SILVERDALE — On Oct. 10, more than 50 women nationwide were given free tattoos to cover mastectomy scars.

P.Ink in a national organization that spans the nation. It was started in 2013 in Colorado, and for the first time, studios in Washington state participated in the volunteer effort to give women tattoos to cover scars.

“We actually have 54 women being tattooed this year, which is our biggest amount ever,” said Krystin Jones, who is with Stronghold Tattoo in Silverdale. Jones is a P.Ink board member.

Jones was introduced to P.Ink through a friend in New York, whose studio also participated. She then began calling around the area, recruiting Seattle studios Madame Lazonga Tattoo and Under the Needle Tattoo to join in on the volunteer event.

“These women don’t feel pretty in their own skin, and they shouldn’t have to live like that for the rest of their life,” Jones said.

A mastectomy is a common surgery for women to treat or prevent breast cancer, and the procedure removes the tissue from a breast. As a result, massive scars are left. And though most women are able to get implants to maintain their natural shape as best as possible, for some, that isn’t an option.

“For me, reconstruction wasn’t possible,” Suzanne Blais said. “So doing something like this allows me to kind of take back my body and just make a choice about my body instead of having something happen to it, in a way that is symbolic and means a lot to me, personally.”

Nine women in Washington were able to receive free tattoos this year through P.Ink.

“We paired them with which artist would do the best tattoo for them,” Jones said.

The tattoos ranged from flowers to dragons to “swirly organic stuff,” according to Jones.

“I wanted something that sort of represented the experience for me,” Blais said. “I think it’s just symbolic to me for the whole process to how you have to approach the situation when something like that happens. Get fierce, and make it about staying alive.”

Blais was tattooed by Stronghold Tattoo artist Nik Flores, who said, “It’s good to help people be happy with themselves and their bodies.”

Cindy Abbay-Lugo, tattooed by Stronghold’s Alicia Quinby, chose a floral design.

“I love roses, and I wanted to look as feminine as possible,” Abbay-Lugo said.

“I could have reconstruction,” she said, “but it didn’t really feel like I have breasts anymore. I just kind of have these lumps under there. So this is my way of just reconnecting with my body and feeling like it’s mine again. I’m making a choice to do this, instead of because (I) had to.”

Jones tattooed Jessica Jones on Oct. 10, who also ended up going with a floral design.

“We chose these flowers because they’re the birth flowers of her children,” Jones explained.

In an earlier interview, Jones said, “Scars are going to be there no matter what. What we want to do is just make them pretty.”

Jessica Jones said that without the P.Ink event, she “wouldn’t be probably brave enough” to get the tattoos.

“I thought it would be cool, but I don’t think I would ever have done it,” Jessica Jones said. “That’s pretty awesome that they can come in and have this happen, but it’s also just an opportunity to turn scars into art.”

The idea behind P.Ink is really about a woman reclaiming her body after events outside of her control changed it.

Quinby said that it’s important to spread the word about these events. Otherwise, she said, women are often left with a potentially untrained artist tattooing fake nipples onto reconstructed breasts.

“A lot of women have had mastectomy or reconstruction surgery afterward, and their only option is to get somebody who’s not even trained to re-tattoo the nipples or cover up the scars, and they’re only allowed to get a nipple,” Quinby said. “They can’t do anything creative to cover up the scars.

“When it comes to making people feel better about themselves and feeling more confident, it’s kind of detrimental to the whole idea, I think,” she added.

Quinby said that she intends to participate in P.Ink “every year from now on.”

“Hopefully in between years, we can have other events, or if any woman wanted to do this, I’d be more than happy to help them out financially,” Quinby said. “I’m going to recommend all my friends in other states to do (P.Ink).”

The only studio in Kitsap County to participate this year was Stronghold Tattoo, but next year, Jones hopes more will be involved. The list of women requesting these services is so long, they can no longer accept applications for the time being, she said.

“I’m glad to be a part of something so neat,” Jones said. “It’s really special, especially when these ladies see themselves in the mirrors. Some of these women have no tattoos, never even wanted them. Mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers … they cry, and everyone cries, because it’s just so healing, it’s so magic.”

Blais said, “P.Ink and the fabulous people associated with that are making it possible for people like me to reclaim our bodies. To me, it’s an honor to wear their art.”

To learn more about P.Ink, visit p-ink.org.

Stronghold Tattoo is located at 9481 Bay Shore Drive NW, suite 203, in Old Town Silverdale. Contact them at 360-698-4404, or www.facebook.com/strongholdtattoos.

Michelle Beahm is a reporter for the Bremerton Patriot and Central Kitsap Reporter can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishing.com.