{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T08:46:14Z","timestamp":1792140374456,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health \u2013 Ricerca Corrente Annual Program 2026"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Womens Health (Lond Engl)"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Body image issues in breast cancer recovery may extend into social and professional spheres, underlining the need for complementary interventions, like nipple-areola complex (NAC) tattooing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aims to explore the experiences of women who have undergone NAC tattooing at the ARCADE clinic in Reggio Emilia (Italy), specifically regarding motivation\/expectations; perceptions of the quality of the aesthetic result and the service provided; and emotions\/sensations related to the treatment experience.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Qualitative study.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Data were collected between January and May 2025 through semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation at Local Health Authority \u2013 IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Women were selected using convenience sampling from a cohort of 62 patients who completed NAC tattooing between January 2023 and August 2024. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze data, through which subthemes and themes were identified.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The first theme, \u201cFrom the mirror to active life: a newfound identity,\u201d is expressed through three sub-themes. All the participants (N = 10) noted a shift towards a more normalized and less \u201cmutilated\u201d perception of their bodies (\u201cThe relationship with self-body image\u201d). Through the concepts of femininity and body integrity, the sub-theme \u201cRecognizing yourself\u201d explores how NAC tattooing supports self-recognition. \u201cSocial relationships\u201d presents how NAC tattooing eventually influences social and intimate interactions. The second theme, \u201cThe picture of health and its role in coping,\u201d shows that NAC tattooing enabled patients to go beyond illness and loss, minimizing visual reminders and shifting the focus to a picture of health.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>NAC tattooing facilitated a cognitive and emotional shift toward a renewed sense of self as a healthy, whole person. Although further studies are needed, preliminary findings suggest that the positive effect on body image may facilitate psychological recovery and social functioning in breast cancer patients.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/17455057261483480","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T17:50:20Z","timestamp":1791913820000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Experiences of breast cancer survivors following Nipple\u2013Areola complex tattooing: A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2438-2202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Deborah","family":"Maselli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia"},{"name":"University of Modena and Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martina","family":"Torreggiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Soffientini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7632-1271","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Ghirotto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Ferri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Modena and Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefania","family":"Costi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia"},{"name":"University of Modena and Reggio Emilia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_8_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamasurg.2020.3325"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18041640"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/NCC.0000000000000251"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5152\/ejbh.2020.5188"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/11782234231209126"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.4199"},{"key":"e_1_3_8_8_2","first-page":"8805","article-title":"Effects of the appearance care on psychosocial outcomes for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"30","author":"Zhu M","year":"2022","unstructured":"Zhu M, Sun S, Zhang Y, et al. 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