A Brazilian tattoo artist has boosted a pianist’s confidence by inking a nail on her amputated finger because it always made her feel embarrassed and insecure.

Augusto Molinari, a tattoo artist from the city of Belo Horizonte in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, is accustomed to helping amputees, as he has had to ink realistic nipples on breast cancer survivors in the past, so he gladly agreed to help Dulcineia, 67, with her finger problem – at no charge.

Dulcineia, a keyboardist and pianist, decided to enter Augusto’s tattoo parlour on her way to the dentist, unsure of what to ask for.

She had had the top of her finger amputated as a seven-year-old child following an accident, and she showed the stump to the tattoo artist.

Dulcineia said she always felt embarrassed when showing her hands, especially when tickling the ivories, and wanted to do something about it to boost her self-esteem.

Accustomed to inking realistic nipples for breast cancer survivors, Augusto set to work and created a lifelike nail for the pianist.

Despite not charging Dulcineia for the tattoo, Augusto said it was a complicated job that ended with a fantastic result.

He said: “When it was over, she was looking in the mirror, moving her hand around, she thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

“She told me, ‘now I’m even going to wear a ring on that hand’. Too cute!”