What happens when cancer changes not just your body, but your relationship with yourself?
In this episode of the Smooth Brain Society, Sahir is joined by Adam Daly, a psychology researcher at Dublin City University, alongside guest co-host Dr Kate Slade of Drs Confess, to explore the psychology of therapeutic tattooing and cancer survivorship.
We discuss how therapeutic tattoos, from reconstructive nipple–areola tattoos to decorative designs, can help people navigate changes to their bodies, reclaim a sense of autonomy and find new meaning after illness.
Adam shares insights from his research into the experiences of cancer survivors and tattoo artists, exploring body image, identity, wellbeing and the psychological significance of body modification.
We also discuss the emotional experiences of tattoo artists, barriers to accessing therapeutic tattooing, the limitations of current research, and how future work might explore personalised prosthetics and other forms of body modification.
In this episode:
- Therapeutic tattooing and cancer survivorship
- Body image, identity and embodiment
- Autonomy and psychological healing
- Tattoos, trauma and meaning-making
- Stigma and accessibility
- Research limitations and future directions
- Patient and public involvement
Guest: Adam Daly, Dublin City University
Guest co-host: Dr Kate Slade, Doctors Confess
Links from the episode:
RTÉ brainstorm with accounts of cancer survivors: https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0730/1526030-therapeutic-tattoos-cancer-reconstructive-decorative/
Tattoo artist study: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01682-4
Systematic review: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-026-02114-1
PPI for early-career researchers commentary: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-026-00979-1
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Therapeutic Tattooing
01:57 The Impact of Cancer on Body Image
07:12 How Cancer Changes Body Image and Identity
11:04 Types of Therapeutic Tattoos
13:35 Challenges and Risks in Therapeutic Tattooing
15:27 The Psychological Benefits of Tattoos
19:45 Who does the Therapeutic Tattooing?
26:11 Research on Therapeutic Tattoos
33:58 Goals of Therapeutic Tattooing
40:47 The Biggest Gaps in the Research
44:58 Rorschach test
46:56 Future Directions in Tattoo Research
49:34 Hot Take: Government-Funded Tattoos
52:55 Final Takeaways and Patient Involvement