A Reconstructive Tattoo Went Viral
A man named Mark Bertram lost two fingertips in a workplace accident in 2018. In an effort to make light of his situation, he went to Eric Catalano to get new fingernails tattooed on the two fingers. Although it started off as a joke, the final results were so realistic that Bertram decided to share images of his new fingernails online. As the images reached millions of people around the world, Catalano was drawn deeper into paramedical tattooing, as people with life-altering scars started traveling from different cities, states, and countries to have appointments in his parlor.
The Parlor Now Offers “Wellness Wednesday”
With flesh-toned ink and a steady hand, Catalano continues to help people with scars feel comfortable with their bodies once more by covering up the scarred tissue. Another one of his clients, Leslie Pollan from Oxford, Mississippi, got a scar on her lip back in 2014 when a puppy bit her face. She had undergone plastic surgery to correct it originally but to no avail. Catalano’s tattoo artistry camouflaged the scar and gave her a new outlook on life. Catalano helps clients who have undergone important surgery procedures, cancer survivors, and others with his precise and realistic tattoos. He sees up to 8 clients on “Wellness Wednesday” and the restorative tattoos are free. Catalano says that, even though this doesn’t make a lot of financial sense for his business, the emotional response of each client reassures him that this is a path he has to remain on. The artist has a GoFundMe page where people can donate to help him continue his altruistic work!
