Rookley mum 'confident' again after belly-button tattoo

A mother, who lost her belly-button due to an operation, has restored her confidence after getting a realistic medical tattoo.

Sarah Olive, from Rookley on the Isle of Wight, lost her belly button six years ago after a hernia and tummy tuck operation.

The 3D tattoo was made by artist Gemma Bowers who owns Gems Ink based in Ryde.

Ms Olive said she had been considering a surgical procedure but changed her mind after seeing her work.

Ms Olive went from feeling "paranoid" that people would notice her missing belly-button...

... to getting a tattoo so realistic that her son wants "to stick his finger in it"

Ms Bower started doing medical tattooing when her friend asked her to tattoo her nipples after an operation.

Her work includes permanent make up, as well as areola, scalp tattoos, scar camouflage and now belly-buttons.

She is the co-owner of the areola training academy which teaches artists to tattoo realistic nipples on people who have lost them after a mastectomy.

Medical tattoo artist Gemma Bower said her work was "really important for the self esteem of people"

Ms Olive said getting her belly button tattooed had given her confidence back.

"Because it's something that everyone's got and it's sort of normal, I just didn't feel comfortable going on the beach or swimming in a bikini without one," she explains.

She said she had been "paranoid" that people would notice it missing.

She was thinking of surgical procedure to recreate a belly-button but decided to take the tattoo route instead, after seeing Ms Bower's work.

The tattoo is so realistic Ms Olive said her son wanted "to stick his finger in it".

"I've got a holiday booked this year and normally, I would've opted to have a full swimsuit so I can look at ordering bikinis," she said.

Ms Bower said doing medical tattooing was "really important for the self esteem of people and their mental health".

"I think for a woman it's quite a big deal," she said.

Ms Bower also runs the Tata Foundation which raises funds for people who cannot afford the treatment.

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