When Leah Saez underwent radiation therapy for breast cancer, she was left with black dot tattoos on her chest.
Radiation specialists will often ‘mark up’ a patient’s chest with small tattoos to ensure they’re targeting the right areas with the treatment.
But once the treatment is completed, the tattoos remain.
“I had a large dot in the middle of my chest and one under each arm,” Saez explains.
"Every time I looked in the mirror I would see the dot on my chest - I could even see it peeking above the neckline of most of my tops."
Saez didn't like living with the tattoos but she didn't know what she could do about them.
That's where her friend, Catherine MacInnes, comes in.
MacInnes is a laser tattoo removal specialist, and the director of Renude Laser Clinic in Lane Cove, Sydney - and she's been working with Saez to remove her radiation tattoos for free.
After just two sessions Saez's tattoos have dramatically lightened and MacInnes believes it'll only take a few more sessions for the marks to completely disappear.
And now MacInnes wants to offer this free service to other breast cancer survivors.
"While some women don't even notice their tattoos, they can really affect the self esteem of others," she explained.
"I'm offering this service as a way of giving back and to help out women who have already been through so much."
Tina Harris on surviving breast cancer. Post continues...
Laser removal works by delivering short bursts of light that penetrate deep into the dermis. The tattoo pigment absorbs this light energy shattering the dye pigments.
The amount of sessions required will depend on how big the marks are and how much ink was used.
You can book your free appointment by calling the Renude Laser Clinic on 0452 527 378.
