Tattooing happiness

Anything strange in seeing someone go weak at their knees at gunpoint? Undisputedly, this is just another predictable reaction and is nothing uncommon.

Meet Reena Manoj, the beauty expert to know a reverse trend. Provided she is the ‘gun-totter’, fear gives way to cheer and woebegone transforms to smile.

The ‘gun’ in the picture has no bullets, instead ample colour jets etching indelible impressions for a lifetime. When ribbons of multi-hues flutter over the world today reminding the catastrophic disease cancer, Reena goes on with a silent mission she has been practising for some years — doing eyebrow tattoos for the survivors for free.

Five years ago, on a usual business day at Reena’s salon, Azre, in Thiruvanathapuram, a woman customer in her 40s walked in to get an eyebrow tattoo done. When the 30-minute job was over, the teary-eyed woman was at a loss for words to thank Reena for the biggest gift she presented her with.

“Only after finishing the task had she explained to me how she once survived cancer. She could regain her lost tresses, but eyebrows were not back. A few strands of hair were what was left above her eyelids. That was the moment. I felt charging money for such services  was unfair and decided to go ahead,” Reena reminisces.

The usual eye-brow tattooing job comes at a cost of around Rs 3,500. By word of mouth, Reena got a handful more such customers to her clientele later on.

Due to some reason or the other, she was not able to go for mass campaigning tools. May be the sought-after bridal make-up artist can’t squeeze in time to indulge in such activities or simply she is a person bit shy of media glare and publicity stunts. Years later, in December 2015, a post appeared on her salon’s Facebook page a few months since the top-floor of her salon got re-christened to Reenz Unisex Salon and Spa.

“I learned that families of cancer patients are financially drained out after spending too much money on the expensive treatment methods. A customer from Tirunelveli shared with me the kind of ostracised living she is leading and the monetary crisis her family landed in as a result. So when I made the post, I placed a clause to offer free eye-brow tattooing only for financially struggling cancer survivors,” says Reena.

In her two-decade-plus profession, Reena has been into eyebrow tattooing for 18 years. She mastered the skills from her cousin who had been in the same field.RsThe gun she handles is an imported one costing Rs 10,000 apiece and highly prone to easy damage.

The most expensive items are the gun and tattoo ink. It takes two sittings per person to complete the procedure, scheduled in a span of two weeks. The needle attached to the tip of the gun is detached, packed and left with the customer after each sitting for their safety and trust. On a monthly time table, she visits Kochi to offer a day-long eye-brow tattooing service in the city.

Reena’s dexterity is known in Malayalam film industry as well, but she minds the anonymity preferring celeb customers’ confidentiality. “As a beauty fix, everyone, irrespective of their need, prefers to keep things hush-hush. I might have attended on many more cancer patients who did not disclose their condition,” she adds.

Those who approach Reena’s assistance include people on and off screen. Similar to setting eyebrows, she is skilled at creating beauty spots on the faces.

Along with Azre, she runs Reenz, the unisex parlour and a boutique in the same place at Jagathy. The most tattoo-loving are women. Leading a team of beauty experts to run the centre, she is so insistent to maintain this single job her forte.
Taking the humble mission forward to a broader canvas is what Reena plans.

“One of my clients left me with a clue to join hands with the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and offer the service. I think that is one way I can find out the more deserving clients,” she signs off.