An international team of medical professionals is headed to Egypt to treat children with cleft lip and palate, and a Langhorne paramedical tattoo artist is looking forward to being part of the effort.
Susan Collins has owned Luxe Ink Cosmetics for seven years and later this month will be opening Luxe Ink Restorative at 1703 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Suite 3, where she will offer paramedical services such as skin or scar camouflage, 3-D nipple Areola for breast cancer survivors, scar revision or any other paramedical Micropigmentation.
Collins was recently selected as one of only six paramedical tattoo artists to participate in a first-of-its-kind humanitarian mission in Cairo.
She’s excited for the opportunity.
“It was a no-brainer,” she said. “I’m going to gain so much from this both personally and professionally. It’s a great opportunity. It’s something I couldn’t pass up.”
As part of what is being billed as Giveback Immersion Egypt, Collins will be going in partnership with the Exton-based Sauler Institute of Tattooing and the global medical nonprofit Operation Smile.
In addition to working on those with cleft lip and palate, there will be treatment for burn victims and people with scars.
Collins will be providing advanced paramedical tattooing to recreate natural-looking lip color and symmetry after reconstructive surgery. Medical tattooing can restore the appearance of the lip and reduce the visibility of scar tissue.
Collins and the others will use advanced scar camouflage and lip tattooing techniques to restore the appearance of cleft lip repairs alongside Operation Smile Egypt’s medical team.
Collins will also be training dental students and practitioners from several countries in permanent makeup technique so they can continue providing this specialized care for patients in their own communities long after the mission ends.
The group will also donate medical supplies.
Collins will work under the mentorship of Mandy Sauler, of the Sauler Institute, a longtime Operation Smile volunteer who founded the Giveback Immersion Egypt program.
“She has a great reputation and a lot of experience behind her,” she said.
The patients will be from Egypt and places like Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
“We try to make them whole again,” Collins said. “It really does change their lives.”
Collins said having cleft lip and palate takes an emotional toll on people, in addition to the impact on speech, teeth, eating, breathing and smiling.
“It affects a lot,” she said. “We’re going to try to make it look like full, natural lips and restore their confidence.”
Collins will arrive in Cairo on July 29. There will be full days of clinical work on July 30 and 31. All of the work is free for patients.
The trip lasts until Aug. 4, and Collins hopes to see Egypt’s iconic pyramids and the Nile River.
Collins has started a GoFundMe page to cover some of the costs of travel, airfare, lodging, food, professional insurance and paramedical tattoo supplies. She is also seeking medical professionals who would like to be a sponsor for the mission.
Collins expects the trip to be priceless.
“This is going to be extra special,” she said. “I feel really blessed.” ••
To contribute to Susan Collins’ trip, go to Https://gofund.me/fc7169d3b
For more information on Giveback Immersion Egypt, visit https://learn.saulerinstitute.biz/the-giveback-immersion-egypt
