Praise is pouring in from around the world for a Brisbane tattoo apprentice who is offering free tattoos for Australians wanting to cover up self-harm scars from the past and turn them into works of art instead.

22-year-old Whitney Develle began offering the inspiring deal by posting a photo online of a tattoo she'd inked atop her friend's scars. She said she wanted to help more people to feel comfortable with their bodies.

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"I want you to be able to look down at the scars that bring you pain, embarrassment, shame, and be able to put those feelings behind you" read Whitney's Facebook post, "and instead feel proud of the body part that now contains art and offers a new beginning."

The flood of requests through Facebook and Instagram was so overwhelming that Whitney had to revise her original offer saying she could only do 50 free sittings 1 or 2 days a week at Garage Ink until the end of the year, though she will still offer heavily discounted rates for the other days of the week.

Many of her followers who wanting their scars covered were too ashamed to go to any other artist because of the stigma behind self-harm – but Whitney is looking to change that stigma one tattoo at a time.

"These are grandparents, mothers and fathers, young adults who have moved beyond their days of self-inflicted harm," the artist told 9News. "I want them to know that they no longer have to feel ashamed and that they no longer have to conceal their scars. They can receive some closure and find confidence again."

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