Who we are
About the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance
Learn about the origins of the MTA, what we do, and who we are.
About Us
What is the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance?
The Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance (MTA) is a registered charity founded by tattoo artist, Tanya Buxton, in 2021.
Our charity has been created to help support the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender/non-binary communities in their healing journey after mastectomy, reconstruction and gender affirming
Mastectomy tattoos and 3D areola-nipple tattoos play a vital role in a person’s physical and emotional healing after breast cancer surgery, preventative mastectomy surgery and gender affirming surgery.
These incredible tattoos are of huge significance and truly life changing, they help close a door in many people’s journey and allow them to embark on a new chapter feeling uplifted, empowered and more like themselves again.
Unfortunately, information about these wonderful tattoo services, and the talented artists who offer them, is not always easily accessible to those who need it.
The Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance are focused on raising awareness to the options available and making these tattoos more widely available for the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender / non-binary communities.
Our aim as a charity at the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance is to make these tattoos more widely available within the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender/non-binary communities. By building an organisation that will not only help fund the tattoo, but also connects people with experienced tattoo artists, approved by the MTA; ensuring peace of mind and a guarantee that their artist meets the required high level of skill, care and quality.
About Us
Our Mission
At the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance (MTA), we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to receive a high-quality mastectomy and/or areola tattoo, if they so wish.
Whether you choose to decorate your skin with a beautifully crafted tattoo design, or a natural, realistic 3D areola-nipple tattoo, the empowering possibilities through tattooing are endless. Unfortunately, these options are not always accessible for everyone after their surgeries and treatments are complete.
Tattooing can be expensive and finding the right artist can feel like an overwhelming task. This is why the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance plays such an important role within the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender/non-binary communities, by providing funding and connections to those who need it.
Artist Directory
We connect people with experienced tattoo artists, approved by the MTA, ensuring peace of mind and a guarantee that their artist meets the required high level of skill, care and quality.
Providing Funding
Having had a double mastectomy and reconstruction after breast cancer, my areola tattoos really have marked the end of my journey. Tanya is a very talented lady and the results are fabulous! I’m so grateful.
Why was the MTA created?
We believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to receive areola and mastectomy tattoos, if they so wish. This specialised form of tattooing can be expensive and is not always accessible or financially an option for people.
The Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance has been created to help relieve the financial burden and elevate the long wait times people incur for these tattoo services.
By providing funding to our approved MTA Artists, helping to cover the cost of their time and equipment, and allowing our artists to offer these life-changing tattoos free of charge to the breast cancer, BRCA and transgender/non-binary communities via our MTA-funded clinics.
The MTA is proud to support the Transgender and Non-Binary community.
In 2024, the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance extended its funded clinics for areola-nipple tattoos to the transgender and non-binary community, providing MTA funded clinics for areola-nipple tattoos to people who have undergone gender affirming mastectomy surgery.
This has always been a goal for our charity, led by our founder Tanya Buxton’s innovative and inclusive vision to ensure these life-changing tattoos are more accessible to those who need them.
We are so proud to support the transgender and non-binary community in their transition, by making areola-nipple tattooing more affordable and helping people feel more confident in their bodies.
To find your nearest MTA Artist offering transgender and non-binary areola-nipple tattoos via our MTA funded clinics, please visit our Artist Directory.
About Our Founder
About MTA’s founder: Tanya Buxton
Tanya began her career as a traditional tattoo artist in 2009. She has travelled worldwide working at various tattoo studios and conventions, establishing herself firmly within the tattoo industry.
She has enjoyed a successful tattooing career thus far and has been published in several magazines, books, podcasts and online blogs both in the UK and internationally, including the Wall Street Journal, VICE, BBC News, BBC Radio, Total Tattoo Magazine, Inked Australia, and Tattoo Life Magazine.
Tanya works closely within the breast cancer and BRCA community and is highly recommended by medical professional professionals worldwide for her tattooing services.
Tanya’s extensive knowledge and passion for tattooing make her a highly skilled and versatile artist, her passion for tattooing, and in particular Areola Tattooing, has taken Tanya on this journey and has been the inspiration behind creating the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance, which she founded in 2021. Her hard work and dedication help our charity to grow everyday as we continue to strive in our mission to help more people feel confident in their skin.
“I have seen first-hand the impact tattoos have on people, from transforming a scar with a beautiful piece of art or recreating a realistic 3D nipple after mastectomy surgery, tattoos can help heal a person inside and out. I love being able to help people feel good about themselves through tattooing, it’s an honour to be a part of such a special moment in a person’s journey.”
I want to send a huge thank you to Tanya for doing my tattoo. I have just been away on holidays and I used to feel really self conscious in a bikini, worrying that everyone could notice that I only had one boob! But now all I notice is people looking at my tattoo, it is like magic……the great art of distraction!
Who We Are
Our Trustees
Our board of trustees help shape and grow the Mastectomy Tattoo Alliance.
Tanya Buxton
Founder/Trustee
Tanya founded the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance in 2021, as a way to help the breast cancer community in their healing journey after mastectomy surgery and cancer treatment.
Seeing a lack of standards within the industry and a lot of mis-information to the public, Tanya created the MTA to not only provide funding for these empowering tattoos to the breast cancer community, but to improve the quality of work, training and information available.
Her passion and dedication to the MTA is inspiring and is the driving force behind the growth of our charity.
“As a traditional tattoo artist, specialising in areola-nipple tattoos, I have seen first-hand the huge impact these life-changing tattoos have on people’s emotional and physical wellbeing. I’m so proud of everything we have achieved since launching in 2021, and I can’t wait to grow our charity even more and be able to support more people in their healing journey.”
Cindy Hudson
Chair Person/Trustee
Cindy joined the MTA as a volunteer in 2022, and has worked in management for over 10 years. She is a mother and a wife and enjoys creating new memories and adventures with family and friends. Having her husband and close family members touched by cancer, Cindy is extremely passionate about the work we do for the breast cancer community and the support we provide.
“I am so proud to be part of the MTA, an organisation that can make a difference to someone’s life after cancer. To be able to give a person the choice to regain their body, mind and strength is something very close to my heart.”
Verity Vincent
Trustee
Verity has a background is in Marketing and works predominantly on the social media and communications side for the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance. She has been working with Tanya since the launch of the MTA in 2021 and has seen it’s growth and all the incredible the charity has achieved already.
“Sadly most of us know someone within our own families or friendship groups that have been affected by breast cancer. This adds an even more personal level to working within this charity and wanting to push the service to as many people as possible who can benefit from areola and post mastectomy tattoos. It really is life changing for people.
Knowing that women and men from all over the world are helped by these tattoos is so touching and I feel immensely proud to be part of something so special.”
Julian Layhe
Trustee
Jules is a Clinical Endoscopist who has worked in the NHS for fifteen years and is currently studying towards an MSc focused on Best Practice for Transgender & Gender diverse patients. Jules is also proudly trans, it’s fundamental to him that other members of the trans community have access to care and support services that are often oversaturated or difficult to afford.
Jules had his own areola tattoos done with our founder and MTA Artist Tanya Buxton, following top surgery.
“I was amazed by what the results (of my areola tattoos) did for my sense of identity and confidence. I'm proud to be part of an organisation that brings joy to people and provides such a life-changing experience to those who need it.”