Tattoos To “erase” The Wounds Of Life

Every tattoo has a story. Women who have had a mastectomy tend to choose flowers that symbolize rebirth, while victims of abuse opt for animals that brighten them up and bring them hope.

Sometimes the noblest stories begin in dramatic situations. The wounds of life are the experiences that leave marks on the skin, whether from male violence or from serious illnesses like cancer. Tattoos can heal them.

The protagonist of this story is Flavia Carvalho, a Brazilian tattoo artist who led a project called “A fleur de peau”. His mission ? Getting women to relearn how to love their bodies and feel attractive.

Flavia Carvalho tattoos a free design that covers the marks of domestic violence or scars that have arisen as a result of a traumatic operation, such as a mastectomy.

In the rest of this article, we invite you to learn more about this interesting work.

“A flower of the skin”, or the rebirth of beauty in women

As we mentioned above, the noblest projects have their origin in dramatic situations.

This is what happened to Flavia Carvalho, when a woman who had a deep scar on her stomach, walked into her Daedra Art Tattoo tattoo shop in Brazil.

This injury was due to a macho, cruel and very violent attack.

At a nightclub party, a man started hitting on this woman, but she refused his advances and in response, the man stabbed her stomach with a knife.

This type of injury doesn’t just leave physical marks on the skin.

There are scars like emotional pain, which is the one that takes the longest to fade, but remains open inside.

Impressed by the story of the young woman, Flavia Carvelho tattooed a beautiful flower arrangement accompanied by a bird.

The reaction of the woman when he saw the result was as emotional as it was hopeful.

Something spectacular and heartwarming had emerged from the injury. The young woman changed her way of expressing herself and her personal image, so that the Brazilian tattooist clicked.

It was time to start something new. She decided to work for free so that tattoos act as an instrument to improve the self-esteem of victims of male chauvinism and women who have had mastectomies. 

Tattoos: a way to come together with your own body

Flavia Carvelho explains to us that there are not many tattoo women.

In most cases, these are men, and that’s what makes this project so special and unique.

His work is not based solely on tattoos that hide scars. It also serves to facilitate the emotional relief that takes place before the tattoo is done. 

The “Skin the Skin” project was created in 2013 and offers its services to women all over the world.

• Many women of all ages contact Flavia through social networks. They organize the trip and the visit of the Daedra Art Tattoo shop together.
• Usually women begin by telling their personal story and drama. Later, they show their scars and Flavia Carvalho suggests a possible design to them.
• Some people need a particular type of tattoo. It is common for women who have had a mastectomy to choose flowers that open. It is a way of awakening the beauty that is in them.
• Other women, victims of male chauvinism, love the presence of an animal that “lights up” them and brings them hope.

As Flavia does her tattoos, the personal and emotional letting go takes place, and this is a very important phase. Women relive feelings, situations, scenes …

The pain of the tattoo is cathartic, the blood mixes with the colors and the scars gradually disappear.

Stories impossible to forget

Despite the beauty and emotion that there is in her work, Flavia Carvalho has many stories tattooed in her mind – in other words, stories that are impossible to forget.

One of them is that of a 17-year-old girl who told her that she had been in a relationship with a man much older than her, for two months.

When she wanted to leave, the man reacted violently by stabbing her several times in the stomach.

She remained in the hospital for several days and although she survived the assault, she will never be the same again.

The tattoos drawn on her abdomen show an explosion of beauty and attractiveness, which restored her self-esteem and the pleasure of looking at herself in the mirror again.

Another impressive case is that of a woman, injured by various burns on her legs due to a car accident caused by her own spouse, in revenge for her.

These are terrible stories that Flavia hears every day at work but listens seriously because she knows her mission. Bringing beauty and hope, erasing external wounds to heal internal wounds.