Charlotte
Hawkins
Make up Exploration
Life after being
a gang member!
Although once joining a gang is usually for life. Some members leave their gang life behind to move on creating a life for themselves and their familys. Due to body modification such a symbolic body tattooing and missing fingers, these things will always stay with them as they are a imprint of the body for life. These things can have a negative impact of someones life, making it difficult to get jobs, make friends and live a normal life.
I researched lifes after being a gang member and found some interesting stories and information re-doing and hiding their past as a member of a gang.
Lazer Tattoo Removal
It is estimated that close to 25% of the U.S. population has some sort of tattoo. Eventually, as many as 50% of them want to have laser tattoo
removal. Ex Gang members being some of these people use laser removal to get rid of unwanted tattoos from their past.
Laser tattoo removal is 10x more expensive than actually getting a tattoo. It can take up to 6 sitting to completely remove the tattoos.
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This diagram shows the layers of skin the laser passes through to remove the tattoo ink.
It works by producing short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/tattoo-removal4.htm
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This video shows and explain how the laser tattoo removal procedure works.
These stories show real life gang members having their past removed from their bodies to start a new life.
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This video tells the story about Bryan Smith, a guy whos life involved gangs, drugs and violence. Bryan explains his symbolic tattoo. 'Dragons in street gangs represents 'chasing the dragon - smoking drugs.' He explains its the biggest nightmare and mistake of his life, he looks in the mirror and brings back bad memories.
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A group in central LA, Homies Unidos, is helping former gang members get their tattoos removed for free, and helping them change their lives with a counseling program.
The Morning Show stopped by âŽtheir clinic recently and met several people getting their ink erased, including a teenager and his mom who are taking the first step together.
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The 24-year-old spent a decade as a gang member in L.A. and Virginia.
"It's not something I'm proud of - not anymore at least," he added.
Many organistions are paying for ex gang members to have their tattoos removed. This a huge step to changing their lifes around, creating a different image helping the ex gang members start fresh and having no one judge them for their past.
There are many cases where gang members are helped to have the professional treatment of removing tattoos. However some people take their regrets to another level using dangerous ways to removing their gang member tattoos.
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Ex gang member Eriks Mackus used a grinder to remove his tattoos from his face. He got the tattoos when he was 16. The reason for me to remove the tattoos was so he could get a job.
The extent he took to have them removed was so painful, however to him getting a job was more important.
This image shows Erik's busted up face after he removed his tattoos using a grinder.
The grinder cut open his eye and wounded his face, he had to have 8 stitches in his face.
