From scars to art: Stories of cancer recovery told through tattoos

Overcoming cancer can make a person feel like their body is no longer their own. Tattoos can aid the healing process by helping them reclaim a sense of agency

Katherine (Katz) Hanlon with a Tattoo that says "Fuck Cancer' at her home in Sutton, Dublin.

Inked skin has become commonplace and proudly sported by celebrities and professionals alike.

A new study from Dublin City University (DCU) focuses on a subset of people for whom tattoos are more than just skin deep. It looks at the trend for cancer survivors to get therapeutic tattoos.

PhD researcher Adam Daly from the School of Psychology at DCU

The study’s lead author is the PhD researcher Adam Daly from the School of Psychology at DCU.

“I’ve long been interested in tattoos, and when my mam and sister were diagnosed with cancer, I wanted to better understand what they were going through,” he says. “When I looked into it, I realised this practice was happening all over the world. Deciding what to tattoo and where allows people to reclaim agency over their bodies, something they can feel robbed of during treatment.”

Kieran Moulton, a researcher at the University of the West of England

Kieran Moulton, a researcher at the University of the West of England, is currently conducting a similar study; looking at how people use tattoos as scar camouflage and decoration. One of his preliminary findings is that tattoos can help people reframe the narrative they tell themselves about their own bodies. When they look in the mirror, rather than seeing their scars which remind them of their cancer experience, their attention is pulled towards their tattoo and the far happier story they associate with it.

“Tattoos take on meaning for people, capturing what they have overcome,” he says.

Irish Cancer Society psychotherapist Denis O’Connor says that overcoming cancer is as much a psychological challenge as a physical one.

“People experience so many emotions,” he says. “There’s the shock and trauma of diagnosis, which is often followed by anger. Anger at those around you, at the world and even at God. People can withdraw because they don’t want to face others. As they journey through cancer, there are times when it seems to take over their lives, stopping everything else in its tracks.”

He understands why some might get a tattoo when they finish treatment: “It’s a form of celebration. Like any symbol you have a happy association with, a tattoo can lift your spirits by reconnecting you with a memory of jubilation — the moment you got your life back.”

However, he urges caution: “Consult your medical team to make sure there’s no risk involved, and think about it a little. Tattoos are for life, so don’t make a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

O’Connor reminds people that camouflaging their scars won’t take away the pain of what’s happened: “No matter what you do, it will take time to work through the trauma of cancer.”

Pulling no punches

Katherine Hanlon with a Tattoo that says "Fuck Cancer' at her home in Sutton, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney

Katherine Hanlon started thinking about getting a tattoo while receiving chemotherapy in 2023. The previous year, the now 33-year-old from Dublin had developed symptoms that would eventually be diagnosed as Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

She was constantly exhausted, no matter how much she slept. She got night sweats and became intolerant to heat. Her skin would also become irritated anytime she drank anything alcoholic.

“I’d recently had covid, so I didn’t take these symptoms seriously at first,” she says. “But when I found a lump about half the size of a tennis ball under my right arm, I realised something was really wrong.”

She had stage four cancer that had to be treated immediately. There was no time to freeze her eggs so her medical team induced temporary menopause, which can help preserve fertility by protecting a woman’s eggs during treatment.

In January 2023, Hanlon embarked on six months of chemotherapy.

“It was awful,” she says. “I’d have chemo every second Friday, which left me so tired that I’d have to stay in bed until the following Tuesday. By the time I’d regained even a little energy, the process would start all over again.”

But this harsh treatment worked, and Hanlon was officially in remission by the time she finished treatment at the end of July.

“I still go for checkups, and the chemo affected my heart, so I’m still on heart medication,” she says. “There’s something called chemo brain, which is like brain fog, and I’ve definitely got that. I’m so forgetful. But I do crosswords, and I’m learning German, and I feel I’m getting better. I’m back working as a customer care expert in the tech sector too.”

Her menopause has also been reversed, and her periods have returned to normal: “We’ll see if the treatment will affect my ability to have kids in future.”

While in the middle of chemotherapy treatment, Hanlon started thinking about marking her cancer journey with a tattoo. She struggled to decide on a design but eventually decided on one that packs a punch — the words ‘Fuck Cancer’ written in a cursive font on the outer wrist of her left hand.

Despite its profanity, nobody has ever reacted badly to it.

“Not even my mum,” laughs Hanlon. “I think everyone knows someone who has had cancer, and this describes how we all feel about it.”

She certainly has no regrets and her message to anyone considering getting a therapeutic tattoo is to go for it: “The one thing you learn with cancer is that life is short, and you never know what’s coming around the corner. Do it.”

Tattoos can do a lot of good

Julita Janukowicz shows off her many tattoos. Picture Chani Anderson

Julita Janukowicz is a 40-year-old married mother-of-one who lives in Kanturk. She was diagnosed with tonsil cancer when she was 27.

“It’s a smoker’s cancer, but I’d never smoked a cigarette in my life,” she says.

It all started when she found a lump in her neck. It was a cancerous tumour that had to be removed with surgery followed by radiation.

Her doctor inspired her to get a tattoo.

“When I was so sick, my doctor told me to do something that would make me feel like the person I was before cancer,” she says. “I have a lot of tattoos and getting a tattoo was the first thought that came into my head. So I did it.”

She decided to get two eyes tattooed on her left wrist.

“During treatment, I often felt as if I couldn’t open my eyes or look into my eyes and see myself,” she says. “I was too ill. But these eyes would remain open for me. They would see me through to the end.”

When her treatment proved successful, she celebrated with another much bigger tattoo. This one covers her stomach and depicts cancer being shot by a bullet.

“It’s all about me coming through the most important fight of my life,” says Janukowicz. “I think that tattoo is my most meaningful thing.”

Her advice to others thinking of getting a therapeutic tattoo is to listen to themselves.

“Don’t be afraid of what others might think,” she says. “Do what your heart and soul tell you. Tattoos can do a lot of good for many people.”

Comfortable in my own skin

Majella Hickey, social health worker

Majella Hickey’s reason for getting a tattoo post-cancer treatment is entirely different. 

Hickey, a 48-year-old occupational health social worker from Kildare, had always been aware of her cancer risk. Her mother had died of breast cancer, and so had her husband’s first wife.

“Because of this history, I got myself screened every year,” she says.

Her proactive approach paid off when early-stage breast cancer was discovered in her breast when she was 44.

“I had no symptoms because it was only stage zero grade two, but five weeks later, it was stage one grade two,” she says. “It was so aggressive that if I hadn’t insisted on yearly screenings, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Further testing revealed that Hickey carried a mutation of the BRCA gene, which significantly increases someone’s chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

“That changed things,” she says. “I’d initially thought I’d need a lumpectomy and some radiation, but because of this gene, my consultant recommended chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy and ovary removal.”

She decided to get breast implants but was taken aback to discover they don’t come with nipples.

“I felt like part of my femininity had been taken away,” she says. “All I saw in the mirror were my scars.”

She contacted a nurse and part-time tattoo artist who specialised in 3D medical reconstructive nipple-areola tattoos: “As soon as it was safe to do so after my surgery, I got her to tattoo nipples onto my breasts.

“Now they look more like they used to, and I feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin.”

She was nervous beforehand as she had never been tattooed before: “But it was really non-invasive, and it didn’t hurt much as there’s no tissue in my breasts.

“I felt so much better about myself afterwards. Getting my nipples tattooed on felt like an important part of me feeling physically and emotionally well again. They completed my journey.

"If anyone out there is thinking of getting it done, I’d recommend it. I’m not saying it’s a panacea but it’s been healing. It’s made me feel like a woman again.”

Expert tattoo tips

For those considering getting a tattoo during or after cancer treatment, here’s what to bear in mind:

• Nipple tattooing is for breast cancer survivors who have had their breast or breasts removed and replaced with implants. A nipple tattoo can make their new breasts look more authentic.
• Microblading is a temporary tattooing technique that recreates or enhances eyebrows. It’s popular with people who have lost their hair, including their eyebrows, after cancer treatment.
• The Irish Cancer Society advises anyone being treated for cancer to confer with their medical team to confirm that tattooing is safe and doesn’t interfere with their treatment. Their surgeon will be able to inform them when the timing is correct.
• The Marie Keating Foundation provides support and advice around all decisions relating to preventative surgery, reconstructive surgery and options such as tattooing. (See mariekeating.ie) The charity also hosts a free BRCA seminar annually, which includes a stand featuring the work of an areola tattoo artist who can answer questions. This year’s seminar is on May 9 in the Springfield Hotel in Leixlip in Dublin.

Whether you decide on a nipple tattoo, microblading or something more dramatic, researcher Adam Daly advises going to a qualified tattoo artist. “Improper tattooing techniques can damage skin that’s already been scarred or result in fading or poor design,” he says.

“But done well, therapeutic tattoos can have positive effects for cancer survivors.”

Anyone with any questions or concerns about cancer can contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700 or [e-mail]