Jess Waldrop of Lithia is the owner of In Bloom Aesthetics and Med Spa, located at . Her focus has always been about making women feel and look beautiful, as well as helping women start their own businesses.
“One of my biggest goals with the spa is to help women launch their own businesses,” Waldrop said. “I run a yearlong certification program that includes advanced training and business development where I walk alongside aestheticians as they grow their skills and build their practices from the ground up.”
In 2021, God told Waldrop to build a ministry for removing the branding off women who have been trafficked.
“These tattoos are typically on their face and neck and it’s a constant reminder of the trauma that they went through,” Waldrop said. “When I found our current location in FishHawk, I knew immediately that it would be a safe place for these women to come to. It’s a 1,250 sq. ft. warehouse built out as a spa. Once you walk through the door and it locks behind you, it feels like the world could be ending outside and you’d never know. The parking lot is also very private, since most of the surrounding businesses close by 5 p.m. It felt like God had set the space apart for exactly this purpose.”
From there, In Bloom Ministries was born.
Tattoo removal is a process, not a single event. Most tattoos take anywhere from eight to 15 laser sessions to fully remove, depending on the size and the type of ink used and where it sits on the body.
“Sessions have to be spaced six to eight weeks apart to give the body time to heal between treatments, which means a full removal journey can take a year or longer from start to finish,” Waldrop said. “The lasers used for this work are medical-grade and represent a significant investment. We’re partnering with licensed laser technicians and medical professionals who share our heart for this mission. Industry pricing for a single session typically costs $200 to $500, so the full cost to remove a tattoo from one woman can easily reach $3,000 to $7,000 or more. These survivors will not see a bill, never feel pressure and never owe us anything.”
Waldrop has assembled a board and is currently waiting for her nonprofit status to be approved for In Bloom Ministries. She is looking to the local community for grant writers, donors and local doctors to help her with her mission.
“The most immediate need is help finding grants to purchase the machines,” she said. “We’re also building a network of licensed laser technicians and doctors who are willing to donate their services. This work is spiritual at its core, and I believe every woman who sits in that chair is being seen and known by the God who made her.”
If you would like to help Waldrop and In Bloom Ministries, you can contact her at 813-990-0063 or jess@inbloommedspa.com.
In Bloom Aesthetics and Med Spa is located at 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 102, in Lithia. For more information, visit www.inbloommedspa.com.
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