Laser Tattoo Removal is an absolute art form and can be a very profitable treatment to add to your clinic.  There is no shortage of people having tattoos, often overseas…and hating them instantly.  In the UK 70% of people under 25 have tattoos and we know that 80% of those regret them.  It’s also a growing market.  With tattoo artist refining their craft, it’s easy to see why people would want one of these master pieces on their bodies.  Problem is that good work is expensive and most 18 year olds simply want a tattoo…any tattoo…and by the time they’re 25…regret sets in.

Fantastic work by my good friend Ms Clara Sinclair

Given the popularity of the treatment, many people are jumping on the training/masterclass/work shop bandwagon and I dare say, most of these are there purely to make money rather than leave you with any kind of qualification or much needed support.

We also have companies selling cheap lasers on Ebay that will hand you a certificate which will enable you to get insurance with less than an hours training.  Never mind the after care if your laser fails.  These companies have been largely responsible for the fact that our insurance premiums have all but tripled in the last year as most companies stopped insuring laser tattoo removal due to a huge amount of claims.   Laser Tattoo Removal is a safe treatment, there is no excuse for this.  Yes, there will always be people out to sue the technician but having a judge find in their favour is much more difficult when they have had proper training and all the steps have been taken.

So here are some tips on what to look for:

–  Does the training offer you any real qualification which enables you to get insurance.  I see a lot of training workshops that charge anywhere from £500 to £1000 per day and give you no real value.  Some of the more honest ones will be very up front telling you that you need the Core of Knowledge and Manufacturer Training (this is the bit we offer) in order to get insurance…..I fail to see the point of these workshops….You will still need to have full training from the manufacturer….. You still need to take The Core of Knowledge…..£500 is a lot of money for what amounts to a talk that requires you to take a day off of work.

–  Insurance – Does the manufacturer work with a reputable (please check this point) insurance company that is not going to pull out of the market on renewal?  Will they fight a claim should you have one?  We are very lucky to have a wonderful insurer working with us to make sure that our courses are approved by them and that our students are protected in the event of something happening.  This is a special relationship that develop over time, in fact, I’m on the phone to my underwriter at least once per week.  Below are details of our wonderful underwriter.  She covers a lot more than Laser Tattoo Removal so do contact her your next renewal.

Lisa Matthews

Underwriting Account Manager

LM (London Market) Underwriting

181a Watling Street West Towcester Northants NN12 6BX

E-Mail: lisa.matthews@lmunderwriting.com

Phone : 01327 220878 Mobile : 07518681730

Website: – www.lmunderwriting.com

–  How long is the training? I find it difficult to cover everything for a group of 4 in under two days.  How people do it in an hour is beyond me.

–  Do you have live models?  There is just no way of learning to use a laser unless you use it on a live model.  In fact, you need several live models at different stages of the removal process.  You need to learn to fire the laser under expert supervision.

–  Does the training cover consultations, what to do with difficult clients, red flags, counter indications etc etc

–  What kind of after care do you get?  Do you feel comfortable asking your trainer questions a week, a month, even years after you trained?  If you felt rushed during the training, chances are that you will not have that back up. The questions don’t happen in the class room, they will happen when you begin practising on clients.

–  What is the aftercare for your laser like.  In the UK all lasers need to be serviced yearly. Ask how much this is.  Ask how much it is to change the laser lamp.

–  In the Laser Tattoo Removal world, you get what you pay for….sort of…. There are terribly expensive lasers in the market that have had huge publicity.  Think of what you want from your laser.  If you want something very powerful the prices will be higher.  My Lasers were made to be gentle.  They will remove pigment slowly and safely and the scaring is minimal.  They are also suitable to remove pigments from the face and indeed many of my students are from the semi permanent makeup industry.  They are also affordable.   My lasers also have limitations, not reading greens and blues and gentle means that sometimes, we would like more power.   It’s important that you research what laser you want.  I would say that my laser is the probably the best if you’re removing pigment from the face but if you’re going to be removing colourful body tattoos, you will want to have a look at an Alexiandrite laser, which start at around £80,000 and I have seen them for as much at £250,000.  I remove 90% of blues and greens with my laser and then refer on to a clinic with an Alexiandrite.  In return, they refer to me for tattoos on the face which they can not remove safely.  It works.

–  Trust your gut.  If you get someone that is that little too eager on the other end of the phone to take a deposit…run… We will always send you away to do your research…. Look us up, see if you like what you see…We only want students that are with us for the right reasons.

I hope this gives you a something some information that will allow you to make the right decision when choosing a laser trainer provider.