The Beau Institute of Permanent and Corrective Cosmetics has created "The Beau National Day of Hope" to raise awareness for breast cancer survivors who have undergone breast reconstruction.
October 28th, 2015 marks the institute's 5th Annual Day of Hope, a day designed to empower breast cancer survivors and instill hope in the community. To celebrate, the Beau Institute offers free areola complex tattoos to those who have undergone reconstructive surgery.
Elsewhere, the procedure can cost between $800 and $1,000 and is rarely covered by insurance.
"I think one doctor in Philadelphia is $1,900," Rose Marie Beauchemin, the Founder and Director of Education of the Beau Institute and Creator of the Beau National Day of Hope, told NBC10.
The price, however, isn't typically what turns patients away from the procedure.
"They've been through chemo, they've been through radiation, they've been through the surgeries, all the reconstruction, and they just can't do one more thing." said Beauchemin. Many women don't know that the procedure can be done without surgery, let alone for no cost at all.
While the Beau Institute promotes free areola tattooing on the National Day of Hope, they offer the complimentary procedure all-year-round. The process is mutually beneficial, teaching graduate students how to perform the procedure while restoring the confidence of their clients.
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"If we can handle 3-4 clients each, we can really get these women taken care of in our own communities," said Beauchemin. "The practitioners, they love it. They're always looking to give something back. It's very fulfilling."
For questions or to make an appointment, call the Beau Institute at (856) 727-1411