Materno Infantil exhibits eight portraits of women after breast cancer

Eight women who have gone through breast cancer and a subsequent process of breast reconstruction and micropigmentation of the areola-nipple complex star in a photographic exhibition at the Hospital Materno Infantil de Málaga. The display is already installed on the first floor of the centre and is part of the hospital's programme to mark International Breast Cancer Day.

Each portrait is accompanied by phrases and personal objects from the participants, who share their experiences, the support they found during the process and what they have learned. Together they offer different views on recovery and the reconstruction of body image. The initiative was driven by the nurses specialising in restorative micropigmentation of the areola-nipple complex Mariló Gutiérrez and Cristina Gutiérrez, with the collaboration of the nurse from the Breast Pathology Unit Patricia García. The photographs were taken by Andrés Ojeda, from the centre's Communication unit.

According to the hospital, the display seeks to give visibility to a part of the cancer process that goes beyond treating the disease: the recovery of body image, self-esteem and personal confidence after a mastectomy. It also aims to offer real role models to other women going through similar situations. Restorative micropigmentation of the areola-nipple complex is an option for completing breast reconstruction. By applying pigments, the appearance of the areola and nipple is recreated, which can help improve patients' perception of their own image and their emotional wellbeing. The head of the Breast Pathology Section at the Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Auxiliadora Ferrer, notes that the approach to breast cancer has evolved towards more personalised treatments that seek to control the disease and reduce its physical and emotional impact. The head of the Service and director of the Clinical Management Unit of Plastic Surgery and Burns, Arminda Ferrer Berges, states that reconstruction is part of the recovery of many women and helps those who wish to feel more comfortable with their body image. Mariló Gutiérrez explains that the exhibition was born from the experiences shared with the patients: «We wanted them to be the ones to tell their stories, to show what they have lived through, who has accompanied them and what they have learned during the illness».

The exhibition can be visited on the first floor of the Hospital Materno Infantil de Málaga, a centre belonging to the Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga and part of the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS).