A NEW mastectomy tattoo clinic has opened its doors in the heart of Bradford city centre.

Yorkshire Mastectomy Tattoos, based at Rawson Place, is dedicated to all types of restorative scar tattooing.

It's the brainchild of Lucy Thompson, 29, who travelled to Texas back in 2017 to learn the art of permanent nipple tattooing.

The cause is one close to her heart. One of Lucy's first clients was her auntie, who underwent a breast re-construction, nipple graft and tattoo in hospital.

The tattoo faded over the years, prompting Lucy to find a way to help her auntie and other women facing the same dilemma.

She travelled 5,000 miles to undergo specialist training with her mentor, Stacie Rae, at The House of A.R.T (Areola Restorative Tattooing) in San Antonio, Texas.

It's understood that Lucy was the first UK artist to seek and achieve this training, offering the groundbreaking service for women who've had a mastectomy.

Lucy, from Cullingworth, initially worked from her Keighley studio Skinflicted, but has now merged with award-winning tattoo artist Luke Naylor, of Hand on Heart Tattoo Studio, to open Wonderland Tattoo & Piercing.

As well as being the new home of Yorkshire Mastectomy Tattoos, a private and safe area to help empower survivors, it is also the headquarters for The Nipple Innovation Project (NIP) which is dedicated to helping fund specialist tattoos for cancer survivors who may need financial assistance. The new clinic has been built so it can also offer training to others.

Lucy said: "I've had my studio Skinflicted in Keighley for a while, just over three years, and after I'd done the nipple tattooing and I'd got recognition for it, I found I was becoming really busy with it."

She added: "I was the only artist at Skinflicted, I'd have guest artists but I was the only one that worked full time, so I was doing everything.

"I wanted to have somewhere where people could come, it was still in a tattoo studio, but it was different, it was separate, it was more of a clinic feeling, so these women could feel safe and relaxed.

"Doing it this way means we've got five artists here, five artists that specialise in different things, and I can take time out to focus on the mastectomy tattoos.

"It helps people. I get to do something I love, create artwork and I get to help change someone's life. And it really does change lives."

"I've got a book of testimonials, it's just heartwarming, it's life-changing," Lucy added. "That's not just from the women themselves, that's from the partners, families, the children."

Lucy is now also focused on building up NIP and creating a directory of artists throughout England. An official opening party will be held from 6pm tonight.