A Brisbane woman who took to social media to offer free tattoos for those wanting to conceal their scars says she’s been overwhelmed by the response.

Tattoo apprentice Whitney Develle, 22, posted to Instagram and Facebook last week to pledge one to two days a week giving free tattoos to those eager to conceal old scars.

The post has since gone viral, receiving thousands of likes and shares.

Due to high demand, Ms Develle has since been forced to amend the original text, offering a total of 50 free sittings in addition to discounted tattoos for everyone else.

She said she found the response “humbling but also heartbreaking”.

“I have been up late most nights [since] with a close friend replying to each and every person,” Ms Develle told 9news.com.au.

“The hardest part was that statistically probably 98 percent of [those who had written in] were people had self-harmed.

“Majority of them were too scared to speak with a tattooist out of fear of being judged.”

Ms Develle said that she was first inspired to offer free tattoos after a friend revealed scars from injuries she had self-inflicted while struggling with an eating disorder.

“She told me how much pain it brought her when people would question her about them or make comments,” Ms Develle said.

“No one should ever have to feel like a public museum for people to ridicule.”

Before and after shots of her friend's arm, pre- and post-tattoo. (Instagram/whitneydevelle)

Ms Develle said that when she then proposed tattooing over the scars, the friend agreed.

She said her friend was delighted by the results.

“The look on her face - money can't buy that,” Ms Develle said.

“[Afterwards] people were asking her about her tattoo. The scars became irrelevant - a thing of the past.”

Ms Develle was so inspired by the experience she decided to issue a callout for those wanting help covering their scars.

“Society looks [down at people with self-harm scars] and immediately thinks they are unstable or unfit to be amongst the rest of us,” she said.

“I want to change that stigma.

“These are grandparents, mothers and fathers, young adults who have moved beyond their days of self-inflicted harm.

“I want them to know that they no longer have to feel ashamed and that they no longer have to conceal their scars.

“They can receive some closure and find confidence again.”