Second Skin

It’s the morning of your job interview, and you’re in go-mode. You wake up early, so early in fact that you don’t need the four alarms it usually takes to get you out of bed. A day-old haircut greets you in the bathroom mirror where you repeat a few affirmations and maybe even hit a power pose. Over breakfast (which is another first), you recite the company biography that you memorized the night before, making sure you know every face and name from the head office down to the satellite offices. And after double-checking your teeth for any rogue spinach omelette bits, you put on the brand-new outfit that you bought just for today. Sure, it cost a bit more than you’d like, but hey, that’s what the interview is for, right?

Most of us have been in a similar situation at some point, and whether it’s a new haircut, a new outfit, or even a new vocabulary (“I would love to circle back on that!”), we have probably engaged in a little self-editing ahead of a big interview. But what does one do when the things they might want to cover up are in plain sight, laced with stigma and seemingly permanent?

That’s the dilemma faced by many of those who are served by the Tattoo Removal and Cover-Up Program at enCompass Community Safety Agency. And while the name of the program is pretty self-explanatory, its impact on program participants is difficult to quantify. Launched this past fall, the program provides tattoo removal and cover-up services for individuals with gang tattoos, racist or hate-based tattoos, or markings from self-harm, abuse or human trafficking. It’s quickly become a popular service in enCompass’ larger reintegration program, particularly for clients who are just trying to get their foot in the door.

Sometimes the placement of tattoos can have some anti-social associations,” says enCompass Team Lead Kezia Wright, discussing the barriers often faced by clients with tattoos on their face, neck, hands and other highly visible areas. “There’s just a lot of assumptions that can be made that don’t really give that individual the opportunity to truly show what they’re capable of and the skills they might have, or to learn the skills they might need to be in that job. It can be an immediate judgment that takes away that opportunity.

Wright has seen firsthand the impact visual markings can have on individuals reintegrating into day-to-day life after a period of incarceration or abuse. From interviews with employers to landlords to service providers, the process can be a radical change for folks accustomed to being perceived negatively. There are also the self-limiting behaviours often tied to tattoos and scars, even when they aren’t visible to anyone else. “Having a gang tattoo in particular is symbolic of a specific type of lifestyle that is very traumatic,” Wright says.

“It really impacts people’s self-esteem and ability to move forward because every day you’re confronted with this reminder of things that you’re trying to possibly move away from.”

The ability to remove tattoos is just one of a few features that makes the enCompass program unique. The program also allows participants to work with a tattoo artist to design cover-up tattoos, which may be a better option for those looking to cover markings from abuse, trafficking, self-harm or other traumas.

While cover-ups are facilitated by a handful of tattoo artists that have partnered with enCompass, as of now, the removal process occurs entirely through Legacy Tattoo Removal. The business — which is actually located inside of a tattoo studio — has been offering its own pro bono tattoo removals since it opened in 2023. The program’s history goes back even further, though; Legacy co-owner Madi Rawson got her start working under the guidance of Ben Alway at Second Skin Tattoo Removal, who also offered free laser removal for individuals with antisocial tattoos, as well as track marks and radiation spots. And although Alway passed away in 2023, his mission has been carried on at Legacy and now expanded with the help of enCompass.

“People are just so grateful that they don’t have signs of hate on their body that they don’t associate with anymore,” Rawson says. “It’s really empowering to be able to even see a client who comes in with ashamed body language — sometimes they don’t even want to show me the tattoos — and then, over a series of months or years, to see them really come into their own where they’re feeling like themselves again.”

Rawson often gets to build relationships with individuals over the several sessions that might be required to fully remove a tattoo. It’s a process that can take anywhere from several months to a few years — laser removal works by breaking up the tattoo ink into smaller pieces that are slowly digested by the body — and cost thousands of dollars. But thanks to the support of Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF), enCompass and Legacy expect to serve dozens of participants over the lifetime of the $15,000 grant.

“This program is a powerful example of how modest support can have a deep, long-term impact,” says Sherilyn Trompetter, ECF’s Manager, Equity Advancement. “By reducing barriers like visible tattoos tied to past experiences, we’re helping people reclaim their identities and build confidence as they move forward — and that’s exactly the kind of change we want to support.”

Wright and Rawson are also thinking big, with their eyes set on offering mobile tattoo removal services for individuals who are still incarcerated. It’s the kind of head start that can accelerate the reintegration process, and it only hurts about as much as a hot elastic against the skin. “This program is not just about the tattoo cover-ups or the removal process. It’s about the life skills aspect too,” Wright says. “We’re trying to get you to a place where you’re able to get that job that you want. Or you’re able to go back to school and feel confident in the classroom. Or you’re able to approach that landlord and not feel that they’re going to discriminate against you and deny you housing.

“We want people to be well, and we want people to have the tools and resources available that they need to get where they want to go in life.”

This story comes from the Summer 2025 Edition of Thrive Magazine.

Read the full issue.