Tattooist helps cancer survivors
Vinnie Myers, right, and his daughter Anna, left, work together at Little Vinnie’s Tattoos, a practice that specializes in realistic tattoos for breast cancer survivors.
Photo courtesy of The Vinnie Myers Team
About 25 years ago, a cancer survivor visited Vinnie Myers’ tattoo studio outside Baltimore with a request that would spark a new branch of the art form. After her double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, the woman wanted tattoos of nipples to restore what cancer had taken away.
“She came to me because I was known for realistic tattooing,” Myers told the Beacon. “We went through an old Playboy magazine to find what she wanted, and I tattooed it. Tattoo artists are known to make art look realistic, so it made sense. And from there, it just evolved into what it is today.”
Since that day, Myers has tattooed almost 15,000 cancer patients. He completes between 10 and 20 tattoos per week, and the waitlist is several months long.
Myers works closely with the Johns Hopkins Breast Center and the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans, whose surgeons recommend him to their mastectomy patients. He travels regularly to work in cities from San Diego to New York to Birmingham, Alabama.
Breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. While some patients don’t need chemotherapy, most will have surgery — sometimes multiple surgeries — and possibly radiation.
For many women, getting 3-D nipple tattoos is the last step of cancer treatment, which can take months or even years. Myers, according to his website, “provides a unique service to survivors in search of closure.”
Self-taught artist
From the start, art was Myers’ first language. During high school at Milford Mill outside Baltimore, he spent hours sketching tattoo-style designs, developing an eye for line and shading that would later define his career.
Myers became even more interested in tattooing when he served as a medic for the U.S. Ar my, stationed in South Korea. After showing his heavily tattooed roommate some of his work and drawing a set of Harley Davidson wings on his forearm, he pulled together some homemade tattoo equipment and started inking his friends.
His self-training led him to Europe, the South Pacific and Central America, where he learned from legends in the industry, such as Ed Hardy of Tattoo City in San Francisco.
Tattoos as medical art
Myers’ tattoo studio in Finksburg is designed more like a day spa than a typical tattoo shop: inviting, comfortable and intentionally distracting from the heavy medical history clients bring with them. Tattoo sessions take place in a private room with a door for peace and quiet.
“You don’t want people thinking about cancer while they’re sitting in the chair,” Myers said. “You want them thinking about the tattoo experience. That’s part of the healing.”
From start to finish, the process takes about one hour. Most of this time is spent mixing the pigment to get it right: Myers combines up to seven pigments to achieve the most realistic effect for each client. The tattoo itself takes about 15 minutes per side.
Over the decades, 3-D nipple tattooing has transformed from a niche request into a vital part of breast cancer recovery. While some surgeons attempt to recreate nipples surgically or with basic tattooing, the results often fall short.
Myers emphasizes that patients should seek out someone who does this kind of work, day in and day out, and ask to see samples of their work.
“I end up fixing a lot of work that was done in medical offices,” he explained. “It takes skill, experience and an understanding of how to work with each person’s skin, scars and history.”
Although insurance covers breast reconstruction, it doesn’t cover 3-D tattoos done outside of a medical facility. The Vinnie Myers Team provides itemized receipts to submit for reimbursement from an insurance company, but that’s not guaranteed. The cost ranges from $300 to $1,000 out of pocket; however, the Vinnie Myers Team has a nonprofit organization, the Pink Ink Project, that can cover the cost of the tattoos for anyone in need of financial assistance.
About 15 years ago, Myers considered giving up the cancer-related part of his practice and focusing on traditional tattoos.
Thirty minutes later, his younger sister Lauren called to say she had been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 46 (it’s now in remission). That’s when he made the decision to make this type of work a priority.
Clients remember him
Beckie Gladfelter, an educator and resident of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, saw Myers on national television once, not knowing that someday she would meet him.
“Before I had breast cancer, I remember watching a news story on ‘Good Morning America’ about Vinnie and his story,” she said in an email.
“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had completed my treatment, I pulled the memory of Vinny’s ‘GMA’ coverage to ask…about using Vinnie Myers as my nipple tattoo artist.”
Gladfelter’s healthcare team was familiar with Vinnie’s work and highly recommended him.
Myers, Gladfelter said, “took my plain-looking Barbie boobs and made them look realistic.”
A family business
Myers, now 63, has no plans to retire. But he’s already passing on his skills to the next generation.
His daughter, Anna, who grew up around the shop, now works alongside him, running the business, which includes the Finksburg studio and another in Baltimore County.
As an arts major at Towson University, she is now trained in the art of 3-D nipple tattooing. It took her more than 18 months of focused training to become proficient.
“You can’t learn this in a weekend workshop,” Myers said firmly. “Every case is different — radiation damage, scar patterns, skin texture. You need enough experience to walk into any situation and know how to handle it without making things worse.”
Although Myers has tattooed a few men with cancer and some transgender clients, women make up the majority of his clientele. Most of these women are between age 45 and 55, but he’s had clients approaching age 80 who seek out his work.
In addition to locals, cancer survivors travel great distances to Little Vinne’s Tattoos. In fact, they come from all over the world — as far as New Zealand — to get inked.
“It’s been really quite fun,” Myers said. “You never know who’s walking in the door.”
Visit the Vinnie Myers Team website at vinniemyersteam.com or call (410) 876-4638.
