They have a website, a Facebook page, and over 5,000 people following them on Instagram – does that mean they are a reputable establishment? They say they are ‘certified,’ but what does that really mean? Did you know that there is no governing body that actually overseeing the cosmetic tattooing industry? How can you actually trust someone with a needle to your face without knowing the truth? You wouldn’t let just anybody do it, would you?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask all of the questions.
- Are they approved by the local health authority? Ask this question. You will find that many establishments that are home-based (such as Avenue 42) are not inspected by the local health authority (unlike Avenue 42). You can check with your local health authority online (for us in Langley, we can head over to www.fraserhealth.ca) and see all up to date records on spas and salons. The best rating an establishment can have is LOW – which is what Avenue 42 has. What LOW means, is that it has a minimal chance of hazard.
- Does the artist open the packaging in front of you? A tattoo artist should never be reusing the same equipment and if they were taught by a reputable establishment, they would have been taught to properly open the packaging in front of their client and that anything that touches the skin is disposed of.
- What type of training does your artist have? Did your artist take a two day program? Maybe they took a two week program? Have they been trained proper sanitation practices? Luckily, Mandi has some of the highest level of cosmetic tattooing education over her fellow tattooers in the Lower Mainland. She has over 1200 hours of aesthetics training and over 250 hours of cosmetic tattooing training. On top of these trainings she also has 25 hours of skin revision training and is certified to teach sanitization and disinfection to fellow artists in the industry.
- Where did they obtain their cosmetic tattooing education from? Is the institution reputable? How much training did they receive from their course? How much hands on did they receive? Have they continued to freshen up their training as techniques have advanced? Mandi trained at the Micro-Pigmentation Centre, which is held in high regard as an industry innovator and is going into their 22nd year in business. Students from all over North America (and as far away as Australia) travel to attend this particular institution and Mandi continues to freshen up her skills every year as the industry advances.
- Do they have a proper business license? You would be surprised how many people run a business without a proper license…
- You pay for what you get. Not exactly a question, but if you are looking for the “best deal” (AKA the cheapest price) you are not going to receive the best brows. Value yourself and value your beautiful brows, remember they will be on your face for a long time… Luckily for Mandi, she is a “home based business,” which means she does not have the overhead that some business have, but there are still a couple things that have to be taken into account when looking at the pricing:
- Education & Skills. Mandi upgrades her skills on an annual basis to ensure her clients are receiving the best service. She has to travel to Toronto to receive this training.
- Equipment. Any equipment that touches the skin is discarded after each client – it cannot be reused.
- Experience. If someone is only charging $200, we can guarantee that they don’t have the experience, but also, they are barely covering their costs when charging at a rate like this (if they are using proper equipment and following guidelines).
We decided to write this post after a recent segment on CTV inregards to Cosmetic Tattoo Artists that work out of their home; in this particular segment they said that many artists are not inspected by their local health authority – We are not one of those establishments. Avenue 42 is ran out of a home, but it is completely separate from the home. There is no way to enter into the salon without exiting the home and entering through the entrance of Avenue 42. Rest assured, we pass all of our health inspections on an annual basis and steadily achieve the highest approval rating. You can watch this CTV segment by clicking here. If you have any further questions in regards to licensing, education or sanitation practices, please do not hesitate to contact Mandi at avenue42langley@gmail.com.
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