A South Carolina woman, Asabi Barner, claims that a Harlem tattoo parlor left her disfigured and for that, she is looking to collect. According the 30-year-old woman, she sought out VH1’s “Black Ink Crew” parlor not only for their huge following and frequent celebrity sightings, but because they advertise to be the best of the best when it comes to tattooing African American skin.
But it was a cover-up tattoo last year, that changed her life and left her disfigured. Although Barner says initially she considered the tattoo, replacing a unicorn and horseshoe tattoo she got when she was only 18, to be “phenomenal,” the very next morning the area surrounding her left breast became infected and filled with pus, she tells PIX11. After consulting another tattoo artist in her hometown, she learned that her skin had been “overworked” in an attempt achieve a bright white color and now more than a year later, Barner says she is still in pain.
Her skin, which has keloids, is raised, burns and itches to a point where she only finds relief by applying an ice pack daily. Her confidence has also taken a turn hit. “In the intimate moments it creates a problem because you don’t have that confidence. I wasn’t overly confident before, but I felt good about myself. Felt good about my body, but it just changes you,” Barner continued.
Barner is now suing the Black-owned and operated tattoo parlor in the heart of Harlem at 113th Street and Lenox Avenue, claiming the shop was reckless, careless and negligent.
