Woman Transforms Her Mastectomy Scars Into Beautiful Piece of Tattoo Art

According to scientific studies, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women globally. One of the proven ways of managing breast cancer involves undergoing a mastectomy- removal of the whole breast tissue.

For most breast cancer survival, breast prosthesis offers the best alternative or stop-gap measure until plastic surgery is done to reconstruct the breast.

However, Not Wendy Dresner, from Leeds. The 54-year old  cancer survivor who had a double mastectomy went under the needle two years after her surgery after deciding it was time to celebrate her scars and transform her body into a beautiful piece of art.

She was also lucky enough to be inked by David Beckham’s angel tattooist, Louis Molloy.

24 hours after her first tattoo session, Wendy is already thinking about what she’ll have next.

Wendy had been diagnosed with breast cancer twice in the last 10 years which led to her decision to have a double mastectomy. She went under the knife in 2017 and since then, she has struggled with her body confidence and even feeling less feminine.

However, her husband and two children were very supportive and with time, she was able to rebuild her self-confidence.

Speaking about her scars, Wendy said; “I don’t see these mastectomy scars as something to be ashamed of. I want to embrace them.”

Wendy chose to have a lizard across her chest, to accompany the carious flowers, swirls, and geckos inked on her shoulder and back.

For Wendy, her tattoos are a symbol of strength and the celebration of fighting cancer and overcoming it twice.

‘I wanted to reclaim my body and redefine my scars. At first, I hated looking at them and tried to hide them away, but now I just want to show them off to anyone who’ll look!’ ‘I have no regrets,’ says Wendy.

‘I absolutely love how my tattoos have turned out and what they’re evolving into as well. This is my way of celebrating and saying, “Look I’ve been through it, I’m out the other side, I survived it. Come on, bring it on, what’s next?!”’

Looking back, Wendy remembers her first diagnosis to be very tough. She had found a lump in her breast in 2009. Diagnosed with breast cancer, the news dropped hard for herself, husband and children who were young by then.

She then underwent a difficult few months of treatment, having a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy.

Wendy is now taking part in her local pretty muddy event in Leeds this summer; an event aimed at raising money for Cancer Research in The UK.