Meet Basma Hameed, a paramedical tattoo specialist whose talents have allowed countless severe burn victims a new sense of relief.
Instead of tattooing the designs one is used to seeing tattoo artists produce, Hameed focuses on the use of special pigments that match the patient’s skin color in order to conceal scars left behind from serious burns. Her skills are sought after by many patients around the world.
For Samira Omar, Basma provided the kind of hope that was taken from her when a group of girls threw boiling water on her when she was 17 years old. Samira was covered in scars and discolorations from the attack.
Samira assumed that the scars would never fade and that she’d just have to get used to them. However, with Hameed’s help, she saw a drastic decrease in her scar visibility and discoloration after a couple of treatments.
Hameed understands that not everyone can afford these treatments, thus, she offers free procedures for patients who are unable to cover the fees. She is doing so for Samira, and is also showing her how to use a scar concealer, which she also developed through self-experimentation.
Hameed understands firsthand how life changing this work can be for those having difficulty coping with their scars, as her first patient was herself.
At age two, Basma was severely burned by hot oil in a kitchen accident. After more than 100 procedures, the scars still remained.
“I was told by my plastic surgeon that I needed to take my money and go on a vacation,” Basma recalled. “So for me, I felt like, that wasn’t the end of the road.”
She didn’t let it become so. Hameed discovered the emerging field of cosmetic tattooing and trained in it. Once practiced, she transformed her own face with stunning results and decided to start a business to help others who had gone through similar experiences.
“My experience has definitely helped me to not give up, to continue to grow, and to continue to help as many people as possible,” she said.
Tearful, thankful patients can be seen hugging Hameed in videos of her finished work reveals. To them Basma can be heard gently responding, “you’re beautiful, you’re so beautiful.”
Featured Image by Mike Courtney on Flickr
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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