Breast cancer survivor and mother-of-three who had a stunning tattoo inked over her mastectomy scars bravely shows off the body art as she poses topless in a new beauty campaign

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A mom-of-three has bared all to reveal her mastectomy tattoo and raise awareness about breast cancer in a powerful new beauty campaign. 

Grace Lombardo, 38, was signed up as the face of GHD's new breast cancer awareness campaign, an opportunity that has seen her proudly showing off her one-of-a-kind body ink - while revealing to the world how she battled the disease and worked to reclaim 'control' of her body after undergoing a mastectomy. 

The Chicago native was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, and during her treatment, she underwent chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery - all of which left her feeling out of touch and disconnected from her own body.  

Campaign star: Mom-of-three Grace Lombardo, 38, front GHD's latest cancer awareness initiative 

Hair loss: The Chicago-based mom lost her hair after undergoing chemotherapy in 2016  

'I didn't really recognize myself when I looked in the mirror,' Grace explained to DailyMail.com. 'It's like it wasn't really me, and it felt like my body had been mutilated in some way.

'I had breasts, but they were alien to me. They just weren't mine, they weren't a part of me.' 

So when the mother-of-three read about a tattoo artist called David Allen who was working with breast cancer survivors, helping them to transform their mastectomy scars into a work of art, she knew immediately that she wanted to work with him on her own special ink.  

'People were surprised because tattoos weren't really my thing!' Grace explained. 'But I knew that it was what I wanted.'

She got in touch with David and began working with him on her own very special design, an emotional experience that involves the tattoo artist and his customer discussing intimate details about the cancer survivor's experiences. 

'I just want to help them in any way I can,' David said. 'Sometimes it's actually more about speaking to someone about what they have been through, and giving them a chance to talk about it.'  

Luminous: Grace looks the picture of health and happiness in the behind-the-scenes imagery from the campaign shoot 

Journey: Grace, pictured left with her husband and right with her son, had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2016 as she battled the illness 

Family: Grace pictured with her husband and three children during the campaign shoot 

Together, the pair worked to create the perfect design for Grace, and she says that she couldn't be happier with how her body art turned out - or how it made her feel about her body. 

'When I look in the mirror now, I see this art, and I see my own personal stamp that I put on my body,' she said. 

'It means something to me, it represents a huge part of me, and something that I once only wanted to cover up and hide away, I now want to share with people.'

And the breast cancer survivor is doing just that as she takes center stage in GHD's latest campaign, which is called 'ink on pink', and which aims to raise both money and awareness for breast cancer.      

As part of its efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness month, the hair tool brand released a limited edition version of its Platinum+ Styler that is colored pink and then decorated with a tattoo-style design that was created especially for the tool by David.

For every $249 styler sold, $10 will be donated to the nonprofit Living Beyond Breast Cancer.   

Inked: Grace sought out David in 2017 to have her own mastectomy tattoo after reading an interview with him in a Chicago newspaper

Staying strong: She said that getting the tattoo helped her to feel as though she was reclaiming ownership of her body 

Grace poses with the hair straightener in a campaign that sees her holding it up alongside her own incredible tattoo - an experience that she admits was very 'surreal'. 

'It was an amazing day,' she recalled of the shoot. 'But so surreal. I just couldn't believe it.

'My kids got to be there, and David was there, and it was an incredibly positive experience. For everyone I think.'  

The inking expert, who has tattooed Lady Gaga in the past, has been creating his signature delicate floral body art for cancer survivors since 2010. 

The dad-of-two welcomes women from all over the world to his Chicago studio, helping them to feel feminine again after losing their breasts.

While he currently has a lengthy wait list, he tries to create at least two tattoos for cancer survivors every week.   

Hair: The campaign with hair tools brand GHD comes after Grace lost her own locks during chemo, left, and dyed her hair various colors during her recovery, right

Strong: Grace's cancer story is featured front and center of the new GHD campaign in a bid to raise awareness and funds for Living Beyond Breast Cancer

David was raised by a single mom and had open heart surgery when he was just nine-months-old, so it's evident as to why he is both highly in tune with women's emotions and aware of how prominent scars can seem.

He mines those emotions to create the artwork for the women who seek him out from all over the world.

The most prevalent motif that David uses for the mastectomy tattoos are intricate flowers. He also considers how to draw the eye away from the scarring and to create a feminine shape. 

Close bond: Grace and tattoo artist David Allen have kept in touch since he inked her, and the pair have formed a firm friendship, with David joining Grace for her GHD shoot 

Confidence: Chicago-based David said the tattoos help women on the road to self love and confidence post-cancer

'I usually do floral,' he previously told the Chicago Tribune, 'because the scars are so rigid, we need something organic to soften that and create curved lines. I usually do black and gray because it blends in with the skin.'

'Sometimes I wish I could do other things, but floral designs fit with the body,' he explained.

'Imperfections show with designs that are legible. If the tattoo is geometric or if it's words or birds, for example, wherever the scar is, it shows up really easily. But with flowers, it doesn't. 

'Also, if you're going to have another surgery or any back grafting it's easy to fix the flowers. It's hard to fix up birds.' 

Now that he sees between six to eight women every month at his discreet loft studio, he uses computer software which allows him to create the designs in advance on 3-D images of his clients. 

This allows him to better plan the tattoo placement to conceal scars and ensure a personalized design.