How Paramedical Tattoo Artists Turn Traumatic Scars Into Healing Art

These tattoo artists heal scars that are more than skin deep.

By Rachel G. David Published 5 years ago • 6 min read

Paramedical tattoo artist Bianca Cypser. Courtesy of Imagine You New

If tattoos are considered by some to be an entirely decorative addition to one’s body, the growing application of tattoos in medicine is increasingly undermining this perception.

Paramedical tattooing – using tattoos to blend in rather than stand out – is a relatively new field. Tattoo artists have long offered post-mastectomy tattoos to breast cancer survivors, coloring in the breast cancer survivor’s reconstructed areola to give it a more natural look. But in more recent years, tattoo artists have started expanding outward to other medical procedures. Now, instead of opting for risky or expensive cosmetic surgeries, people with life-altering scars are increasingly opting for a different approach to conceal their injuries and reinstate a sense of normalcy. Paramedical tattoos can be used to cover up scars, conceal stretch marks and other skin conditions, and even recreate the appearance of missing body parts, like fingernails and toenails.

With the growing demand for paramedical tattoos, we are seeing a new enterprise emerge, and a new wave of entrepreneurs along with it. Take Bianca Cypser, a premier name in paramedical tattoo artistry, who founded Imagine You New, a leading medical tattoo studio in St. Petersburg, Florida. As the trainer at the International Institute of Medical Tattoo Science and Artistry (IIMTSA), she has developed an entire training program to educate aspiring artists in advanced techniques for scar camouflage, areola tattooing, and restorative medical tattooing.

“I have seen women who have had facial scars since they were children finally be able to cover these scars and women that have survived breast cancer be able to feel complete again—and it’s rewarding for us all.” - Bianca Cypser

More and more innovative paramedical tattooers like Bianca Cypser are filling in this middle ground and filling the demand for what we might call involuntary cosmetic tattoos; a beautiful tattoo to camouflage a trauma-induced scar, tattoos to disguise the mastectomy area post-operatively. Here is one of the industry’s most innovative paramedical tattoo artists involved in the business of restoration and healing. Learn about this incredible individual who picks up where doctors left off and uses her needles and pigments to help patients heal emotionally.

Bianca Cypser

The way Bianca Cypser tells it, her journey into paramedical tattooing began with a passion for helping people reclaim their confidence after trauma. Based in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida, she runs Imagine You New, where clients from across the state and beyond seek her expertise in medical tattooing. What started as a focus on traditional tattoos evolved into a specialization in paramedical work, where she now offers hyperrealistic restorations that go viral for their transformative impact.

Now, people in need of reconstructive tattoos come to Imagine You New from all around Florida and even further, to benefit from her magic touch and feel whole again. She has originated incredible initiatives, including wellness-focused days where she provides life-changing tattoo services.

Learn more about Bianca Cypser and follow her on Instagram @areolatattootraining

or visit imagineyounew.com.

Bianca’s portfolio is a testament to the power of paramedical tattooing, filled with stunning before-and-after photos that showcase her ability to turn visible scars into seamless skin. One striking example is her work on brachioplasty (arm lift) scars, where surgery left raised, discolored lines that no further procedures could fully erase. Through her scar camouflage techniques, Bianca blends pigments to match the client’s skin tone perfectly, resulting in flawless, natural-looking arms—before photos show stark incisions, while afters reveal smooth, confident skin ready for sleeveless tops.

She frequently collaborates with surgeons in Florida’s medical community, working hand-in-hand on post-operative cases. Plastic surgeons refer patients to her when traditional revisions fall short, knowing Bianca can fix restorative issues that surgery can’t even touch. For instance, in facelift scar camouflage, where incisions around the ears and hairline often remain noticeable despite the best surgical efforts, Bianca’s medical tattooing conceals them entirely. Her before-and-after series on these cases highlight dramatic transformations: pre-tattoo images display red, uneven scars pulling at the skin, while post-tattoo results show invisible blending that restores facial symmetry and youthfulness without additional invasive work.

Another area where Bianca excels is areola tattooing for breast cancer survivors. Surgery might reconstruct the breast, but it often leaves flat, unnatural areas that no scalpel can perfect. Bianca’s 3D nipple tattooing creates depth and texture, mimicking real areolas with lifelike shading and highlights. Her portfolio bursts with emotional before-and-afters: survivors starting with pale, scarred chests and ending with restored femininity, often sharing tears of joy in testimonials. These cases underscore how paramedical tattooing heals not just the body but the spirit, fixing what surgery leaves behind.

In stretch mark concealment, Bianca tackles marks from pregnancy, weight loss, or medical conditions that resist laser treatments or creams. Her technique involves custom pigment mixing to fill and blend, turning white, textured lines into even skin tone. Before photos capture the insecurity of visible abdomen or thigh marks, while afters reveal smooth, bikini-ready confidence—proving medical tattooing’s edge over surgical options.

Bianca’s work extends to other innovative restorations, like recreating fingernails lost to accidents or illnesses. Using hyperrealistic pigments, she tattoos details down to the cuticles and shine, as seen in her portfolio’s compelling before-and-afters: mangled finger tips pre-tattoo versus fully “nailed” post-treatment, allowing clients to wave hello without hesitation.

As the founder of IIMTSA in Florida, Bianca trains the next generation of artists in these advanced methods, emphasizing both the science of skin pigmentation and the artistry of emotional healing. Her courses cover everything from scar tissue challenges to client consultations, ensuring graduates can handle complex cases.

“What was clinical became beautiful again… we turned sterile into sensual. We took back control.”

So remarked Florida-based tattooer Bianca Cypser to describe the significance of paramedical body art and its ability to transform the lives of those with physical scarring to match their painful memories. Normal tattooing remains her bread and butter, but post-mastectomy scar coverage is where her heart and passion lie. She approaches her paramedical tattoo clients more like patients; she describes her initial phone consultation and her barrage of hundreds of questions that give her insight into the person’s emotional preparedness to undergo this phase of recovery. In her words, she needs assurance that her work will be “a healthy, organic part of their path through their illness.” In addition to her gorgeous, ornamental post-mastectomy tattoo portfolio—brimming with before-and-afters that show scarred chests evolving into empowered artworks—Bianca is involved in the larger movement; she’s a leader in medical tattoo education and has written about the truly medical nature of her efforts.

The extensive press coverage of Bianca’s large, intricate breast tattoos gives us an appreciation not only of the healing power of post-operative scar coverage but of the complexity of the undertaking itself. From the technical side, she clarifies that “tattooing a breast is quite different to tattooing a leg or a back or something. It’s a bit challenging to design something that would fit and work around it.” And on the receiving end, the multi-hour tattoo applications can be intense on scar tissue, but as clients often say, “The pain had nothing on the chemotherapy, so I was fine!” Survivors emerge with bold, color-rich designs that mask scars while flaunting courage, individuality, and renewed sexuality—evident in Bianca’s portfolio of transformative before-and-afters.

To see more of her work, check out Bianca Cypser’s portfolio at imagineyounew.com, where you’ll find galleries of before-and-after photos demonstrating her mastery in paramedical tattooing. Whether it’s camouflaging facelift scars, restoring areolas, or concealing stretch marks, her collaborations with Florida surgeons highlight how medical tattooing fixes what surgery can’t, turning trauma into triumph.