Waikato Business News September/October 2018
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
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26 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS <strong>September</strong>/<strong>October</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> woman helping breast cancer<br />
survivors with cosmetic tattooing<br />
A <strong>Waikato</strong> woman who has overcome two<br />
types of cancer is giving back by helping<br />
other women who’ve battled breast cancer.<br />
As the founder of Lady<br />
Ink Cosmetic Tattooing,<br />
Debbie Casson<br />
helps women who have been<br />
through breast reconstruction<br />
surgery for breast cancer, by<br />
performing cosmetic nipple<br />
tattooing – something she says<br />
helps give women their self-esteem<br />
and confidence back after<br />
a tough journey.<br />
Around 2800 New Zea-<br />
MISS LOU HAYES<br />
MB ChB FRCS<br />
Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon<br />
• Breast reconstruction<br />
• Breast cancer surgery & management<br />
• Benign breast disease<br />
Penny Breast Care Ltd<br />
Anglesea Imaging Centre<br />
Gate 2, Thackeray St, Hamilton<br />
pennybreastcare@hamrad.co.nz<br />
Ph: 07 838 9599 | Fax: 07 838 0352<br />
Penny Breast Care Ltd<br />
S9425C<br />
land women and 20 men are<br />
diagnosed with breast cancer<br />
every year.<br />
One in nine women will get<br />
breast cancer in their lifetime<br />
and, as a cancer survivor, Debbie<br />
wants to help raise awareness<br />
this <strong>October</strong> for breast<br />
cancer awareness month.<br />
“Making those women feel<br />
whole again, and their reaction<br />
when they first look at themselves<br />
in the mirror, it really is<br />
the cherry on top,” Debbie said.<br />
She was diagnosed with two<br />
forms of cancer in the space of<br />
a week in 2012, with a rare type<br />
of sinus cancer and just days<br />
later she was diagnosed with<br />
breast cancer after she'd been<br />
for a routine mammogram.<br />
As a survivor, she understands<br />
the emotions of what cosmetic<br />
nipple tattooing can mean<br />
to a woman after undergoing<br />
breast reconstruction, along with<br />
chemotherapy and radiation.<br />
After being diagnosed,<br />
Debbie, a former nail technician,<br />
joined Shocking Pink a<br />
nationwide charity that is for<br />
women diagnosed with cancer,<br />
aged 45 years and younger.<br />
The charity group has a<br />
huge impact on the women<br />
involved through an online<br />
support system, as well as<br />
grants and every year they<br />
host a retreat in both the North<br />
Island and South Island for<br />
women to attend, meet each<br />
other and form friendships.<br />
She now helps run the charity<br />
as one of the three trustees,<br />
however, being a part of<br />
Shocking Pink is what led her<br />
to train in cosmetic tattooing.<br />
Talking to the women within<br />
the group, she realised how<br />
financially out-of-reach it was<br />
to get areola tattooing done<br />
after they’d had breast cancer.<br />
As part of her training she<br />
also learnt to do eyebrows, eyeliner<br />
and lips, as chemotherapy<br />
can often result in loss of eyebrows<br />
and hair.<br />
“There is sometimes a need<br />
for cosmetic eyebrow tattooing<br />
after treatment as they don’t<br />
always grow back. Women<br />
then think about lips and eye<br />
liners as their treat afterwards<br />
as well,” Debbie said.<br />
Another field Debbie specialises<br />
in is scar camouflage to<br />
help with scarring after surgeries<br />
or other skin issues.<br />
The nipple repigmentation<br />
and 3D nipple cosmetic<br />
tattooing service that Debbie<br />
offers, helps post-mastectomy<br />
patients by creating the appearance<br />
of an areola after nipple<br />
reconstruction, or a 3D nipple<br />
can be created by shading with<br />
pigments giving the 3D effect.<br />
“It gives me so much joy<br />
seeing the difference it makes<br />
in women’s lives and it encourages<br />
me to carry on doing what<br />
I’m doing,” Debbie said.<br />
For her clients, knowing that<br />
Debbie is a survivor and has been<br />
where they are, helps them feel<br />
more relaxed when they come in<br />
and tell their story to her.<br />
Shocking Pink woman and<br />
breast cancer survivor Emerald<br />
Reid said Debbie has changed<br />
her life in a huge way with such<br />
a small procedure.<br />
“It has had an unbelievable<br />
impact on my confidence, my<br />
outlook on life, and feeling like<br />
a true survivor now. After five<br />
years of surgery and chemo, I<br />
feel like I’ve finally got to the<br />
end of a cancer journey and<br />
I was able to end it on a high<br />
note,” Emerald said.<br />
“I knew it would make a<br />
difference getting it done but I<br />
underestimated just how much<br />
and how emotional it would<br />
be in my first glance. I was<br />
blown away with how realistic<br />
they look and how much more<br />
complete I felt as a woman. My<br />
partner can’t believe how great<br />
they look and has commented<br />
on how much happier I am<br />
every day - I feel like I’m now<br />
just a normal 35-year-old girl<br />
living her best life.”<br />
Last year a contract between<br />
the <strong>Waikato</strong> DHB, Tristram<br />
Clinic and Debbie was established<br />
to help fund this service<br />
Debbie Casson<br />
for more breast cancer survivors.<br />
The contract is a huge<br />
step forward as some DHBs<br />
still don’t fund the procedure.<br />
“I’d love to be in a position<br />
where I could see everyone get<br />
this service,” Debbie said.<br />
“My ultimate goal would<br />
be to travel up and down the<br />
country doing areola work to<br />
help everybody.”<br />
Initially, Debbie’s cosmetic<br />
tattooing training was done in<br />
New Zealand, however, she<br />
has continued further training<br />
overseas, including more<br />
recently a self-funded trip to<br />
England where she trained<br />
with some of the best in the<br />
world in areola.<br />
“I want to keep extending<br />
my training so that I am<br />
the best at what I do in New<br />
Zealand and continue to grow<br />
myself and my skills, so that I<br />
can do better and be better for<br />
these deserving ladies.”<br />
To inquire about Debbie’s<br />
services at Lady Ink, contact<br />
your specialist as you will need<br />
a referral. Insurance will also<br />
cover the procedure. To find<br />
out more information about<br />
Shocking Pink visit shockingpink.org.nz<br />
or for Lady Ink<br />
visit www.ladyink.co.nz<br />
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THURSDAY 25TH OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong>, HAMILTON LAKE – INNES COMMON<br />
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EVIDENCE-BASED BREAST CANCER RESEARCH