When we're young, many of us make some pretty poor decisions, but for some kids, those poor decisions turn into even bigger, life-changing ones. Many in disadvantaged situations may turn to drugs, alcohol, and violence to feel like they belong somewhere or to have a "family" to count on.
When people join gangs, for example, they are forced to do things they may not necessarily want to do. They adopt a certain lifestyle that isn't safe and that ostracizes them from the rest of society.
A seemingly harmless mark of this association is covering one's body with tattoos. Of course, not everyone who has tattoos is a gang member, and some are reformed ex-gang members. Nevertheless, there is still a stigma surrounding their appearance.
Photographer Steven Burton wanted to show this in his photo series called "Skin Deep" in which he photographs these ex-cons and digitally removes their tattoos. Side by side, two photos of the same person can look like they are of different people!
He showed the pictures to the men, who were simply astonished by their appearance. Many of them haven't seen their skin without tattoos in a very long time — perhaps years!
Just watch the clip, and see the extreme difference for yourself.
Please SHARE if you or anyone you know has tattoos, and if you think they would love to see this for themselves!
