With the help of tattoo artist Ryan Kelly and his project Scars Behind Beauty, which he started in order to help people with self-harm scars, this 19-year-old is now able to move on with her life.

Aoife Lovett struggled with depression and self-harm when she was a teen. Although at the moment the 19-year-old woman is in recovery, her scars were always a reminder of what she went through. “There’s a lot of shame that comes with it and guilt, especially when you’re around your family,” the woman told Independent and pointed out that scars can make it difficult to find a job too.

That’s when she found Ryan Kelly, a tattoo artist, who, despite the difficulty and the time it takes to tattoo scarred skin, helps people to cover up the pain they’re trying to leave behind in the past. It all started in February when another woman came into the parlor he works at, told him about her struggles with mental health, and asked him to hide her scars. “At the end of that, it didn’t really feel right to charge her. It kind of felt like it meant more to her than that.”

Since then the word got out and people like her started coming in weekly. Kelly says he takes inspiration in using his art to help the ones in need from his mentor Johnny Connolly, a really dear person to him, who took his own life in 2016, as well as his own anxieties. At the moment, the tattoo artist has nearly 300 people on his waiting list. Scroll down to see his work below.

If you’re struggling with self-harm or you know someone that does, make sure to seek help as soon as possible. Check out the links here and here for more information.

(h/t)