Last year Samera Omar was a 16 year-old girl living in the U.K. when she was beaten up and horribly scarred with boiling water by a group of peers who she thought were her friends. Samera was left with scars on her face, neck and hands and feared that she might have to endure a lifetime of stares because of them. Basma Hameed is working to change that for burn victims like Samera with paramedical tattooing.
The artist discovered the possibilities of pigment-colored permanent makeup by experimenting on herself to cover scars on her own body that she received as a child. She hopes that the practice will offer a new option to those suffering from burn scars. According to her website, Basma stumbled upon the possibilities of the permanent makeup after being disappointed with the options available. “As founder of the Basma Hameed Clinic, Basma prides herself on her years of experience, state-of-the-art techniques, color artistry, study of symmetry, and attention to fine detail”. Since perfecting her technique, Basma has branched out, opening offices in Toronto and Chicago, and with appearances on CNN and “The Doctors”.
Over a period of months, Basma will be able to conceal Samera’s scars by using ink that matches the pigment of her skin. It’s nontraditional compared to costly and painful skin graphs, but an incredibly remarkable alternative. “For her to tell me that I could have my skin color come back was something amazing” says Samera.
