Pink Ribbon Tattoos - A New Badge of Courage
Symbolic ribbons are everywhere - cars sport yellow ribbons to support our troops, red ribbons stand for AIDS awareness, and the pink ribbon is the symbol of breast cancer survival. Some cancer survivors have taken the pink ribbon to a new level by getting a tattoo of the ribbon as a symbol of their battle with cancer, or as an emblem of support for a loved one who is fighting that battle.
The most simple emblem of breast cancer survival is the plain pink ribbon tattoo. This woman chose the top of her foot for hers. Plain and straightforward, this small tattoo sends a strong message.
Others have worked the pink ribbon into a larger tattoo concept, adding new symbolism to the ribbon itself. The butterfly ribbon is a popular choice. The butterfly has traditionally been a symbol of change or transformation and beauty, making this tattoo a conceptually beautiful piece.
Another example of the butterfly and pink ribbon, this one with affirmative text: “I Am A Survivor.”
The tattoo community has also found a cause in breast cancer awareness. The Healing Art Foundation benefits from Tats and Art for a Cure, a series of events aimed raising awareness for the fight against breast cancer by bringing together tattoo artists, piercers and fine artists. The Healing Arts Foundation has worked extensively with cancer survivors by tattooing over surgery scars, providing areola re-pigmentation, and simply providing the artwork and ink to make the survivor feel beautiful and reclaim her body.
It seems logical that someone who has gone through a battle with cancer or who has stood by and supported a loved one facing that battle may be reluctant to voluntarily alter their bodies, but that conclusion underestimates the indomitable spirit of so many cancer survivors. A tattoo’s meaning is as individual as the tattoo itself or the person bearing it, but pink ribbon tattoos send a strong message of survival, of overcoming fear and adversity, and of a refusal to let illness win.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I think the ribbon tattoos are very encouraging!!!