They visited Crown Ink Tattoo Studios, Wollongong for the first time on the weekend.

Among the dozen survivors tattooed by a Survivors Ink artist was Nowra woman Judith Carrall, 55.

After finding a lump, Mrs Carrall had a mastectomy in 2013, as well as months of chemotherapy and radiation.

"In 2016, I had the first stage of reconstruction surgery where they took some muscle from my back, and also an implant, to remake the breast," she said.

"You feel a bit deformed because you're not as you normally were, and then today I guess is an opportunity to look more normal.

"Once you have cancer, in some ways you're always a cancer patient.

"In some ways this will never be 'back to normal', but this is a step in that direction."

Survivors Ink director Michelle Lewis said the organisation travels throughout Australia to perform this service, and the Illawarra Breast Cancer Support Group assisted by funding their travel to Wollongong.

Ms Lewis said nipples are not part of the reconstruction process, so "after they've had the mastectomies and undergone reconstruction of their breasts, nipples are not part of the process".

"So they're left without nipples, or a very poorly reconstructed nipple from whatever tissue and skin was there," she said.

Ms Lewis said they offer a free 3D, realistic nipple tattoo that is permanent.

Mrs Carrall said because having the work done cosmetically can be expensive, she hadn't really explored that option.

"I probably wouldn't have done it if it wasn't a free process, in that it comes down the list of things I need to spend money on," she said.

Crown Ink owner/tattooist Sue Maffullo is also a breast cancer survivor.

Mrs Maffullo is also training to be able to do the 3D nipple tattooing herself.

"There's no one really in Wollongong (to do it)," she said.

"Michelle and (Survivors Ink artist) 'Bones' travel all over the place to try and help as many people as they can.

"And locally in the Illawarra, you'll find that there are so many breast cancer survivors that need that final touch after they've gone through all their processes and treatment.

"I'd like to be the lady for Wollongong and do it in my salon... And I'll be more than happy to travel around and help as well."

Mrs Maffullo said the finished tattoo "Iooks so real".

"I've always seen what they do, but from a tattooist point of view it's like, 'how they do it?'" she said.

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