Facebook banned mastectomy nipple tattoo pictures Published duration 18 December 2018

image caption Gemma Winstanley said she relies on Facebook to promote her services

A woman who provides nipple tattoos to women who have undergone mastectomies has criticised Facebook for banning pictures of her work.

Gemma Winstanley from East Yorkshire carries out the work for free, but last week she was blocked by the social media giant after sharing images.

She said her page was suspended for "displaying sexual content".

On Tuesday, Facebook said the content was "incorrectly removed" and her account had been reinstated.

Ms Winstanley said she was "disgusted" that she had been banned while Facebook allowed videos of abuse and violence on the site.

image copyright Gemma Winstanley image caption Ms Winstanley provides the "nipple reconstruction" tattoos for free

"It's not even a real nipple," she said

"I don't show it in a sexual way. It's only the picture of the actual areola and the nipple itself."

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Ms Winstanley said she relies on Facebook to promote her service.

"Giving somebody the areola tattoo, it's just the end of the treatment," she said.

"It's finishing, it's giving them the normality back that's been taken away.

"I often have tears. Ladies send me cards and flowers and things and say how it's changed their lives."

In a statement, Facebook said: "Adult nudity isn't allowed on Facebook, but we do make exceptions where posts are clearly intended for medical or educational purposes.

"In this case, the content was reported to us and incorrectly removed.

"We have apologised to Gemma and reinstated the content immediately."