The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

Paramedical Tattooing for Self-Harm Scars, with Tattoo Artist Elena & Her Client

Episode Summary

Tattoo artist Elena from Illusions by Ink Studio in Irving, Texas, discusses paramedical tattooing and invites her client with lived experience of self-injury to share her experience with camouflage tattooing of her self-harm scars.

Episode Notes

What is paramedical tattooing and scar camouflage and how is it different than other treatments for self-injury scars? Not everyone with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) wants or needs to address self-harm scars, but some may choose to reduce or get rid of them as part of their recovery journey. Elena from Illusions by Ink Studio (https://illusionsbyinkstudio.com/) walks us through her approach to paramedical tattooing for self-injury. Her client "H" joins the conversation, sharing her experience as someone with lived experience of NSSI and why she chose this type of tattooing for her self-injury scars.

Connect with Elena on Instagram @illusionsbyink_studio, on Facebook here, and on YouTube @Scarcamouflagetattoo. You can reach her at elena@illusionsbyinkstudio.com. Below are a couple papers referenced in this episode:

  1. Allroggen, M., Kleinrahm, R., Rau, T. A. D., Weninger, L., Ludolph, A. G., & Plener, P. L. (2014). Nonsuicidal self-injury and its relation to personality traits in medical students. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 202(4), 300-304.
  2. Plener, P. L., Brunner, R., Fegert, J. M., Groschwitz, R. C., In-Albon, T., Kaess, M., Kapusta, N. D., Resch, F., & Becker, K. (2016). Treating nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents: consensus based German guidelines. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 10(46).

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The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

 

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