Cheryl Shohet isn’t just an artist; she’s a healer. She doesn’t heal people in the traditional sense with medicine or surgeries. She heals with her art.
Cheryl, who owns Cheryl Rae Shohet Designs, is something of a renaissance woman when it comes to art. A huge part of the local art scene, she founded the former Unearthed Arts in Waconia, designed the boat at the Ridgeview Hospital Healing Garden and the slides at Richie Wagner Park. She now runs a studio space out of The Parlour Salon and Spa in Victoria where she works as a tattoo artist specializing in traditional tattoos, permanent makeup, and restorative tattoos. This is where the healing comes in.
Cheryl got started with restorative tattoos after a breast cancer scare several years ago. She reached out to a friend for advice who’d recovered from cancer and undergone a double mastectomy. Her friend mentioned she and several other women were having a tattoo artist from New York tattoo areolas on their breasts after reconstruction.
“I’d never heard of tattoos being used for that purpose,” Cheryl said. “I immediately thought, ‘I want to do this!’ I wanted to use my talents to help people regain their confidence and their lives.”
According to the American Cancer Society, there are currently 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62, meaning half the women who develop breast cancer are 62 or younger. We all know someone impacted by this and the toll it takes on the person dealing with it. Not only do they have to deal with the fear that comes with the diagnosis, but they also have to go down the road of treatment and everything that follows. A double mastectomy leaves a lot of scars, both mentally and physically.
“Most of my peri-medical tattoo clients are women,” Cheryl says. “They often feel a part of their femininity has been erased. Some of my clients won’t let their husbands see them in the light of day. In addition to the nipple area, I can camouflage some of the surrounding surgical scars as well as stretch marks.”
Peri-medical tattoos after a double mastectomy are often considered elective and not covered by insurance, but Cheryl offers this service free of charge. The cost is typically $600-$800 by a tattoo artist. Restorative tattoos can be done one year after treatment with the initial session typically taking about 1.5 hours. The procedure is usually painless due to limited nerve sensation.
Cheryl’s space, which is spa-like and relaxing, is not like a doctor’s office or stereotypical tattoo parlor.
“Often I’m involved in the last leg of the cancer journey,” Cheryl said. “And it’s the good part. I get to help clients reclaim something that makes them feel whole. We often cry together. It’s pure joy to watch a woman look at herself in the mirror for the first time after her tattoo is complete.”
One of Cheryl’s restorative tattoo clients illustrates what Cheryl provides: “Cheryl is simply amazing! Her skills, knowledge, attention to detail, and professionalism are impeccable. She’s like talking with a friend I’ve had all my life. I'll be a lifelong client, that’s for sure.”
Healing through art is an intimate and deeply fulfilling journey for both Cheryl and her patients. She wants people to know this service is available right in their own backyard. "It's my life's purpose". And upon entering the studio and meeting Cheryl you will immediately feel it.
I wanted to use my talents to help people regain their confidence and their lives.