By Ty Burke 

This story was originally published in the Fall 24 issue of strategy magazine.

Denise O’Connell has a scar on her stomach, and she wanted to cover it up. She thought about getting a tattoo, but a permanent one wasn’t a viable option.

“I can’t imagine putting a tattoo needle anywhere near my scar,” O’Connell says. “It’s a little sensitive, but also a little bit numb. It’s a weird sensation. I often wondered whether temporary tattoos could cover it, but there weren’t any available.”

So, O’Connell decided to make them herself. With close friend Amanda Hudson, O’Connell co-founded TuckTats, which makes realistic-looking temporary tattoos that are meant to specifically cover or adorn surgical scars left by c-sections, mastectomies and other procedures. They’re a little like the ones you may have used as a child, but with designs by professional tattoo artists and medical-grade inks and adhesives.

When she saw a TikTok video of breast cancer survivor @dani_trops tearing up after putting TuckTats on her reconstructed breasts, O’Connell realized the company was more than just your average business venture. “When I saw that video, I realized this is something that can bring happiness and joy into people’s lives. And that’s something they might have been missing for a while.”

To market its products, the company leaned hard into social media. At first, O’Connell joined Facebook groups for people who’d had surgical procedures. When members commented they didn’t like their scar, TuckTats made them aware of its products.

“That did really well for us and, as we’ve grown, we have tried to keep our social media presence, but we’ve also tried to organically market our products by being involved in these communities,” says O’Connell. “We donate part of our proceeds to an organization called The Breasties, which is focused on creating a community of support for survivors and thrivers. They market our product for us. The philanthropic part of it has been a great strategy for endearing ourselves to that community and making a name for ourselves.”

TuckTats is currently working on a new line of tattoos for people who have had top surgery – a procedure that removes breast tissue to give trans or non-binary people a less feminine-looking chest. The focus on this new line of products came at the suggestion of TuckTats design collaborator Shane Wallin, a San Diego-based tattoo artist who specializes in permanent tattoos for mastectomy scars.

The new line, says O’Connell, requires a shift in approach. TuckTats has tended to use very feminine-looking designs, often with flowers, butterflies and accents in pink or purple. But its new designs will be more gender neutral to meet the needs of the trans and non-binary community.

“A lot of people remove their breasts because they don’t identify with either sex or gender, and we want to make a product that is inclusive,” says O’Connell.