Going through the ordeal of breast cancer is hard enough, considering the uncertainty, the physical and emotional turmoil, and the complete overhaul of daily life.
And for some women, long after the breast cancer is gone, the scars remain.
That's where Susan Moore comes in. Susan is a tattoo artist in Australia, and she's helping women reclaim their bodies after the trauma of cancer and surgery.
Tattooing for some is a therapeutic way to comes to terms with a difficult time in life — and like the artist who covers scars left on women's bodies from domestic violence, Susan is using her talent to provide free tattoos for women with mastectomy scars.
Susan provides her clients with a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and concentrates on only one client at a time for a tranquil experience.
In her 22 years as a tattoo artist, Susan has covered her fair share of scars. But it wasn't until 18 months ago that she saw her first mastectomy scars — and it made an impact.
"When I saw it, it thoroughly shocked me. I thought, 'Oh my god, a surgeon leaves people like this?' I had no idea that people were being left in such a difficult way," she said to Daily Mail.
And from that day on, she vowed to give women with mastectomy scars beautiful tattoos — completely free of charge. And her clients couldn't be more grateful.
Check out some of her transformations below, and see how tattoos are helping women become at peace after a trying ordeal.
[H/T: Daily Mail]
Meet Susan Moore. At 55, she might not look like the stereotypical tattoo artist, but her talent and compassion have helped women feel back at home in their bodies after breast cancer and mastectomies.
Stunned by the roughness of the scarring, Susan decided to create tattoos for free for survivors. She saw it as a way she could "give back to the community."
And her clients couldn't be more grateful. They describe the process as transformative, and a way for them to reclaim their bodies after the trauma of cancer and its treatments.
Many of the women write heartfelt letters of thanks to Susan. They describe getting tattooed as a powerful choice that gives them autonomy back over their bodies.
One client wrote: "Not a day goes by where I'm not extremely grateful for the work you did on my tattoo. Now when I look in the mirror, I see a thing of beauty and not an awful reminder of the experiences of surgeries, chemo, and radiation."
At her studio, adorably named Moore Love Tattooing, Susan dedicates her time and energy to only one client at a time, so there's no distraction.
She believes tattooing, whether to cover mastectomy scars, should be a peaceful and healing process.
And to give out a tattoo for free is a bold move for Susan. Tattoo work is expensive, and Susan herself only tattoos part-time. The rest of her time is spent caring for her disabled husband.
Getting a tattoo is an emotional process for many, who get them in honor of family members, those who have passed away, or to mark a major life event.
For breast cancer survivors, a tattoo is a way to take control back over their bodies and appearances, and to feel beautiful again.
You can see more of Susan's tattoo work on her Facebook page, and see some of the women whose lives she's changed.
To see how a tattoo can transform a woman's post-mastectomy image of herself, be sure to watch the amazing video below.
