentor has been performing scar camouflages since the 1950s. She's also been a resident SMP artist for National Hair Loss from 2018-2021 and a member of American Academy of Micropigmentation.