STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA — In a medical chair, under the bright lights, Marianne Catanese has been there quite a few times. The two-time breast cancer survivor is receiving a consultation for another procedure, only this time, it's not one she needs, but one she wants.
"I want to make me feel better about myself, so we're going to try to make my breasts look better than what they are. I've had four surgeries, five surgeries on it," Catanese said. "I'm tired of the surgery, and I'm tired of looking at them and saying 'yuck.'"
Catanese is now in remission. She battled cancer for several years, having a mastectomy when she was 49.
For years, she has struggled to feel herself again. That is until she found Katherine Hiller Brow and Beauty Bar in Stroud Township near Bartonsville.
Hiller's business helps breast cancer survivors like Catanese, who have undergone surgery and are left with scars.
"We do scar camouflaging. Basically, if the areola has been removed or the nipple has been removed, or they have scarring, we can go in there and recreate an areola or nipple like, you know, tattoo and also camouflage the scarring," said owner Katherine Hiller.
The beauty bar offers other services like permanent makeup and scalp micropigmentation. She says her goal is to help her clients feel better about themselves when they walk through her door.
"I've had women cry. I've had women say, 'This makes me feel whole again because I didn't feel comfortable with my body.' So, it's very important, very rewarding work," said Hiller.
Catanese says she's grateful for Hiller's services, but they may have caught her cancer sooner if she hadn't skipped her mammogram. She's reminding everyone to get checked.
"It's a matter of saving your life if you catch it early enough. Don't be a person that ignores it," Catanese said.
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