Tattoo Artist Beth Fairchild Helps Women With Breast Cancer Heal In A Unique Way

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it changes her life forever. This is something that tattoo artist Beth Fairchild knows all too well. This is because she has been living with stage 4 breast cancer for five years now and knows that she will one day die from the disease. Rather than giving in to despair, Fairchild has been working to help other women with breast cancer, particularly those who have had a mastectomy. She uses her love of art and tattooing to help recreate breast cancer patients’ bodies so that they can feel more like themselves again, according to Today.

When a breast cancer patient has a total mastectomy, she loses her whole breast. While reconstruction surgery is often an option, the breast will still not look the way it used to. If patients have to go through chemotherapy, then they will likely lose their hair, and possibly even their eyelashes and eyebrows. This can cause a woman who is already struggling with so much feel a lack of self-confidence. Fairchild uses permanent makeup to help recreate the areola, and even draw on eyelashes and eyebrows to help the breast cancer patient or survivor regain a sense of confidence.

Fairchild’s life was greatly impacted by breast cancer even before she received her own diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2014. Her mother had the disease, as well as her grandmothers on both sides. Seeing their struggle inspired Fairchild to use her talents to help others in a life-changing way.

She spoke about the reactions that women often have after they’ve seen the work that she’s done for them.

“This is a life-changing tattoo. It’s like the end of their journey. Like, the completion of the process. And so, to be a part of that, to be a positive part of that, it’s just really rewarding. A lot of times they’ll cry. Or they’re just like, ‘Oh my god. I can’t believe it. I look like me, again.’ And it’s just really uplifting and rewarding to know that every time you put a tattoo on somebody, they’re super stoked about it.”

October is breast cancer awareness month and a time when many offer their testimonies regarding how the disease has impacted their lives. Recently, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld opened up about her own battle with breast cancer, as The Inquisitr previously reported. Louis-Dreyfus won her battle against the disease, but it continues to shape how she thinks about life today.