Lebanese Tattoo Artist Helps Breast Cancer Survivors to Heal

Lebanese tattoo artist Joa Antoun attends an interview with Reuters at her studio in Dekwaneh, Lebanon March 11, 2022. Picture taken March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Emilie Madi
Lebanese tattoo artist Joa Antoun attends an interview with Reuters at her studio in Dekwaneh, Lebanon March 11, 2022. Picture taken March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Emilie Madi
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Lebanese Tattoo Artist Helps Breast Cancer Survivors to Heal

Lebanese tattoo artist Joa Antoun attends an interview with Reuters at her studio in Dekwaneh, Lebanon March 11, 2022. Picture taken March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Emilie Madi
Lebanese tattoo artist Joa Antoun attends an interview with Reuters at her studio in Dekwaneh, Lebanon March 11, 2022. Picture taken March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Emilie Madi

For Lebanese breast cancer survivor Roula Saad, a decade-long struggle with the disease was not over until tattoo artist Joa Antoun concealed her surgical scars, helping her deal with the physical and psychological impact of a double mastectomy.

“I hated looking at myself in the mirror, I changed a lot. I felt I was forced to live in a state of grief, I was mourning my femininity and the loss of part of my body,” Reuters quoted Saad as saying. “I was not reconciled with myself at all, nor with my own image.”

The mother of two now proudly wears her tattoo designs as a testament to her victory over the disease. She described it as a therapeutic and life-changing experience, adding: “It was like being born again.”

In addition to offering tattoos to conceal surgical scars, tattoo artist Antoun, 31, has also been offering free tattoos.

Often in their 50s, many of the women she works with were reluctant at first, she said, reflecting social taboos in Lebanon.

“They thought that it was not worth it, that it was too late for them. But getting these tattoos is becoming more normalized and accepted,” added Antoun, who also helped survivors of the 2020 Beirut port explosion cover their scars with tattoos.

Marie-Therese Chamma, a 52-year-old who had treatment, said shedding her hair and losing weight was not as troubling for her as losing her breasts to the disease.

“I looked at myself and could see the scars … I could not fully accept what was happening to me, but told myself I can always change things after finishing (treatment),” she said.

After viewing Antoun’s website, she decided to seek her help: “I was very hesitant but I felt that she is aware of how we feel and of our fears so I called and took an appointment.”



Japan Govt Admits Doctoring ‘Untidy’ Cabinet Photo

This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
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Japan Govt Admits Doctoring ‘Untidy’ Cabinet Photo

This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)

Japan's government admitted Monday manipulating an official photo of the new cabinet to make its members look less unkempt, after online mockery of their sagging trousers.

Images taken by local media showed what appeared to be an untidy patch of white shirt under the morning suits of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.

In the official photo issued by Ishiba's office, these blemishes had mysteriously disappeared, but not quickly enough to stop a barrage of mockery of the "untidy cabinet" on social media.

"This is more hideous than a group picture of some kind of a seniors' club during a trip to a hot spring. It's utterly embarrassing", one user wrote on X.

"Minor editing was made," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Monday, while seeking to deflect criticism of the manipulation.

"Group photos during official events of the prime minister's office, such as the cabinet reshuffle, will be preserved forever as memorabilia, so minor editing is customarily performed on these photos," he said.

In March, Catherine, Britain's Princess of Wales, apologized and said she had edited a photo with her children released by the palace.

The Mother's Day portrait of a smiling Kate included several inconsistencies and sparked a storm after major news agencies including AFP withdrew the photo saying it had been manipulated.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," Kate said in a statement.

"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."