For 18 years, Jody Stoski worked as a makeup artist in TV, print, and fashion. But when she saw the permanent makeup industry start to take off, she decided she wanted to be a part of it. Permanent makeup — also known as micropigmentation or cosmetic tattooing — is a cosmetic procedure used to replace or enhance coloring on the skin. For example, here are some of Jody's patients with alopecia (an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss) who had micropigmentation performed on their eyebrows:
"When I trained as a permanent makeup artist, I trained with two doctors who also did paramedical services," Jody told BuzzFeed. "I was fascinated by the work they were doing and decided to train from day one on both cosmetic and paramedical services, which I began offering in 2008." Paramedical tattooing is the art of using skin-colored tattoos to cover up scars, burns, and other types of marks on patients.
Jody's first job in the paramedical tattooing field was at a cancer clinic, where she rented out a space and offered eyebrow and areola restorations to clients going through cancer treatments. "I saw a lot of varying cases and gained excellent experience as a result. I also worked out of a day spa at the same time, where I focused almost purely on cosmetic tattooing, which is rewarding as well, but I found the paramedical procedures so much more rewarding," she said. "When I eventually moved into my own clinic, I offered services for both markets. I now have a team of artists that provide a mix of cosmetic and paramedical services."
Jody is now the CEO and founder of Cinnamon Girl Clinic in Calgary, Canada. At this clinic, Jody said she and her team "can camouflage scars, burns, skin grafts, cleft lip surgeries, mastectomy scarring and areola/nipple revision, top surgery patients (gender affirming) scar and areola/nipple revision, vitiligo, and stretch marks. Scars can be from surgeries (tummy tuck, facelift, C-section) or from self-harm injuries, and, of course, accidents. Not all scars can be camouflaged, but many can."
We wanted to know what made Jody fall in love with this line of work. She told us, "Without a doubt, the ability to be a part of a client’s healing journey and really help them close the final chapter on the book of illness or trauma. It’s really emotional when they aren’t able to see the signs of their past trauma when they look in the mirror for the first time. There are usually a lot of tears, and sometimes they are mine!"
Jody has not only worked miracles on other people — she's performed the art of camouflage on herself as well. "I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had a full thyroidectomy in 2013," she said. "I felt very self-conscious about my scar and felt everyone was looking at it. Within a year of the surgery, I began a series of scar camouflage treatments on myself. I had been tattooing for more than 5 years at this point, so aside from having to work in a mirror, I was more than comfortable working to conceal my own scar."
