A Swansea tattoo artist is offering free areola tattoos to women who have undergone mastectomies, helping them regain confidence after breast cancer. Beth Jones, 29, works from Highwater Gallery and provides the service through the charity NIP, which supports artists in making a difference.
Artist's Journey
Beth began tattooing areolas in 2023 after her mother fell ill with pancreatitis and spent about a year in hospital. During that time, Beth felt compelled to make a change and considered training as a nurse. A nurse caring for her mother mentioned areola tattoos, leading Beth to discover Lucy, founder of the NIP charity, who taught her the technique.
Beth offers the tattoos completely free of charge and volunteers her time for three sessions per client to ensure satisfaction. She has lost count of how many tattoos she has done, saying "it's definitely triple figures and how lucky am I to be trusted to do them! I feel very fortunate."
The Tattoo Process
The process varies depending on each client's surgery and skin tone. Beth explained: "How I do these tattoos are completely different on everyone depending what they've been through, for example if someone has had a double mastectomy once they're healed and ready for their tattoos I will freehand a nipple on to them constantly asking if they're happy as I know how important it is to get right."
She colour matches the pigment to each client's skin tone and uses freckles on their chest as a guide for shadow tones. Beth noted: "It's quite a nice process as none of these people have had a say in anything cancer has taken from them so for them to have all the control on the last step in their journey is huge."
Clients' Stories
Sam Maunder, 51, from Mumbles, discovered a lump while in the shower and was diagnosed with an 8cm tumour and 7cm of calcifications. After surgery in November 2023, her breasts changed from E-cup to A-cup, and she lost confidence. Her daughter followed Beth on social media, leading Sam to get nipple tattoos. She said: "The outcome is literally phenomenal. She gives I think what she does and how she does it, she is so patient. I think she just gives that confidence, and that you just feel a bit better."
Caroline Harry, 56, from Godregraig, was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2004 at age 34. After a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, she had nipple tattoos that faded. She saw a BBC Wales article about Beth's work and booked a refresh. Caroline said: "It's the icing on the cake, basically. Cherry on top, literally. It's like putting makeup on, or your favorite outfit, or getting your hair done." She has since been diagnosed with womb cancer in 2025 and remains in good spirits.
Tracey Dowler, 51, from Maesteg, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2023 after discovering a lump. After chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a mastectomy, she contacted Beth for a tattoo. Tracey said: "Not that I show my boobs off to anybody anyway… well, I do, I show everyone now. It just makes me feel like me again. It makes me feel whole."
Charity Hike
Beth also took on a 100km hike along the Jurassic Coast for the charity Coppafeel, alongside author and TV personality Giovanna Fletcher. The trek involved camping and spreading the message of checking your chest. Beth said: "Before the trek, we were told it would be the best week of our lives. Honestly, I couldn't understand how that could possibly be true when we were about to trek 100km through rain, wind, mud, and freezing campsites with a group of complete strangers. But by the end of it, I realised they were absolutely right."
Beth described the experience as emotional and inspiring, adding: "I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have been part of something so special, and to have met such strong, inspirational people along the way."
