For women, having a mastectomy may be necessary to avoid the spread of cancer but the aftereffects from surgery can go deeper than the scars.
The Shop at 208 in Boise offers free tattoos as an alternative to getting breast implants or reconstructive surgery.
Inspiration came from their shop manager who had a scare when she was in high school. She found tumors in both of her breasts that have since been removed. One of them was cancerous but luckily she didn't have to have a mastectomy.
"It affects the way they see themselves, so, doing those kind of tattoos can bring back a lot of confidence for those women," says Amber "Snobby" Johnson, 208 tattoo shop manager. "And, a lot of people are scared to go in and ask for those kind of things because of scar tissue and placement."
"I love the community that we live in," says Dustin "D.K." Sevilla, owner of The Shop at 208. "Boise is just a great place to live and what better way to give back to the community than give out tattoos to cover up scars that maybe people are self-conscious about."
The offer is good for as long as the shop is in business. All you have to do is stop by or give them a call and Johnson will book a consultation and pair you up with an artist.
