Arianna Pezzano

BioProsthesis, MA Material Futures, Country and Townhouse Regeneration Winner, 2023

BioProsthesis is an interdisciplinary project that proposes a way for human-hair waste to be used to produce customised prosthesis for people healing from breast cancer.

Patients experience physical changes during chemotherapy, with hair loss being one of the first moments when their femininity is challenged. In this project the hair lost during the therapy is collected and used to extract keratin.

Considering the mastectomy or lumpectomy procedure outcomes, which represent the second challenging moment due to the actual changes in their body, a discussion takes place to understand the needs and feelings of the patient. This involves taking measurements and making castings of the patient’s body.

Utilising keratin as the primary material, I create a prosthesis tailored to the patient’s preference. This process enables the patient to regain a sense of wholeness, with the keratin used in the prosthesis serving as a replacement for the loss of their breast. This symbolically reunites the first loss of hair with the body in the form of a prosthesis, and facilitates the acceptance process and psychological healing.

To achieve a light-weight model, the nipple is reconstructed through electrospinning technology. An aluminium mould is placed in the electrospinning machine in place of the traditional aluminium foil.

The partial or total breast-filling prosthesis is manufactured with 3D-printing technology using a keratin-based filament. This is modelled following a biomimetic approach that considers the morphology of a real breast regarding its internal structure to obtain authentic mobility and feel.

By using keratin, BioProsthesis first offers a different perspective on biomaterials, focusing on what the human body itself can produce, and avoiding the exploitation of other living organisms. Secondly, the project wants to bring an improvement in the field of prosthesis, which has often lagged behind in terms of innovation and attention to individual patient needs.

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