Beyond Breast Reconstruction: 3-D Areola Tattooing

As a leader in breast reconstruction, Penn Plastic Surgery offers comprehensive services for women at every stage of the breast reconstruction process, from the initial surgery to nipple reconstruction and tattooing.

What is Breast Reconstruction?

Breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure to recreate the shape and appearance of a woman's breast. Most commonly, the procedure is done as part of a mastectomy – surgical removal of the entire breast as treatment for breast cancer.

Plastic surgeons perform two types of breast reconstruction. Implant reconstruction uses breast implants or tissue expanders to recreate the shape and appearance of the breast. Autologous tissue reconstruction uses tissue from the belly, back or thighs to reconstruct the breast. Although autologous tissue reconstruction is more extensive, it can provide an emotional benefit for women looking to use their own tissue to reconstruct their breast and is often performed at the same time as the mastectomy.

Nipple Tattooing

After breast reconstruction, many women choose to have nipple reconstruction, including nipple tattooing. Nipple tattooing, or micropigmentation, re-pigments the area to make it look more realistic.

Nipple tattooing is performed by Mandy Sauler, a micropigmentation specialist in plastic surgery at Penn Medicine. Sauler is a skilled tattoo artist who specializes in 3-D nipple tattoos along with tattoos for other cosmetic purposes. Working for more than a decade as a tattoo artist, Sauler now focuses on permanent cosmetics and micropigmentation. She is board certified by the American Academy of Micropigmentation, and is a member of the Society of Permanent Cosmetics.