Dermatologists across the country are using laser technology to help sex trafficking survivors remove branding tattoos — symbols of ownership their traffickers forced upon them. Programs offering free removal are growing, giving survivors a chance to reclaim their bodies and identities.

In a 2022 study, about half of sex trafficking survivors reported having branding tattoos. These markings — names, "property of" statements, dollar signs — appear on visible areas like the neck, hands and face. Dr. Shadi Kourosh, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who offers free removal, is training other physicians to recognize trafficking indicators. Kathy Givens, who carried her trafficker's name on her back for 17 years, said watching it fade felt like getting pieces of her dignity back.

The laser procedure breaks up ink so the immune system can clear it, typically requiring three to 12 sessions. For Melody Montemayor, who had "property of" and a dollar sign tattooed on her, removal meant returning to Texas Woman's University to finish her degree and pursue a master's in social work. The work addresses a critical gap: 88 percent of survivors sought health care while being trafficked, but most were never identified.