Tara Dunsmore is a nurse by trade, but after her own experience with breast cancer, she found a new way to help others heal: tattoos. After undergoing a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, Dunsmore uncovered a gap in the healing process: how to recreate a realistic-looking nipple.
Host Frank Stasio talks to breast cancer survivor and areola tattoo artist Tara Dunsmore.
The only person she could find offering areola tattoos was a man in Maryland who offered the service in a public, parlor setting. She opted to settle for a local nurse who had limited colors and sizes to offer and whose procedure left Dunsmore in a lot of pain. This was not how she wanted things to be for other women, so she took it upon herself to make things different.
Today Dunsmore is a certified areola tattoo artist and founder of Pink Ink Tattoo, a business that provides women with a wide variety of colors and sizes for their tattoo and offers the service in a celebratory environment that can include friends, family and wine.
In 2017 Dunsmore was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine and continues to be a leader in a growing field. Tara Dunsmore joins host Frank Stasio to share her survival story, her work as an areola tattoo artist and how the notoriety has impacted her relationships.
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