A growing number of people are turning to tattoos to address cosmetic medical issues, The New York Times reports.
It’s called ‘paramedical tattooing’
And it’s becoming an increasingly common procedure among people who have undergone surgeries or experienced accidents that changed the appearance of their skin.
Paramedical tattoos can be used to cover up scars, stretch marks, and other skin problems, or even restore some of the appearance of lost body parts — like fingernails or nipples.
In those cases, paramedical tattoos are designed to make people feel more comfortable in their skin.
“You don’t understand until you’ve been through it,” Leslie Pollan, a dog breeder who traveled 6 hours to get a paramedical tattoo to help cover a scar on her face, told the Times. “It really made me have a different outlook on life.”
And entrepreneurs are drawing up big plans for paramedical ink
Feleshia Sams created a line of skin-colored tattoo pigments and a training program called the Academy of Advanced Cosmetics. It’s already attracted more than 100 aspiring medical tattoo providers.
In the US alone, the cosmetic plastic surgery market is a $16.5B+ industry.