Upset, disgusted by Kanye West’s anti-Semitic comments, Kimberley Westgarth, a 24-year-old British student, is about to get rid of her tattoo of the rapper in London, without paying a dime.
Two years ago, the architecture student tattooed the face of the American rapper, who appears with tears of blood, on her left arm. She then loved “his music from him”, and in particular what he defended, in particular the “bipolar community”, disorders that the young woman explains that she herself affected.
“I idolized him at the time,” she says.
But the rapper’s recent anti-Semitic comments and his display of admiration for Hitler have changed everything: “I don’t want him on my skin anymore,” explains the architecture student.
“Second opportunity”
Kimberley Westgarth will need twelve laser sessions to get rid of her tattoo. The process, which involves spraying ink particles with a laser that are then gradually eliminated by her body, should be completed within a year. Meanwhile, she hides this tattoo.
Settled for two years in the exclusive London neighborhood of Marylebone, the Naama studio has launched a program called “Second Chance”. It consists of removing tattoos that have become a burden over the years and a constant reminder of a painful past: belonging to a gang, a stay in prison, a toxic relationship, hateful symbols…
A program that now extends to Kanye West’s tattoos, and which has received a hundred requests, explains Melina Lawson, manager of the establishment. The process is ongoing for two people currently.
“It’s a journey” for tattoo removers, when “you don’t like the tattoo anymore and what it means to you,” he explains.
“It can be a bit sensitive for the client, but as the treatment goes on it changes”, “he sees that it is being removed and that there may be something else”, he adds.
Social impact
According to the manager, apart from this free program, the total price of removing a tattoo amounts to an average of 2,000 British pounds (almost 2,300 euros), but of course it varies depending on its size and the number of sessions required.
But “the social impact” that the removal of a tattoo can have, the “positivity” that it can generate brings more than money, says Melina Lawson, explaining that the establishment thus fills small empty spaces in its agenda but ensures that these clients are treated like everyone else.
Since the anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye West, many brands have also cut ties with the artist in recent weeks, including sporting goods maker Adidas, ready-to-wear chain Gap and fashion house Balenciaga.
Source: BFM TV
