Tattoos are used as a form of identity or fandom, but they go far beyond just being body art. A cosmetic tattoo artist in Canada has used permanent ink to help conceal the scars of burn victims, including herself. Basma Hameed, who practices in the Basma Hameed Clinic in Toronto, Ontario, offers permanent makeup and scar camouflage services to a wide range of clients like 17-year-old burn victim Samira Omar.

Omar is the victim of a horrific bullying incident in August, when four classmates beat her and then doused her with boiling water in London. "I remember I looked into the mirror when I was calling for help, and I could see my skin completely hanging off me," says Omar to CBC News in the video. "It just felt as if I'd been through hell and back."

She lost pigments on her forehead, and the back of her neck is also scarred from the incident. The teen came back to Canada in despair to seek help from Hameed, but she didn’t have much hope. "It was just like, am I going to go in and just have another plastic surgeon or dermatologist tell me 'oh, you're not going to get color back?'" she said.

Hameed feels so compelled by Omar’s story because she can relate. The tattoo artist was severely burned by hot oil in the kitchen at age 2, and despite more than 100 painful procedures, her scars remained. This prompted Hameed to delve into the field of cosmetic tattooing, and once trained, she transformed her own face and soon started to do the same for burn victims."I was told by my plastic surgeon that I needed to take my money and go on a vacation. For me, I felt like that wasn't the end of the road. I truly believed that something else did exist. So I did a lot of research, and of course I went to school. I made sure I knew what I was getting myself into,” Hameed told CBC News.

Permanent makeup provides a finishing touch to surgical procedures, camouflaging scars and burns, and breast reconstruction. Scar camouflaging typically benefits patients with hypopigmentation since the scar can be camouflaged by implanting a fresh colored pigment directly into the white scar so that the scar is no longer noticeable or obvious, according UCLA Health. The micropigmentation is able to break up scar tissue and color it to match your natural skin tone. It improves the appearance and can help restore the confidence of burn victims.

Hameed is treating Omar for free through her charity the Basma Hameed Survivors Foundation. She has to wait a few more months to treat Omar because her scars are still fresh, but she has provided the teen with an alternative. Hameed has developed a scar concealer product to camouflage the scars in the meantime.

"It's a great finish, honestly," Omar told Hameed. "Thank you so much."