Shonna Roberts graduated from Washougal High school. She went on to college and worked as a sales representative and hazardous materials specialist. Shonna also married and had her first child. Her life looked good on paper. However, the COVID-19 epidemic forced her to reconsider some of her decisions.
“I think that I became one of those people you read about in the newspaper, the ‘COVID migrators,’” she said. “I had some time to reflect on, ‘What am I doing? What is this job that I’m doing? How do I make a difference? Am I making a difference?’ That sort of thing.”
She eventually found a way to leave that mark — quite literally.
Roberts launched her first business in September, Omnis ink. This paramedical tattooing shop specializes in areola, scar camouflage, revision, stretch marks camouflage, radiation markers and other tattoos. It is located in Vancouver’s downtown area at 911 Main St.
“It’s everything I was looking for when I (became) one of the ‘COVID migrators,’” said Roberts, who lives in Hockinson but frequently travels to Washougal to visit her parents and other family members. “I was at midlife, looking at, ‘What am I doing? What is my impact?’ This is it. This is what I discovered, and it’s amazing. Once I learned the areolas and tattooed my first one, I was like, ‘This is it. It’s what I want. I’m good at it. It’s very impactful. I’m making a difference.’”
Roberts was inspired to become a paramedical tattooer by Lina Anderson, her friend and owner of Daela Cosmetics, Portland. She worked with Anderson and on her own for the necessary hours to become certified.
“Shonna came to me and wanted to change what she was doing,” Anderson said. “She wanted to help people and offer a treatment that changes lives. Shonna loved my training and the opportunity to share my method with her. I’m often asked, ‘Are you nervous about training those who will compete with you?’ There are so many people in Washington and Oregon that need our help to recreate nipples and areolas, cover scars and help them to feel confident again, (and) there is plenty of room in the industry for us to grow and help each other to be successful.”
Anderson quickly realized that Roberts is “naturally gifted.”
“Shonna will be amazing (at this),” Anderson said. “She has a natural way with people and works so hard to make a difference in each person’s life. Her success in paramedical tattoo was evident from the moment she began tattooing. Shonna’s amazing attention to detail and passion for what she does make her the best.”
Aerola tattoos, which are applied to the chest and breasts where there was once an areola, are popular among breast cancer survivors and transgender people.
“It’s definitely the last stop,” Roberts said. “It’s after you’ve gone through all your surgeries — the finishing touch. Each person’s 3D tattoo design will be unique in terms of size, placement and pigment color. It’s a great option for people nearing the end of their breast reconstruction journey, but the procedure is beneficial for many others as well.”
Roberts is also proud of the fact that she offers advanced scar and stretch-mark removal services, which she believes aren’t available anywhere else in the Portland metropolitan area.
“(We can camouflage) burns, skin grafts, chemo ports, self-harm, surgical, injury — basically, just about any scar,” she said. “If someone received a scar from a traumatic event, it could be a reminder of the negative experience. For people who don’t want that daily reminder, scar camouflage can disguise it. (Camouflage) can be very, very healing — even for weight loss, too. When somebody goes through a massive weight loss journey, they’re no doubt going to be left with a lot of stretch marks. We see stretch marks and think, ‘Oh, that’s cosmetic.’ Well, not always. It can also serve as part of your journey. These marks can be camouflaged in the same manner as a scar. They’re basically small scars on your body.”
Roberts offers several more services that aren’t even listed on her website just yet.
“Vitiligo, if it’s not active, can be tattooed away to match the skin tone,” she said. “I can tattoo a missing fingernail or toenail back on. Oftentimes when somebody has done a ‘mommy makeover,’ sometimes they’re left with just the remnant of a belly button, and so that can be (reshaped) and made to look more natural.”
Roberts hopes to offer a “safe and welcoming space for anyone seeking to heal through the art of tattoos.”
“I have a very small, private, single-bed studio, and work one-on-one,” she said. “I tell people, ‘We can talk, or you can put in your earbuds and not talk. Whatever you’re most comfortable with.’ I have my own stories to share, too, and I think that that helps to put people at ease. What I found interesting is a lot of people who come to me, I’m their first tattoo, so sometimes they’re a little nervous about the pain, which is very minimal. (I provide a) warm, comfortable, hopefully pain-free space for everyone.”
Roberts learned from her experiences that different people are affected in different ways by her services.
“If it’s a breast cancer patient, a lot of times (the tattooing) really marks the end of that chapter in their lives,” she said. “Weight loss, on the outside, may be viewed as more of a cosmetic procedure, so they feel good, look good. It all depends on how their journey has been. The impact of each person’s journey is unique. For me, the impact is the same, whether it’s a mastectomy, a transgender patient or scar camouflage. I know that I feel good because I’m making a positive impact on them.”
Roberts also has a close personal connection with her business. She was in a “pretty bad” car accident when she was a high-school student in the mid-1990s that left her with a broken back, internal organ damage and “quite a few scars.”
“I didn’t know (camouflage) was even an option (after the accident), which meant I could heal emotionally and mentally, but couldn’t make the physical progress I wanted,” she said. “(The accident) is kind of what sent me on the ‘scar path.’ On my website, there’s an image of an abdominal scar. That’s mine. This was my first treatment. The mirror was my first sign that I had done something. I want everyone to experience the complete healing I did.”
