A woman who was forcibly tattooed is now having the tattoos removed for free, thanks to a TikTok user, Karridy Askenasy, and the help of a company called Removery. Taylor White, a Florida native, was just 21 when she found herself in an abusive relationship that escalated quickly.
On her 21st birthday, she went out for a night of celebration, but her boyfriend had other plans. He, along with some friends, got her intoxicated and then took her to a motel. Taylor woke up alone in the hotel room, in a lot of pain, with only foggy memories of the night before. Her shock increased when she looked in the mirror and saw tattoos all over her face, tattoos that symbolized the abuse she had suffered.
While still recovering from the trauma, Taylor tried to cover the tattoos with makeup. However, it wasn’t long before her supervisor noticed the marks. He told her, “You can’t live like this” and offered to help cover up the tattoos with blackout ink. Although Taylor accepted his offer, her life didn’t improve right away. She continued facing rejections from potential employers.
In 2008, a TikTok creator, Karridy Askenasy, stumbled upon Taylor’s Livestream and was deeply moved by her story. Karridy saw how much Taylor was struggling and realized that her tattoos were stopping her from living a normal life. He made a promise to help by offering to pay for tattoo removal and contacted hospitals for laser treatments.
Then, a company called Removery stepped in, offering to remove the tattoos for free. Normally, this process would cost thousands of dollars, but Removery agreed to do it at no cost. Taylor started her sessions and was smiling through the experience, according to Removery’s vice president.
Now 37, Taylor plans to work in mental health care after the tattoos are removed. She explained, “I’m not having them removed for cosmetic reasons,” but because she no longer wants to be connected to that painful past.