Why GRIM Studios Helped Build a Free Tattoo Removal Program in Hamilton

Tattooing is about permanence. That’s the promise we make every time we pick up a machine.

But ethical tattooing also means understanding when permanence becomes harm — and what responsibility tattooers have when that happens.

At GRIM Studios, our work has always been rooted in consent, autonomy, and care. That philosophy didn’t stop at what we put into people’s skin. It eventually led us to ask a harder question:

What do tattooers owe people who need ink removed, not added?

That question is why we helped build Reth-Ink, a trauma-informed laser tattoo removal program offering free removal for tattoos tied to hate, trafficking, abuse, and violence.

This post explains why that matters — and why tattoo studios should be part of the solution.

Tattooing Doesn’t Exist in a Vacuum

Tattooers don’t just work on skin. We work inside culture.

Over the years, I — Memphis Mori (formerly Memphis Cadeau) — saw the same pattern repeat:

• People trapped by racist or gang-related tattoos they no longer aligned with

• Survivors carrying tattoos forced on them by traffickers or abusers

• Clients whose pasts followed them into job interviews, housing applications, and daily life

These weren’t “regret tattoos.”They were barriers.

This reality was documented nationally when GRIM Studios began offering free removal services, covered by CBC, Vice, the Globe and Mail, and international outlets. Those stories weren’t about trends or aesthetics. They were about what happens when people are denied control over their own bodies.

Ethical tattooing requires acknowledging that reality — not pretending it’s someone else’s problem.

Why a Tattoo Studio Got Involved in Removal

Some people assume tattoo removal sits outside the tattoo industry.We disagree.

If tattooers benefit from permanence, we also have a responsibility to respond when permanence causes harm.

That belief guided our decision to help create Reth-Ink as a sister initiative to GRIM Studios — not a separate, faceless service, but an extension of the same values:

• Consent

• Autonomy

• Dignity

• Access

Reth-Ink exists because tattoo culture must evolve past the idea that “you made your choice, now live with it.” That mindset ignores power, coercion, trauma, and survival.

Community Recognition Isn’t the Goal — But It Matters

This work didn’t happen quietly.

In recognition of its impact, I was awarded the YMCA Peace Medal, an honour given to individuals who promote peace, social justice, and community cohesion through action — not status or wealth.

That recognition doesn’t belong to me alone. It reflects the tattooers, technicians, and community members who believed that harm reduction belongs in tattooing.

For GRIM, it reinforced something important:

Doing the right thing for people is not separate from running a successful, respected studio. It’s part of how trust is built.

What This Means for GRIM Clients

If you come to GRIM Studios for a tattoo, this is what you should know:

• We take permanence seriously

• We believe in informed, ethical tattooing

• We do not shame people for needing removal

• We believe studios should support people across their entire relationship with their bodies

Whether someone is getting their first tattoo, covering an old one, or removing ink tied to trauma, the guiding principle is the same:

Your body belongs to you.

Where Reth-Ink Fits In

Reth-Ink operates as a trauma-informed tattoo removal program serving Hamilton and surrounding areas, with a focus on:

• Free removal for hate-based, trafficking-related, and abusive tattoos

• Respectful, confidential consultations

• A harm-reduction model rooted in community care

If you or someone you know needs support, you can learn more here:👉 https://www.reth-ink.com/free-removal

And if you’re looking for a tattoo studio that treats ethics as part of the craft, not an afterthought:👉 https://www.grimstudios.ca

Tattooing is powerful because it lasts. That power comes with responsibility.

At GRIM Studios, ethical tattooing doesn’t end when the session does. It extends into how we show up for people when their relationship with their ink — and their past — needs to change.

That’s not politics. That’s professionalism.