Body Expressions is redefining tattoo art & improving local lives.
There is a certain stigma attached to being tattooed that has existed for most of modern history. However, as the industry continues to develop new techniques and artists embrace their unique style, one of the world’s oldest art forms continues to make its way into the mainstream.
Body Expressions in Seguin is pushing boundaries in a once male-dominated industry by incorporating aspects of the beauty industry to its work offering permanent cosmetics performed by highly trained artists.
Shop owner Thomas Diaz is the man in charge, but with a shop of mostly female artists, Body Expressions has found a way to appeal to individuals who may never have set foot in a tattoo studio before.
“I was born and raised here, and I always saw back in the day, I saw my community was against tattoos and I wanted to do something different,” said Diaz. “I own the shop and do what is called SMP services. It’s scalp micro-pigmentation. I do that for gentlemen that are losing their hair. I put little small hair follicles on their head, and I’m a piercer as well.”
SMP is one aspect of what most people might know as permanent cosmetics, and it is one of the fastest-growing tattoo techniques out there. Typically, beauty professionals perform permanent cosmetics to boost daily beauty by eliminating the need to fill in brows or wear lipstick. Now, hair loss is a part of the growing list of cosmetic procedures that tattooing can help.
“It’s crazy, but it’s a lot of gentlemen that have tattoos,” said Diaz. “They’re suffering from hair loss and it’s a different route for them rather than going in and doing the operation where they cut you and give you scars. This service is pulling away from that where a gentleman doesn’t have to go and pay $50,000 dollars for somebody to take hair and cut it and implant it. That’s a really rough procedure, and what I do is give them another option. When someone goes bald, they usually start shaving their head. So what I’m doing is giving them their hairlines.”
It’s essentially a tattooed fade that helps fill in the hair loss line, creating the illusion of hair follicles. It’s a lot like the process Tatiana Anders uses when doing brows and lips for her clients, which tend to be women — many of whom have never been tattooed before.
“I think the ones who have never gotten tattoos are the ones that have the issues with eyebrows –– like back in the 90’s they overplucked them and stuff, and they’re trying to do something about it,” said Anders. “I think the ones that have tattoos are probably a little more lax about it whereas if they’ve never had anything done, they get a little scared. I got into it because I want to restore that confidence back into people.”
Anders is in the process of earning her Texas Esthetician license because she believes there should be a balance between the technical side and the artistic side of providing permanent cosmetic services since it does work a bit differently than a traditional tattoo.
“There is a consultation; everybody’s skin is different, there needs are different,” said Anders. “So, it’s all customized and we always try to achieve a natural look. Basically, it’s the consultation where we talk about the wants and needs and figuring out if you’re a good candidate for it because not everybody is. Once that’s done, I’d go ahead and shape the brows or put the color on the lip just before I tattoo so they get a chance to see what it’s gonna look like beforehand.”
Once the look is settled on, then the real work begins. First, a topical numbing agent is used to help keep the process as pain-free as possible. Then Anders begins tattooing utilizing a traditional tattoo machine, which is far quieter than some might expect, with more delicate needles to achieve the look of natural brow hairs or a smooth lip tint. The goal is to enhance an individual’s natural appearance, not ink on “Sharpie brows” or a thick lip line.
“It differs in the sense that we use different pigment and different needle configurations, and we don’t go so deep into the dermis,” said Anders. “That’s why people need to get the touchups and it’ll kind of organically fade over time versus a tattoo which is deep in there with solid impacted ink, which is going to last you a while. This is really delicate, little lines, almost like a powdery effect. It’s very light.”
While the rest of the artists in the studio focus on traditional tattooing, the primarily female environment makes Body Expressions unique for reasons beyond their expertise in permanent cosmetics. Out of the eight artists at the shop, six are women.
Traditionally, tattooing and piercing are heavily male dominated, making some women hesitant to step into studios where creative expression is put on exposed skin to display.
Tattoo artist April Yrigollen came up in one such shop, where apprentices washed cars and run errands rather than perfecting their craft.
“I would sometimes feel like I was left out or put to the side, or not taken as seriously as much,” said Yrigollen. “Whereas a new guy artist would get all this attention, and they’d be uplifting about them whereas I’d be on the sidelines like ‘oh yeah, she’s a tattoo artist.’”
Fortunately, as tattoo art becomes mainstream, more female artists are finding their way into this non-traditional career path and making powerful changes to the stereotypes associated with tattooing.
For Yrigollen and several of the shop’s other artists, one of the most meaningful pieces they create is memorial tattoos.
“I do a lot of sentimental, memorial tattoos and it’s just a good feeling to do a tattoo like that and do it well,” said Yrigollen. “I always put everything into all of my tattoos, but those especially. To see them cry because they’re so happy about it, or even covering scars makes people feel more confident about themselves. It’s not just about having a cool tattoo, a lot of these boost people’s confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. It’s awesome to be a part of that.”
Whether clients come seeking an art piece to express themselves, a memorial to honor a lost loved one, or permanent cosmetics, Body Expressions has a team of professionals that are more than up to the task. With music keeping the atmosphere fun, and custom art adorning the shop walls, this local Seguin tattoo shop continues to push the boundaries of the industry while serving the local community through its art. •