Now that’s you’ve decided that a career in permanent cosmetics is for you; we wanted to pull together information on what you should learn and need to know after a first-time training course.
First, make sure you do your research and pick an instructor with years of experience working with clients from all walks of life.
Much of what you see online are young, beautiful models with ideal/perfect skin, but in reality, a vast majority of people seeking permanent make-up services include less than "perfect", mature skin with wrinkles, creases, folds in the eyelids, non-existent eyebrow hair, asymmetrical bone structure, thin lips…the list goes on and on.Does the course cover safety and sanitation, OSHA compliance, and your local state law?
This is a no-brainer but surprisingly many courses do not include this important information in the curriculum. If this is not taught, then it is your responsibility to find out and make sure you are in compliance both nationally and locally.Being trained in risk-management is important.
Learning when to say no to a procedure is important. Our students receive not only industry acceptable consent forms, but also our own medical history and consent forms.
Everything you ask on the medical form must have a reason.
The questions regarding medical history are specifically asked in order to have a clearer picture of the person you will be working on.
All too often, we see medical forms with questions that you’d find at a physician’s office. Most of these questions are irrelevant as this is a tattoo procedure.
There is an infinite number of health issues such as heart conditions, blood pressure, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, and more, that generally pose no issues whatsoever. None of the above physical conditions warrant medical clearance, but many people not having knowledge and experience will say "no" to this.
Ethically, the standard according to the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals, is that the trainer must have a minimum of five years of continual experience.
Most insurance companies that specifically ensure Permanent Cosmetics require specific training for eyeliner, brows, and lips which would be listed on your certificate.Skin disorders and diseases are topics that should be covered in your initial training.
Learning how to get ink into the skin is simple, but getting the pigment placed properly into the skin requires skill.
Recognizing skin-types and diseases or disorders that you cannot tattoo over such as moles, dry patches of skin such as eczema or skin cancers is a key component to becoming a skilled permanent cosmetic artist.Facial morphology and artistry are important to learn.
After all, this is the business of beauty. The better you become at developing your eye and hand coordination, the better the results will be in your clients.
The important thing to remember regarding artistry is, you can be taught, however, you must practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more experience you have, your results will reflect the hard work you put into it.Color theory is equally important.
Not all people see color the same and although rare in women, color blindness could pose a problem. Know this before entering this line of work.Pain management.
Without this, we would have a hard time building clientele. There are essentially two questions on everybody's mind whether it be the client or the student.What if I don't like it?
How much does it hurt?
In our industry, we must use over-the-counter strength topicals such as a 5% lidocaine.
Knowing how to maximize its effectiveness, combined with learning some simple psychology for bedside manner, will greatly reduce the stress and sensation the client will undoubtedly experience.Systems and methodology.
Creating a set of stand operating procedures is important to make sure you can maintain a high level of quality assurance for each client that walks through your door.
For example, the very first thing you do after filling out paperwork, is take before pictures. Next, discuss, design, and have a clear understanding of what the client’s desired outcome is.
Learning how to pre-design on the client using conventional makeup or pencils to simulate what they are hoping to have when healed, will give you a clear picture of what you are going to do before you begin to do it. The worst thing that could happen would be to not know exactly what she wants and hope the tattoo turns out ok.
If you learn how to do this before you ever start tattooing on models you will always have a better outcome. Overall, being prepared with proper training in permanent cosmetics is more than just knowing how to use your tattoo machine, if you can learn the above skills and procedures, you’ll have many years of success in this industry.