Half the year you will find tattoo artist Michelle in her studio near Planckendael. The other half she will ‘guest spot’, tattooing as a guest artist in shops all over the world. Today she is in Brazil. From the tropical island of Ilha Bella she talks about her mission with non-profit organization Nippie.
Michelle is raising money to offer free nipple tattoos to people with a cancer story. Because although breast reconstruction after masectomy has been fully reimbursed since 2016, nipple reconstruction is not covered by this scheme. And a nipple tattoo like that can cost a bit.
“I’ve never charged for one nipple,” says Michelle. “But in general, around 300 euros per session per nipple is charged. If you know that we schedule three sessions per nipple, you can quickly spend around a thousand euros. That makes it a luxury product. A nipple should not be a luxury.”
Together with mom
Michelle was confronted with the consequences of breast cancer at a young age. Her mother was diagnosed when she was eight years old. “She immediately underwent a mastectomy, but consciously did not opt for a reconstruction. My mom was afraid of the possible complications.” Michelle watched her mother struggle with the scar that was left behind. “That was the trigger for what I do today,” she says.
Michelle creates a depth effect with the tattoo. A reconstructed breast has no relief at the nipple.
Ten years later, art student Michelle started the non-profit organization Artfeelings, art lessons for cancer sufferers. “I remembered how my mother went to Estée Lauder activities for fellow sufferers during her treatment. That was with a red carpet, a glass of cava, her make-up done… she beamed when she came home. Because she could feel like a normal person again. That’s what we wanted to achieve with our lessons.” The initiative was nominated as Laureate of the Foundation against Cancer and the Relay for Life in 2019.
During that period Michelle also learned to tattoo. “I picked up the machine during my art training. For two years I only tattooed oranges, as a kind of art project. My ambition to help women with a history of cancer made me dare to take the step towards skin. After several courses, including one in medical tattoos, I started putting nipples.”
Michelle added free nipple tattoos to the mission of non-profit organization Artfeelings. However, Corona threw a spanner in the works. More than anyone else, people with weakened immune systems have had to isolate themselves. The art academy came to a standstill. In 2023, she decided to tackle the nipple problem separately under the name Nippie. “I felt myself getting angry,” she says. “That’s why I want to focus on this fight. With the help of people who have more organizational talent than me. In that respect I am a real artist. (laughs)”
Waiting list
Today, non-profit organization Nippie raises money through various initiatives. Ten percent of every ‘regular’ tattoo done in Michelle’s studio goes to charity. “We organize flash days on which we tattoo for charity, a flea market is coming soon,… at the end of April a quiz will be organized in Ninove for the benefit of Nippie non-profit organization. Customers who support the project have committed themselves to this. There are people who have sold candles for Nippie. All help is welcome and very much embraced.”
Michelle can use all the financial help she can get. Today there are 160 people on her waiting list for a nipple tattoo. Mainly women, some men too. And without advertising on social media. “I can’t put photos of my work online because I’ll be thrown out immediately,” Michelle explains. Zuckerberg has a phobia of women’s nipples. “We try to post in a roundabout way, but we have already been seriously punished for it. We rely mainly on word-of-mouth advertising.”
Interim solution
Nippie non-profit organization is an interim solution, says the founder. “We hope to be useless as soon as possible, that subsidies will be provided for breast and nipple as a total package. I now have people around me who are better at communicating with higher ups. I started noticing that people weren’t answering the phone anymore. They probably thought: oh no, that’s that heavy weather. (laughs)”
You can donate to Nippie vzw at www.vzw-nippie.be.