Executive Summary
- Jo Lam founded Project Beauty in 2018 to provide cosmetic and support services to survivors of trafficking and domestic abuse.
- The organization offers tattoo removal for victims branded by abusers, aiming to help them reclaim their physical identity.
- Project Beauty collaborates with 14 shelters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including addiction centers and transition homes.
- The nonprofit is expanding its community outreach in 2026 with programs for underprivileged youth.
Jo Lam, a survivor of childhood domestic abuse and sex trafficking, established the nonprofit organization Project Beauty in 2018 to provide rehabilitative services to victims in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to Lam, the initiative began with a focus on domestic violence and trafficking survivors but has since expanded to assist individuals facing various forms of crisis and trauma.
The organization operates a clinic offering specialized services such as tattoo removal for survivors who were branded by their abusers, as well as cosmetic makeovers intended to restore self-esteem. Lam stated that the group currently collaborates with approximately 14 shelters across Dallas, including transition homes and addiction centers, to deliver these services. “Every day, you wake up and you look at yourself in the mirror … you have to see the markings,” Lam said. “I’m really, really grateful that we get to help women reclaim their identities and bodies.”
Lam, who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong at age 15, described falling into a sex trafficking ring after fleeing an abusive home environment at age 16. She told reporters that traffickers often target young girls lacking support systems. Her personal experience with physical branding by an abuser motivated her to include tattoo removal as a core service of the nonprofit.
The organization relies largely on volunteers and charitable donations. According to Lam, Project Beauty received its first grant funding in 2024, allowing for operational growth. Looking ahead to late spring 2026, the nonprofit plans to launch a program assisting underprivileged girls in the Dallas area with prom expenses, aiming to provide normative social experiences to at-risk youth.
Beneficiary Shashikala Patel, 38, reported that Project Beauty assisted her after she escaped an abusive arranged marriage. Patel, who moved to Arlington from India, described being forced to work in a motel and enduring physical abuse before seeking refuge at a Dallas shelter. She credited the makeover and support services provided by Lam’s organization with helping her rebuild the confidence necessary to secure employment at a bank and raise her son independently.
Survivor Rehabilitation Impact
The operations of Project Beauty highlight a critical component in the recovery framework for victims of human trafficking: the psychological and physical reclamation of self. While law enforcement agencies focus on the interdiction of trafficking networks, the long-term reintegration of survivors often depends on community-based resources that address physical trauma, such as the removal of forced branding. Experts note that access to reconstructive services is a vital step in breaking the psychological control exerted by traffickers, allowing survivors to transition from crisis management to sustainable independence.
