Professional Tattoos Help Victims of Domestic Abuse Heal with Beauty

When we really look around, there are many things we can do to make a positive influence in the world. Some people donate money to their favorite cause or perhaps they may donate some time. They do so to help people who may be down on their luck or it may even be to save animals who have been abandoned.

Charity truly knows no boundaries, and you can take almost any skill and direct it in a charitable way. That is what tattoo artist Flavia Carvalho is doing when she found out her skill could be used for a very special reason. That reason is covering up scars.

The artist lives in Brazil and she has been creating free body art for women who have scars. The scars may come from a wide variety of issues, from mastectomies to violence and domestic abuse.

In looking at the before and after pictures below, you can really see how the tattoos make a difference in their life. The strength of the women really shines through after the scars have been healed through her art.

1

Flavia Carvalho first started this project to help women who have scars from domestic violence.

It all started about two years ago, when I worked with a client who wanted to cover a large scar on her abdomen. She told me that she was at a nightclub, and when she turned down a man who approached her, he stabbed her with a switchblade. When she saw the finished tattoo, she was extremely moved, and that deeply touched me

Every tattoo she created has a similar back story. It turns a permanent reminder of something violent or ugly and turns it into a beautiful message of hope. She talks about these on her Facebook page.

2

The scene the flowers and birds shown above help transform scars after the woman was attacked in an attempted murder.

The woman had been stabbed in the stomach and had scars left from the attack and medical treatment.

Using the design helped to cover the scar and bring about new hope for this woman.

3

The dark, long scar you see above is from a bullet fired from this woman’s ex-boyfriend. She didn’t want to leave the scar as a reminder of the tragedy so it was covered with cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms symbolize femininity and new life.

4

This design on a victim’s lower arm is not to cover over an issue with domestic violence, it was from a tragic accident.

A massive nightclub fire in 2013 killed almost 250 people. This woman survived but lost her boyfriend in the flames. Her new tattoo symbolizes her fighting spirit.

5

This woman was shot in the knee by her ex-partner. Although the scar was small, it was an ongoing reminder of something quite painful. It was transformed into something beautiful.

6

The woman who requested this tattoo had been living on the street for almost 2 years and was a drug addict. She went through all types of violence during that time, with the scars being left by a shotgun. A Phoenix was created over the scar to symbolize rebirth and rising from the ashes.

7

This woman was stabbed by her ex-boyfriend during a drunken argument. He died from drug and alcohol intoxication while she was still in the hospital. The scars were covered with a beautiful young woman.

8

After a woman refused to kiss a man in a night club, he stabbed her in the abdomen with a switchblade. It left a deep and permanent scar.

After the scar healed, she had a tattoo put over it to switch the meaning.

The project is not ongoing at the moment but this impressive young tattoo artist continues to work with victims of domestic violence.

Via: Little Things

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