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The beauty of scars: Chinese artist offers tattoos to moms with caesarean mark

Kiki, 25, mother of a 5-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo, at Samurai Tattoo. China has one of the highest C-section rates in the world, reaching a peak between 2004 and 2008 when nearly half of the country’s babies were born using the procedure, the World Health Organization said in 2010. This has created a niche market for creams, makeup and plastic surgery to hide the four to six inch scars left by the procedure. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on: May 15, 2017 8:57 AM IST

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Kiki, 25, mother of a 5-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo, at Samurai Tattoo. China has one of the highest C-section rates in the world, reaching a peak between 2004 and 2008 when nearly half of the country’s babies were born using the procedure, the World Health Organization said in 2010. This has created a niche market for creams, makeup and plastic surgery to hide the four to six inch scars left by the procedure. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Kiki, 25, mother of a 5-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo, at Samurai Tattoo. China has one of the highest C-section rates in the world, reaching a peak between 2004 and 2008 when nearly half of the country’s babies were born using the procedure, the World Health Organization said in 2010. This has created a niche market for creams, makeup and plastic surgery to hide the four to six inch scars left by the procedure. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Wang Ruoyu, 37, mother of a 16-year-old son and yoga coach, has her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar measured for a tattoo design, at Samurai Tattoo in Shanghai, China. Ruoyu had a caesarean delivery because her baby weighed 4.25 kilograms at birth. She began practising yoga for postpartum recovery and became a yoga coach. ‘I love all beautiful things that make me look better," she said, "I chose the pattern of a crown with wings to cover the scar. It looks nice.’ (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Wang Ruoyu, 37, mother of a 16-year-old son and yoga coach, has her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar measured for a tattoo design, at Samurai Tattoo in Shanghai, China. Ruoyu had a caesarean delivery because her baby weighed 4.25 kilograms at birth. She began practising yoga for postpartum recovery and became a yoga coach. ‘I love all beautiful things that make me look better," she said, "I chose the pattern of a crown with wings to cover the scar. It looks nice.’ (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Eason Zhou, 28, mother of a 5-year-old child, checks a tattoo design on a computer with her tattoo artist Shi Hailei at Samurai Tattoo in Shanghai, China. Zhou underwent a caesarean delivery (C-section) because the baby was past its due date. She has tried a scar-removal product before but it didn't work very well. She saw reports on the artist and wanted to have a try. ‘In the past people thought tattoos were just for men, but now women are starting to get them too,’ she said. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Eason Zhou, 28, mother of a 5-year-old child, checks a tattoo design on a computer with her tattoo artist Shi Hailei at Samurai Tattoo in Shanghai, China. Zhou underwent a caesarean delivery (C-section) because the baby was past its due date. She has tried a scar-removal product before but it didn't work very well. She saw reports on the artist and wanted to have a try. ‘In the past people thought tattoos were just for men, but now women are starting to get them too,’ she said. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Shi Hailei, 32, designs a tattoo for Li Ling in Samurai Tattoo. The idea came from a South American tattoo artist who gave scar-covering artworks for women who suffered from domestic violence. Two years ago, Shi came across a report that said China had one of the highest rates of Caesarean delivery (C-section) surgery in the world and decided to help women who went through the operation. The free project has helped more than 20 mothers in the past two years. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Shi Hailei, 32, designs a tattoo for Li Ling in Samurai Tattoo. The idea came from a South American tattoo artist who gave scar-covering artworks for women who suffered from domestic violence. Two years ago, Shi came across a report that said China had one of the highest rates of Caesarean delivery (C-section) surgery in the world and decided to help women who went through the operation. The free project has helped more than 20 mothers in the past two years. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Shi Hailei, 32, a tattoo artist who gives free tattoos to mothers that want to cover up their caesarean delivery (C-section) scars, works in Samurai Tattoo studio . (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Shi Hailei, 32, a tattoo artist who gives free tattoos to mothers that want to cover up their caesarean delivery (C-section) scars, works in Samurai Tattoo studio . (Aly Song / Reuters)

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An image of Wang Jing's pet cat ‘Little Pepper’, is seen on Wang's legs as she is given a tattoo. Wang, who has a 20-year-old daughter, has spent thousands of dollars over the years on treatments to remove her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar. She decided to cover up the scar with a tattoo of ‘Little Pepper’, one of her three pet cats. ‘I want to be more confident when wearing low-rise pants,’ she said. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

An image of Wang Jing's pet cat ‘Little Pepper’, is seen on Wang's legs as she is given a tattoo. Wang, who has a 20-year-old daughter, has spent thousands of dollars over the years on treatments to remove her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar. She decided to cover up the scar with a tattoo of ‘Little Pepper’, one of her three pet cats. ‘I want to be more confident when wearing low-rise pants,’ she said. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Wang Jing, 46, waits for tattoo artist Shi Hailei to transfer a tattoo design onto her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar . (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Wang Jing, 46, waits for tattoo artist Shi Hailei to transfer a tattoo design onto her caesarean delivery (C-section) scar . (Aly Song / Reuters)

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A tattoo of a flower is applied to Kiki's belly. ‘This is my fifth tattoo. I like flowers and have tattoos of flowers on my shoulders and legs. I enjoy getting tattoos, it's addictive,’ Kiki said. She chose to have caesarean delivery (C-section) over natural birth because she didn't want to suffer too much. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

A tattoo of a flower is applied to Kiki's belly. ‘This is my fifth tattoo. I like flowers and have tattoos of flowers on my shoulders and legs. I enjoy getting tattoos, it's addictive,’ Kiki said. She chose to have caesarean delivery (C-section) over natural birth because she didn't want to suffer too much. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Grace Yuan's 3-year-old daughter Rebecca, looks at the caesarean delivery (C-section) scar on her mother's belly, which is being worked on by a tattoo artist, at Samurai Tattoo . As a dance teacher, she feels awkward when the scar is exposed as she wears dancing costumes. ‘Now I feel more confident after getting this tattoo. I can dance freely on the stage without worries or awkwardness,’ said Yuan. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Grace Yuan's 3-year-old daughter Rebecca, looks at the caesarean delivery (C-section) scar on her mother's belly, which is being worked on by a tattoo artist, at Samurai Tattoo . As a dance teacher, she feels awkward when the scar is exposed as she wears dancing costumes. ‘Now I feel more confident after getting this tattoo. I can dance freely on the stage without worries or awkwardness,’ said Yuan. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Wang Ruoyu, 37, mother of a 16-year-old son and a yoga coach, poses with her new tattoo. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Wang Ruoyu, 37, mother of a 16-year-old son and a yoga coach, poses with her new tattoo. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Kiki, 25, mother of a 5-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo. Caesarean delivery is believed to require less nursing hours than a natural birth, helping China cope with rising in-hospital births as more people move to cities and put pressure on health services. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Kiki, 25, mother of a 5-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo. Caesarean delivery is believed to require less nursing hours than a natural birth, helping China cope with rising in-hospital births as more people move to cities and put pressure on health services. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Wang Ruoyu, 37, a mother of a 16-year-old son and a yoga coach, teaches a yoga class. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Wang Ruoyu, 37, a mother of a 16-year-old son and a yoga coach, teaches a yoga class. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Eason Zhou, poses with her new tattoo at Samurai Tattoo. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Eason Zhou, poses with her new tattoo at Samurai Tattoo. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Grace Yuan, teaches a dance class in Kunshan, near Shanghai. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Grace Yuan, teaches a dance class in Kunshan, near Shanghai. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Li Ling, 34, mother of a 6-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo at Samurai Tattoo. The decades old one-child policy also led couples to choose a caesarean delivery to avoid complications that could arise from natural child birth. Finally, women are choosing a caesarean birth if they are worried about a prolonged labour, doctors say. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Li Ling, 34, mother of a 6-year-old boy, poses with her new tattoo at Samurai Tattoo. The decades old one-child policy also led couples to choose a caesarean delivery to avoid complications that could arise from natural child birth. Finally, women are choosing a caesarean birth if they are worried about a prolonged labour, doctors say. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Covering a belly scar can be a challenge because the skin is softer than other parts of the body. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Covering a belly scar can be a challenge because the skin is softer than other parts of the body. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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Covering a belly scar can be a challenge because the skin is softer than other parts of the body. (Aly Song / Reuters)

Updated on May 15, 2017 8:57 AM

Covering a belly scar can be a challenge because the skin is softer than other parts of the body. (Aly Song / Reuters)

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