Tag: Tattooing over Scars

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“The idea is to convert scars into something pretty; to transform a difficult experience into something beautiful,” interview with Tina Caruso

Tattoo artist Tina Caruso (@tinacarusodot) tattoos at Buzz Club in Leeds. Here she talks about her journey into the tattoo industry, never giving up on her dreams and her new project, the ‘pay as you feel campaign’ for those who’ve had mastectomies…


How long have been tattooing and how did you get started in the industry?

When I was 19, I started out of curiosity. My parents helped me buy my first tattoo machine and get my licence – I started tattooing from their house. At the time, in my small hometown in the south of Spain, there weren’t any tattoo studios.

I moved to the UK in 2016 and tattooing stopped being a priority for me, it wasn’t until 2018 that I tried to find an apprenticeship – I didn’t have much luck. So, I kept practising at home, I started English classes and I found the tattooing style I wanted to go for and put together a professional portfolio. I finally started in my first tattoo studio, Skinz, at the end of 2019.

What inspired you to be an artist? Do you have a background in art?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been painting or drawing. I’ve also experimented with a range of media. I fell in love with oils. My mum’s house is covered in canvases. She has always pushed my creativity.

For me, becoming a tattoo artist came from the urge to be an artist. I felt that selling my art through tattoos would be an easier way to make a living. Now that I feel more settled in the tattoo industry, I can’t wait to start painting my canvases again and combine them with tattooing.

How would you describe your style? Have you always tattooed like that?

No, I started very young, with no guidance – not even YouTube to help me. I didn’t have anyone to ask about styles, so I started with the most popular style: Old School.

I’ve always been curious to try other styles – my first ever portfolio was chaos. It wasn’t until a year before I started working in my first ever tattoo studio that I began to stick to one style. It was dotwork, a very illustrative style – my designs and tattoos would be done dot by dot.

In the studio, I learnt how to whip shade, so I could start evolving my style. It became very dainty with small details creating fine-line realism. I’ve moved more towards surrealism, even more fine, delicate and smooth.

What inspires your designs?

Nowadays, my designs are inspired by people’s emotional scars and happy stories.

I would say daily life and storytelling inspires me the most.

For my personal projects I always use myself for inspiration: a bad moment, a certain situation I disliked, mostly negative emotions I’ve felt over the years. I would paint self portraits, not necessarily realistic, but to express what I felt in that moment and use it as a healing process.

Now I create more realistic looking pencil drawings, filled with certain emotions I have felt at some point. I find objects, human figures, animal, flowers, plants or anything that symbolises what I feel in the moment or relate to in some way.

What do you like to tattoo and what would you like to do more of?

I like to challenge myself with things I’ve never drawn before, this is what keeps tattooing exciting for me.

I’m feeling a bit experimental lately with human figures. I find I’m attracted to them every time I create. I find mythology from any culture exciting. Mostly mythological creatures, as I think these are very hard to capture. I’m learning to make them look real without losing the magical or ethereal look of them.

Can you tell us about your latest project?

The ‘pay as you feel campaign’ is a free service for those who’ve had mastectomies – if there is any exchange of money – but there doesn’t have to be – it will go to charity. I would love to tattoo more over scars and I’d love to help anyone who has had a mastectomy or top surgery.

The idea is to convert scars into something pretty; in other words, to transform a difficult experience into something beautiful.

I want to combine my profession with a social cause, as well as positively impact lives through my art.

How do you see your tattoos evolving in the future?

I am a very changeable person, I’m always creating and experimenting. I would love to start larger scale pieces, not necessarily bigger tattoos, just covering more of the body. They’d have lots of the delicate detail but would be spacious compositions that work with the body.

Do you think tattoos need to have a meaning or story behind them?

I prefer them to have a story. It helps my creative process so I can conjure up something different and unique every time. But I don’t think this is necessary, tattoos can be funny or for no reason. As long as they make the person happy and don’t offend anyone.

What was your first tattoo? Do you still like it? How has your tattoo collection developed since then?

I got my first tattoo when I was 19, it’s a line-work Converse shoe. I did it myself, in my bedroom. Fine-line tattooing wasn’t a thing until recently, so I had loads of colour traditional and black work tattoos.

I started covering everything two years ago, with a blackout from my left arm going down my back and finishing at my bum… for now. I decided to go for a neotribal bodysuit, as I feel it is a much more elegant and less noisy style.

Where’s been your favourite place to travel and tattoo? Do you have any guest spots planned?

I haven’t had the luck to travel outside the UK with my work yet. But, 2024 is full of guest spots, and I can’t wait – I’ll be travelling all over the UK. I’ll also be going to LA in September, so I will try to work in San Francisco and Mexico. But, nothing is confirmed yet. I’m also planning a full month in Germany, after the US. I am very much looking forward to these guest spots, seeing all these new places and meeting new tattoo artists.

What’s the tattoo scene like where you are?

Leeds is a very artistic and youthful city. I feel very lucky to be part of a team with young creatives and talented artists like the Buzz Club family. It is a great city to be an artist, even more so a tattoo artist.

What do you do when you’re not tattooing or drawing?

Emails! Tattooing is a 24/7 job. But when I have the free time, I love to go to the countryside, mostly in the summer, and in the winter, you will find me in any art gallery or exhibition. I find them very inspiring and sometimes I’m lucky enough to meet new artists while I visit their exhibitions.

What moment in your career are you most proud of?

When I moved from Spain to the UK at that young age, it definitely marked a before and after in myself. I kept pushing to become a tattoo artist – even when I wasn’t good enough.

The second was when, with no previous apprenticeship, I started working in a real tattoo studio as a real tattoo artist. All the effort wasn’t for nothing. I finally got into the tattoo industry.

And the last, the moment I learnt that every one of us has a different path, and it’s okay to have a rest when following your dream. It’s hard work, but never give up even if it takes years. You’ll get there if you put effort and care into what you do.

Follow Tina Caruso (@tinacarusodot) on Instagram for more beautiful tattoos. She works at Buzz Club in Leeds.

We’re always talking to amazing tattoo artists, check out our latest interviews.

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“I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life,” interview with tattooist Dmitrii Palkin

We sat down to have an in-depth chat with tattoo artist Dmitrii Palkin who tattoos from Mimik Tattoo, in Charlotte, NC.

What first made you fall in love with tattooing? Do you have a very strong first defining memory?

Of course. It was in Russia. I was 10 years old and I saw the movie From Dusk till Dawn for the first time. George Clooney was so cool and he had a big brutal tattoo on his arm. This movie impressed me so much that I couldn’t sleep all night… I became a fan of tattoos after that.

What tattoos are on your own body? How old were you when you got your first? Do they tell a story – or are they more random? Do you still enjoy getting tattooed?

I only have five tattoos on my body… but that’s two arm sleeves, one leg sleeve , and my whole back and chest!

I got my first tattoo done by myself when I was 13 years old. I put together my own machine out of a spoon, guitar string instead of a needle, a ballpoint pen and a motor from a CD player. It was a very bad machine and the result was the same. It was a hieroglyph and I have no idea what it means. But from then on, I fell in love with the process of tattooing and that love has been with me all my life.

How did you become a tattoo artist? Is it a constantly evolving process? 

After graduating from university, I tried my hand at different fields, but I always felt out of place. The love for tattoos is something I’ve always felt.

In one of the hard moments of life, when I lost everything, I decided that this would be the best moment for the dream to become a reality. I gave myself six months to try my hand at being a tattoo artist. It was the best decision of my life. I started learning how to tattoo every day. And this learning doesn’t end even now, seven years later.

How would you describe your style? 

Black and white tattoo, microrealism, fineline.

What inspires you? Do you have any artists you admire?

I am very inspired by Dmitry Troshin, Sergey Murdoc, Sashatattooing, Orge Kalodimas. They are very cool masters, and besides their work I am inspired by the fact that they achieve everything by themselves.

Do you have any guest spots planned? Where and how do customers book in?

Yes, I plan to visit many different states in the US, I want to explore California, Florida, Vegas. To book a session with me, you can use any means of communication. Instagram direct or email Palkin@mimiktattoo.com.

You specialise in covering scars, how did that come about and what do you love about it? 

I once had a situation where my wife badly burned her leg and I lived the recovery journey with her. She was left with scars after the incident and after healing I offered to help her cover them with a tattoo. When I announced on my blog that I was willing to help other women cover their scars as well, I saw huge feedback.

I started getting hundreds of hard tragic stories and pictures of scars sent to me. It was heartbreaking to read them, but I felt compelled to make their lives better. Scars are the heartache of thousands of women.

What’s different about tattooing scarred skin and what should customers think about if they have scars they’d like to tattoo over?

Tattooing over a scar is much more difficult to do than over just a skin. It takes a lot of experience to choose the right design and control the depth of the piercing. In the inexperienced hands of an artist, overlapping a scar will look like mush/a bruise. Not all scars can be resurfaced, sometimes I send clients to a dermatologist for a consultation to get the go-ahead.

We love how open and honest about your past you are on social media, why is that important to you?

Thank you so much! When I talk about my past, I get a lot of feedback from those who are having a hard time right now. And by seeing my journey and what I’ve come to, people see hope for a brighter future. It’s important for me to spread the message, it’s in my recovery programme. It’s also important for me to remind myself where I came from.

You’ve recently moved to the USA, where were you before and what made you make the move? What’s next?

All my life I have lived and worked in Russia and travelled a lot to other countries. America was my childhood dream. And I am happy that I have had this opportunity. America is a great country and I am honoured to work here now and learn  the American  culture!

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“Tattoos can mark a milestone moment, symbolise a new beginning or celebrate cherished memories in a person’s life,” interview with tattooist Tanya Buxton

Tanya Buxton started her career as a traditional tattooist, but she realised the power of tattooing extended beyond simple designs on skin. She now creates hyper realistic nipple tattoos for breast cancer survivors – and they look so real they often get removed from social media. We had a chat with Tanya, who tattoos from her welcoming studio Paradise in Cheltenham, to find out more...

Tanya Buxton at Paradise Tattoo Studio in Cheltenham

Can you remember the moment you fell in love with tattoos?

I’ve been obsessed with tattooing for as long as I can remember. I was fascinated by my father’s tattoos as a child. Tattooing called to my soul – it was something I always wanted to pursue from a very young age. The rich cultural history and creative freedom that surround this incredible art form is something I’ve always been drawn to.

Tell is a bit about your journey…

I started out as a traditional tattoo artist but expanding my skills into cosmetic and medical tattooing was something I always wanted to do – right from the beginning of my career. I’ve always loved helping people feel good about themselves. From very early on in my tattooing career, I realised how powerful tattooing can be, how it can uplift and elevate people on so many levels and for so many reasons. 

“Once I began offering cosmetic tattoo services, it opened me up to a whole new world of people who can benefit from tattooing.”

That’s what led me to expand my skills further into medical tattooing. I’ve seen first-hand the impact tattoos have on people, from decorating a scar with a beautiful piece of art to recreating a realistic 3D nipple after mastectomy surgery, tattoos can help heal a person inside and out.

Tattoos can mark a milestone moment, symbolise a new beginning or celebrate cherished memories in a person’s life; they enable people to reclaim their bodies and transform their skin into something they love, helping them to move forward, build self-esteem and boost body confidence.

Tanya Buxton at work

To me, 3D areola-nipple tattooing represents the true power of tattooing. These small tattoos – quite literally – change a person’s life. It is difficult to put into words just how wonderful this form of tattooing is.

They help people reclaim their body back after surgery, illness or trauma, allowing people to move forward in their lives feeling more ‘complete’ and like themselves.

They allow people to feel confident in their skin again, they help people to look in the mirror and love their bodies. These tattoos not only impact a person’s physical wellbeing, but also their emotional wellbeing. 

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“To be able to give someone a piece of themselves back through an art form that I love is a gift that is difficult to describe.”

 Seeing a person look at themselves in the mirror for the first time after their tattoos are complete – whether it’s a 3D areola-nipple tattoo or a mastectomy tattoo – is such a magical moment to be part of. You can see the confidence radiate from within, it’s just beautiful. 

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We spotted you tattooing a woman’s breast at Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, which was absolutely incredible and so brave – can you tell us a bit more about this…

I tattooed a few breast cancer survivors at the Brighton Tattoo Convention this year, my ladies wanted to have their tattoos done there to help spread the word on this wonderful form of tattooing and share with the public how empowering tattooing can be. They all also wanted to help raise awareness for my breast cancer charity, the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance, which was also at Brighton.

Both myself and the MTA will be at Brighton in February 2024, too. 

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Amazing, we will of course be there too. So what’s next for you?

I’m hoping that next year will be a big year for Paradise. We’re moving to a larger premises in Cheltenham, which we are all really excited about. The bigger studio will allow us to expand our team and offer more of these wonderful tattoos.

I will also be launching a training academy, which has been created to help professional tattoo artists develop and advance their skills into more specialised areas of tattooing, such as areola tattooing. 

I plan to continue growing the Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance charity and raise more awareness of our cause and the positive impact of these life-changing tattoos. We recently added two artists from the US to our directory and I would love to add more artists from around the world and take our charity work global.

The Mastectomy Tattooing Alliance is a UK charity founded by Tanya in 2021. The MTA is dedicated to supporting the breast cancer community in their healing journey by making these empowering tattoos more accessible to people and striving to help improve the information and education available for this wonderful form of tattooing. Tanya is always looking to add more skilled areola tattoo artists and mastectomy tattoo artists to the MTA directory, so please do get in touch with her. You can donate via the website, www.mastectomytattooingalliance.org.

For more inspiring tattoo stories read: Tattoos to mark transformative moments.

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Stretch marks and tattoos

Stretch marks, scars, stretchies, tiger stripes… whatever you call them, most of us have them, and that’s okay. But what about when you want to get a tattoo where you have a stretch mark or a scar? Can you tattoo over them, will the tattoo look alright? We spoke to a couple of tattoo artists to find out…

Hannah Gehrke, Red Tattoo and Piercing, Leeds

As someone who is absolutely riddled with stretch marks (which hindered me a lot in my teenage years, thanks, puberty), I am absolutely unbothered by them and I fully empathise with those who aren’t so comfortable with having them. 

If you do have concerns about them and are looking to get tattooed, the best thing to do – if you feel comfortable – is to send over a photo of the area so I can have a look, and we can further discuss the best way to make a tattoo that’ll look good and last a lifetime!

When someone is looking to cover up stretch marks or scars, I firstly like to make it clear that putting a tattoo over them does not remove them. The tattoo is a distraction – no one will primarily notice stretch marks or scars when there’s a fun tattoo over them!

I’d also say, with scars especially, make sure they are completely and totally healed before getting a tattoo over them. It’s a lot safer and you’ll have a more pleasant experience. Otherwise, as I say to all of my customers, get into a routine of moisturising the area a week or so before your appointment! The more soft and supple the skin, the easier it is to work with, but I feel that’s just a general rule for life though. Get on that daily moisturiser, folks!

Notes for artists:

There’s no particular dos and don’ts when it comes to tattooing scars, but the style of tattoo does have to be taken into consideration depending on what the individual’s skin is currently like, and I do like to have a thorough consultation before going ahead with anything so we can get a good end result.

Scars, especially those that are raised, do tend to be a little physically tougher to tattoo, but that doesn’t mean you can just hammer anything into them; you still have to be careful especially when it comes to doing line work. Go slightly too hard and you’ve got yourself a ticket to Blow Out City, somewhere we want to avoid!

Stretch marks tend to swell and raise quicker as the skin is thinner and more delicate, which can sometimes make them a little tricky. As long as you’re not too heavy handed and it’s applied correctly, line work and colour/shading usually heal and last well. They can sometimes take longer to settle back down to normal during the healing process though, and do need to be babied a little more.

Katherine Alexander, Perseverance Tattoo, Inverness, Florida

I promise you, any good artist will not care about your stretch marks or scars. You don’t need to be scared, worried or self conscious. We’re here to help you feel good and make you some beautiful art! If you are ever uncomfortable in an artist’s chair for any reason, please speak up! For any reason at all. Tattoos are a very personal thing and your comfort always matters first and foremost. We are at YOUR service, don’t forget that!

Honestly, just do it. There’s nothing wrong with stretch marks, but if you are wanting to redecorate them with some art, don’t be afraid!

It doesn’t feel super different to tattoo, but it depends on the scar and stretch mark. It can depend on depth, how it healed and how old it is. If anything, it may be a little more tender in some areas but it isn’t going to feel any worse than a regular tattoo. It is a little tricky to actually do the tattoo, it can blow out or not take the ink. It just takes a little extra time and care! So make sure you research your artist as well as talk to them about their work with scar tissue! Don’t be afraid to look around until you find someone you trust and would like to work with.

There isn’t much prep out of the ordinary that you need to do before your appointment, but it is always good to use moisturiser. Just keep the area clean and make sure there isn’t any irritated or open scar tissue and you’ll be good to go, just like any appointment.


As far as aftercare goes, just give it some extra moisturising and keep it hydrated and it should heal as normal! It’s always good to apply lotion even after it’s healed to keep it looking nice, and your skin will thank you. The scars may be a little irritated and swollen after the tattoo is done, but that is normal, they will go down once everything is healed!

Have you got a tattoo over scars or stretch marks and would like to share them with us? Tag us in your photo on Insta and we’ll share them in our stories!

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Flavia Carvalho: Transforming Scars

Brazilian tattooist Flavia Carvalho has been tattooing women who have encountered domestic violence or have had mastectomies. The marks caused by abuse and cancer are there for life, even though the scars will fade, the memories will always be visible.

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Flavia is transforming these scars into beautiful tattoos, for free, so that women can reclaim their bodies, find closure and love themselves again. Flavia’s project has been running for over two years , and is named “A Pele da Flor” which translates as The Skin of the Flower, taken from the Portuguese expression “A flor da pele” meaning deeper than skin. Flavia explains that “women are like flowers and deserve to have our skin protected and embellished.”

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Speaking to the Huffington Post Flavia explains how the project started:

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 an switchblade. When she saw the finished tattoo, she was extremely moved, and that deeply touched me. I was suddenly struck by the idea of providing free tattoos to women who were left with scars following domestic violence or mastectomies. Each tattoo would act as an instrument for empowerment and a self-esteem booster.

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Images and quotes Huffington Post