A tattoo is an emblem of self-expression, and the shared connection between the artists who create them and the people who get them can be as meaningful as the art itself.

Tina Lugo , Brody Polinsky and Em North , tattoo artists based in Portland, Oregon; Berlin; and Brooklyn, New York, respectively, are committed to making their studios safe spaces for people to make that connection, especially people hoping to transform scars they received as a result of gender affirmation surgery or self-harm.