If you or someone you care about has battled breast cancer, you might be considering pink ribbon tattoos because of their international association with breast cancer awareness. They are a great way to pay tribute to those who have lost the battle or show your support to someone whose cancer is in remission.
About Pink Ribbon Tattoos
Pink ribbons are the international symbol for breast cancer awareness. Therefore, pink ribbons make an obvious tattoo choice for people who want a permanent reminder of a cancer battle they've won or those who just strongly wish to remind women to do their self-exams every month so that they can catch a lump before it progresses.
These ribbon tattoos are perfect for survivors who want a reminder of the things that they can and have overcome, and they're also beautiful tributes for people who have lost a loved one to breast cancer. The tattoos can be large or small, stand alone or become part of an intricate design (butterflies and flowers are popular add-ons). They often placed anywhere on the body from the feet to the back of the neck. Some survivors even place them to help cover scars as part of the healing process, and it gives them a sense of closure.
According to Cancer.org, about 40,170 women and 440 men were expected to die from breast cancer in 2009. It's no wonder there are so many people who feel strongly about getting the word out about what can be done to catch breast cancer before it's too late, or that there are several variations of pink ribbon tats to represent the importance of prevention and a cure.
Pink Ribbon Ideas
The size and intricacy of the pink ribbon can vary so widely that it makes an easy tattoo to place on the body. It can go anywhere. Personalizing the tattoo could be done by:
- Adding a name and dates of birth and death
- Inking your own date of diagnosis or date your cancer was said to have gone into remission
- Adding patterns, like leopard print or zebra stripes, against the pink background
- Giving the ribbon tattered edges
- Getting your tattoo over a cancer-related scar
- Putting the ribbon inside of a heart where it touches the top and bottom and creates a design that isn't so obvious at first glance
- Adding the word Survivor across the tattoo or along the ribbon
- "Lacing" the ribbon through another tattoo, like butterfly wings
- Adding a pair of wings and a halo
- "Wrapping" the ribbon around an object that inspires faith, like a cross
- Incorporating the ribbon into another image such as making it the body of a butterfly with the wings attached to it
View Breast Cancer Awareness Tattoos
You can see examples of tattoos for breast cancer awareness and pink ribbon tattoos at:
- Hub Pages' Tattoo Ideas for Breast Cancer Pink Awareness Ribbons
- Tattoo Johnny (unfortunately you'll have to weed through other types of pink ribbons here too)
- Vanishing Tattoo
- Pink Ribbon Shop has temporary tattoos you can purchase and wear at your next Breast Cancer Awareness event. You can buy sets of five or ten.
Final Thoughts
Promote awareness for breast cancer, support a survivor, remember a deceased loved one or get a pink ribbon tattoo to remind yourself of the battle you have fought and won against the disease. If you want to get a meaningful tattoo and you've experienced breast cancer as a victim or as a friend or family member of a victim, you might want to consider the pink ribbon as a simple, understated tattoo or part of a larger, more elaborate tattoo design. Take a look at others' pink ribbon designs and piece one together for yourself that perfectly symbolizes your relationship with breast cancer.
