Reconstructing Beauty

Three women are combining their skills with new technologies to help others restore their self-confidence.

- Renee Bachelor and Sng Ler Jun

The cosmetic industry is often hit with bouts of bad publicity, especially when it promotes impossible-to-achieve standards of beauty and the insecurity that they breed in consumers. But the very same products and technology that can be used to shackle us, can just as easily be harnessed for a good cause. Restorative treatments and cover-up makeup don’t just bring about healing on a physical level. They also boost confidence and bring back a sense of normalcy to those who suffer from scarring, hair loss and skin conditions, which have marred their sense of self-worth and adversely impacted their psyche.

T Singapore spoke to three women who have been quietly using their respective skills to serve a higher purpose than merely beautifying an individual. They offer restorative treatments that take a more holistic approach for the individual.

NIPPLE TATTOOS

SUMITHRA DEBI IS a third generation tattoo artist, whose realistic nipple and areola tattoos for breast cancer survivors, are a culmination of her life’s work, artistic ambitions and her own way of giving back to women who are seeking closure after a long period of illness and trauma. Debi grew up in a family of tattoo artists, so her foray into body inking seemed almost predestined. At 15, the granddaughter of the late Indra Bahadur — or “Johnny Two Thumbs” — started learning the nuts and bolts of the trade from her uncle Harka Bahadur in secrecy. A year later, she became one of Singapore’s youngest female tattoo artists when she landed her first client, tattooing the Chinese character of “love” onto her friend’s body.