A BOLTON beautician is training in 3D nipple tattooing so she can offer the treatment to women who have had mastectomies.

Dionne Leece (pictured) runs The Dressing Up Box out of Essentials Health and Beauty in Sharples Avenue.

For the past three years, the 32-year-old has been offering micro-blading treatments.

Micro-blading is the process of drawing tiny hair strokes on to the face in place of eyebrow hair.

The blades are about three times finer than the smallest tattoo needle and can replicate the appearance of hairs on the face.

Tiny cuts are made by the micro-blades, leaving ink behind in the top layers of the skin.

A number of Mrs Leece’s customers are alopecia sufferers and cancer patients.

In September, she is embarking on a one-on-one training course in Hull run by renowned 3D nipple tattooist Gemma Winstanley.

Mrs Leece said: “I started off doing micro-blading in 2016 and I had a lot of customers who had lost their eyebrows and it was really rewarding to do that.

“I think it’s just nice to be able to give these people a new lease of life and some of their confidence back.

“It’s a really cool medical alternative and if they can come away a bit more like themselves and a bit more normal then it’s worth it.”

3D nipple tattoos use the fine art technique of Trompe-l’œil to recreate the nipple and areola complex.

French for “deceive the eye”, it is an art technique that creates the optical illusion that the depicted object exists in three dimensions.

The process allows a 3D appearance even if the skin is flat with no surgically created nipple bump.

Mrs Leece has an art degree and she believes this will give her an advantage once she starts doing the tattoos.

She added: “I studied art and I’m quite an artistic person so I think that helps creatively.

“Although this may be offered on the NHS there is a very large waiting list where I have seen many patients treatments cancelled due to priority clients.

“With me, it will be a personal experience where clients can come to me privately and discreetly.

“Initially I’m going to do the tattoos for free to get things started and until people know about it.

“The good news is that they’re a little more permanent than the eyebrows as well.”

The service is set to launch in mid-September. If you have any enquiries, contact Dionne on tothedressingupbox@gmail.com