Healing Angels: Winnipeg group helps trauma victims with tattoos to hide scarring

Whenever Kayla Kostuik sees herself in the mirror, there's areminder of a traumatic incident.

At age eight,she was in a car crash.The impact was so severe that up until a year ago, she still had tiny bits of glass coming out of her skin. It also left her with scarring on her face that starts on her left cheek and goes up to her scalp.

"I've had them my whole life and I guess it's more of a self-confidence, outer-image thing," she said.

Kostuik is hoping to change the appearance of the scars with the help of a non-profit called Angels Ink Foundation Manitoba.

"I would really do anything to have them gone. But this will be the closest."

The organization's goal is to help people affected by physical trauma by covering the cost of paramedical tattoos essentially, permanent makeup that can camouflage conditions like scars.

In June, Kostuik received her firsttreatment on her facial scar, free of charge.

The artist doing the work is Keri Hamilton of Cosmedic Ink, and one of the founders of Angels Ink Foundation Manitoba.

In 2013, Hamilton began doing areola tattoos at the Health Sciences Centre for breast cancer patients who had undone reconstructive surgery. At the time, that was covered by a non-profit organization.

But a couple of years ago, that funding dried up, prompting Hamilton, along with her husband and friends, to start a group to cover the costs of areola and other paramedical tattoos. (Cancer Care Manitoba has sinceannounced that it will fully fundthe costs of areola tattoos.)

A fundraiser in November helped Angels Ink raise $22,000, and a few months ago, the organization began accepting applications from people in need of paramedical tattoos. Hamilton says about 30 people have received thetattoos since March.

"Mostly eyebrows for people who have lost their hair due to cancer, a few people from alopecia," Hamilton said.

"A couple of gals I've done beautiful lips on. They're just beautiful people who have had cleft surgeries. It's really the most rewarding part of my job, for sure."

The work often takes several sessions, and it can be expensive ifthe cost of her medical tattoo wasn't covered, Kostuik would have to pay $150 per hour to have the work done.

The cheek area that Hamilton will work on is sensitive, so Kostuik is a bit worried about the pain. "But I am positive," she said. "Looking forward to the results."

Instead of a tattoo gun, the tattoos are doneusing a tool that looks similar to a makeup brush, except that instead ofbristles, there are metal needles at the tip.

After mixing several shades of paint to match Kostuik's skin tone, Hamilton gently works the colour into the scar.

"You have to make sure that we layer it into the skin slowly, because you don't want it to look like paint," Hamilton said.

"If we did it all at once it would look unnatural. It's over several sessions. We just layer it in slowly so it will look natural over time and be a part of her face, instead of sitting on top her face like a makeup."

The plan was for Kostuik to get a little bit done, and then come back once a month until it is finished.

While the tattoo will eventually fade, Hamilton says Kostuik can reapply to Angels Ink Foundation Manitoba to have it touched up.

"With scarring, youcan't change the texture of scars, but you can change or improve the colour. It's not going to be completely perfect.

"We are just attempting to create the illusion of the same colour throughout the scarring, so it's not as noticeable."

Those interested in applying to have a paramedical tattoo funded through Angels Ink Foundation Manitoba can get more information through the group's website.