We recently connected with Ivonne Jimenez and have shared our conversation below.

Ivonne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful work I’ve done isn’t just one project, it’s the art I create every day for breast cancer survivors.
I specialize in areola tattooing and prosthetic creation, and behind every piece is a woman who has gone through something life-altering. Many of my clients come to me after mastectomies, carrying not just physical scars, but emotional ones too. They’ve fought for their lives and in that process, they’ve often lost a part of themselves.
I remember one client in particular who told me she had avoided looking at her body for years. She said she didn’t recognize herself anymore. When we finished her areola tattoo, she looked in the mirror and immediately started crying. Not out of sadness but relief. She said, “I feel like myself again.”
Moments like that stay with me and continue to inspire me.
My work goes far beyond aesthetics. It’s about restoring identity, confidence, and a sense of wholeness. Whether it’s through a permanent tattoo, temporary tattoo or prosthetics, I’m creating something deeply personal, something that helps someone reconnect with their body after trauma.
The backstory behind every piece is resilience. Strength. Survival.
And being trusted with that part of someone’s healing journey, that’s what makes this work the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My journey into this work is deeply personal. My mom went through breast cancer, and witnessing her experience changed the way I saw beauty, identity, and healing. I saw firsthand the emotional impact that comes with losing a part of your body, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. That experience stayed with me, and it became a driving force behind the work I do today.
I didn’t start in this space right away. I entered the beauty industry through hair and makeup, but I quickly felt called to something more meaningful, something that could truly impact how someone feels about themselves, not just how they look. That calling led me into permanent makeup, and eventually into the medical side of tattooing. When I began working with breast cancer survivors, everything aligned. I knew this was the work I was meant to do.
Today, my services go far beyond traditional beauty. I create hyper-realistic areola tattoos, temporary nipple tattoos for those who are still healing or not ready for something permanent, and custom prosthetics for clients seeking natural-looking projection and dimension. I also run an academy where I train other artists in this specialty, so this work can continue to reach more people.
The problem I help solve goes deeper than appearance. Many of my clients come to me feeling disconnected from their bodies after surgery. They’ve fought so hard to survive, but are left navigating a new version of themselves. What I provide is a way to restore that connection, to help them feel whole again. It’s about giving them back a sense of identity, confidence, and control in their healing journey.
What sets me apart is the intention and care behind everything I create. My work is never one-size-fits-all. I approach every client with empathy, because I understand, on a personal level, how much this work truly means.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an artist, for me, is knowing that my work goes far beyond something visual, it creates real emotional impact.
I don’t just create art that people look at, I create art that people feel. Being able to help someone reconnect with their body, rebuild their confidence, and see themselves again after everything they’ve been through, that’s something I don’t take lightly.
There’s a moment I experience often, when a client looks in the mirror and you can literally see the shift. It’s relief, it’s emotion, it’s sometimes tears, but more than anything, it’s recognition. That moment of “I feel like myself again.” That’s everything.
It’s also incredibly rewarding to know that something I create with my hands can be part of someone’s healing journey. That level of trust, vulnerability, and transformation is what makes this work so meaningful to me.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the art, it’s about the impact it leaves behind.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building my audience on social media hasn’t been easy, especially as an areola tattoo artist. A lot of my content is sensitive by nature, and even today, I still get flagged or have posts removed. But that doesn’t stop me.
I realized I had to be intentional about how I shared my work. Instead of focusing only on visuals, I leaned into education, explaining the process, the purpose, and the impact behind what I do. I started sharing the stories behind the work, the emotional transformations, and the “why” that drives everything I create.
Even when content gets flagged, I stay consistent. I adapt, I learn, and I keep showing up. My goal has always been bigger than the algorithm, I’m here to reach the people who need this work, to educate, and to create awareness about what’s possible after trauma and healing.
Over time, that consistency built trust. My audience didn’t just grow, they connected with my message. And that connection is what allows me to reach the people who truly need my services.

For anyone just starting out, my advice is this: be consistent, be patient, and lead with purpose. Don’t just post to post, share your “why.” Educate your audience. Let them understand the value of what you do.
Also, don’t get discouraged if your content doesn’t perform the way you expect at first. Especially in specialized or sensitive fields, growth can take time. Focus on building genuine connections, because those are the people who will become your clients, your supporters, and your community.
And most importantly, don’t lose your voice. Stay authentic to your mission, even when it’s challenging. That’s what will set you apart and help you build something meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zyanyabeauty.com
• Instagram: @zyanyabeauty
• Facebook: @zyanyabeauty
• Other: Tik tok: @zyanyabeauty

  Prosthetics and temporary tattoos-
  Website: https://myamarae.com
  Instagram: @myamarae

Image Credits

Ricardo Del Toro