Lexi Rae Hanna already had a decade of tattoo experience when she pursued certification in Areola Restorative Tattooing in 2019. Hanna was inspired to help people in similar circumstances to her auntie, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She contacted friend and fellow tattoo artist Stacie-Rae Weir, and under Weir’s tutelage, Hanna mastered the art of restorative tattooing, which she provides to clients who have undergone mastectomies or gender-affirming surgeries at Lexi Rae Tattoo.
Restorative tattooing, also known as paramedical tattooing, applies permanent makeup techniques to the creation of realistic areola and nipple tattoos and restores skin pigment in scarred areas. The practice requires years of expertise.
“It takes 10,000 hours to master something, right?” says Hanna. “That’s why it’s so important to have a solid tattooing background before doing this kind of work. A lot of people don’t know the quality of work that’s available to them.”
Hanna’s clients are often referred to her by AHS. Other times, clients reach out to her, having traveled from as far as Montana for her services. Hanna always begins these appointments with a consultation over a cup of tea to ensure clients feel comfortable with the drawings and colour matching, followed by a few hours of tattooing. The results are realistic areola tattoos that are more than just skin deep.
“A lot of people say they feel whole again,” Hanna says. “They look in the mirror and they didn’t realize how much it meant to them until they got it done.”
Every person’s healing journey is different. Some get reconstruction, some opt to stay flat, and others choose a pretty decorative chest tattoo to cover their scars. Regardless, Hanna’s goal is for her clients to feel more at home in their bodies by the time they leave her studio.
