Cancer survivor ‘reclaims body’ with floral tattoo across her breasts
'We are women and we are powerful'
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Your support makes all the difference.A woman has had her breasts tattooed in a bid to reclaim her body after a double mastectomy.
At 26 years old, Allyson Lynch, now 30, from Philadelphia went to see her doctor after finding a lump in her breast, which was later confirmed as cancer, the Daily Mail reports.
Following her diagnosis, the hairstylist and model underwent a gruelling 16-rounds of chemotherapy and a bilateral mastectomy before undergoing breast reconstruction surgery in 2015.
Despite wanting to give up at points, struggling with fever, crippling pain and hair loss, Lynch found inner strength that she never knew she had.
Inspired by her own battle and an admirer of the “beauty behind tattoos”, when faced with the decision of whether or not to get fake nipples tattooed onto her breasts, Lynch opted for something altogether more beautiful.
Instead, of getting “fake nipples that served no purpose” she decided to tattoo over her the scars with what she calls “permanent lingerie.”
A stunning floral design that spans across her bust, Lynch knew artificial nipples weren’t right for her.
“Every time I look in the mirror I feel pretty. It helps get over the loss of my breasts, it was my way of taking back what cancer took away. I was reclaiming my body,” she said.
Though she had endured unbearable pain, Lynch says that her tattoos were the one positive thing she was able to make happen for herself after completing chemotherapy and that it finally enables her to take back and reclaim what cancer had taken from her.
Now, Lynch hopes to be an inspiration and support for others going through similar experiences and uses her modelling to show people that cancer doesn’t stop you from being a woman.
“It doesn't make you un-sexy, we are women and we are powerful.
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