Woman Now Seeking Tattoos as the Perfect Cover-Ups for C-Section Scars

No matter how body positive a mom can be, she can often find herself struggling to accept certain facets of her postpartum body. Thanks to a society that values thin, toned bodies and flawless skin, many mothers end up covering up their stretch marks, or feeling ashamed about being unable to “lose the baby weight.” Another thing some mothers find challenging is to be fully accepting of their c-section scars, hence the popularity of so many scar creams out there. But one Chinese tattooist has found a different sort of solution, by turning c-section scars into colorful works of art.

Shi Hailei is a 32-year old tattoo artist in Shanghai and owner of the Samurai Tattoo shop. Shi was first inspired to provide his c-section scar service after hearing about Flavia Carvalho, a Brazilian tattooist who offers domestic violence survivors tattoos to hide their scars. The young man realized he could do the same for women in China who would prefer to cover up or transform their c-section scars into something else entirely.

“A tattoo makes a woman more confident. She will no longer feel ashamed to show her abdomen,” Shi told Reuters.

Shi’s comments about shame are likely rooted in the fact that China has one of the highest c-section rates in the world, resulting in the popularity of creams and other treatments to diminish these birth scars by Chinese women. While I don’t believe anyone should ever feel shame about their bodies, it is certainly nice to see someone helping those out to transform their bodies into what they would prefer. Currently, Shi’s tattoo shop helps about 6 women every month with his service, and they even have a waiting list.

c-section scar
(Image: YouTube / Reuters)

Grace Yuan was one of the many women Shi has tattooed. The dance teacher and mom of a toddler told Reuters she felt awkward about her scar showing when she wore a low-waist dress. She now has a rose tattoo over her scar.

[youtube url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn2GPNJmR7A]

“I can dance freely on the stage now without worries or awkwardness,” said Yuan.

Again, I don’t think any woman should ever feel shy, awkward, embarrassed, or have any other negative sentiments toward their c-section scar. But we should also welcome the ability for people to get tattoos if they so choose, and if it happens to be over a c-section scar, so be it.

(Image: YouTube / Reuters)

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