3D Tattoo Helps Cancer Survivor Feel Complete Again

When Krista Powers looked in the mirror after her breast reconstruction surgery, something still felt missing.

The Cincinnati woman had conquered breast cancer through chemotherapy and a double mastectomy in 2023. She'd even undergone a 13-hour DIEP flap reconstruction, where doctors transferred tissue from her abdomen to rebuild her breasts. But the journey wasn't quite complete.

That's when Powers discovered restorative 3D tattooing at the Housley Institute in Cincinnati. The paramedical technique uses careful shading and color blending to create realistic-looking nipples and areolas. For cancer survivors, it's often the final chapter in a long recovery story.

"It's just such a completion moment, that now my body's gonna look the way I want it to look the rest of my life," Powers told WKRC.

Her cancer journey had moved quickly. Within just one month of finding the lump in July 2023, the fast-growing tumor had already grown larger. Several rounds of chemotherapy shrank the cancer by December, and Powers rang the celebration bell to mark the end of treatment.

The reconstruction process came next. Dr. Doug Dembinski from UC Health performed the DIEP flap procedure, essentially giving Powers a tummy tuck while repurposing that tissue to form new breast mounds. The surgery took half a day, but the results gave Powers her body back.

Why This Inspires

Powers' story highlights an often-overlooked aspect of cancer recovery. Physical healing matters, but so does feeling like yourself again. Restorative tattooing bridges that gap for thousands of breast cancer survivors each year.

Her husband Patrick Flerlage watched the entire journey unfold. "I couldn't be more proud and amazed at how strong and resilient Krista has been," he said.

Shannon Housley, who performed the tattooing, provides this service to help women reclaim their confidence after cancer. The technique has become an important final step for many survivors seeking closure after reconstruction.

For Powers, the 3D tattooing represented more than aesthetics. It marked the moment she could finally move forward, her body reflecting the strength she'd shown throughout treatment.