Hello everyone,

I am back on your screens to give you some SPCP info and to share a few things that have been on my mind. I try to write about things that will get you thinking, but first things, first….

We have been getting lots calls and emails already about fall conference!  Unbelievable – so many people are coming and don’t forget it is limited to only 100 people!  Watch the website for more information soon.

There is a change of schedule this time so review the program closely.  It will kick off with the Train the Trainer class given by Elizabeth Finch-Howell, CPCP and Marjorie Grimm, CPCP on Wednesday and Thursday, the 19th and 20th.  All those attending TTT will be invited to participate in our Trainer Summit with SPCP Trainer members who will discuss important issues relevant to our industry standards and advise the Board of Directors on recommended changes to the program. Also presenting will be Tim Habick, PhD of Reasoning, Inc. (the CPCP development company) back by popular demand.

Saturday and Sunday’s speaker line-up (September 22-23) is incredible and includes Marjorie Grimm, CPCP, Kate Ciampi, CPCP, Robin Hays, CPCP, Debi Diorio, CPCP, Debi Walker, CPCP, and Liza Sims, CPCP.  As with all fall conferences, our bloodborne pathogens/infection control class by David Vidra will be included in the cost of attendance and is part of the conference.       

As part of her fall conference presentation, Robin Hays would like you to send her pictures.  These don’t necessarily have to be your own, but a little history on what the problem was would be beneficial – we have all seen industry mistakes and it is always helpful to “take them apart” at events like this so people can learn from them.  Please email them to rhays20@comcast.net.

There will be a BBP class in the Chicago area on Sunday, July 8^th given by Health Educators.  With impending regulations (not yet fully defined) going into effect in Illinois, it is advisable that everyone takes this class if you have not already taken it this year.  Members and non-members from all areas are welcome.  If you have other listings of classes, please let us know and we will post them. 

Okay, my turn now…

I have been listening to some colleagues over the past few months and I just cannot believe the unethical things people do. Where do we draw the line against stealing clients, bad mouthing our fellow technicians and under cutting each other? I really don’t care what the people in my area are charging - I am charging what I am worth.

You will never catch me saying a bad thing about other technicians, either. We are all colleagues, not competitors and may need each other someday. The more technicians in your area doing good work will only bring this industry a better reputation and you more business. If someone is doing bad things to you, or their clients, it will only be a matter of time before they hang themselves.

Bottoming out your fees only ends up hurting yourself in the long run.  You will find yourself cutting corners trying to make up for the loss – it becomes a no-win situation and very hard to recover from. I thought this only happened after tragedies like Hurricane Katrina – desperation.. Most of us are earning a great living doing permanent cosmetics. I know that I got my reputation from working hard at educating myself and practicing my trade. We must stick together as a community a very small community that is. If you study the membership directory year after year, you will see we have a lot of new people and a slim amount of veterans. You must be very skilled at this profession to get in it to stay.

For one, I am proud to be in this industry and I have watched the tremendous amount of growth in the last fifteen years. It has been a great ride. If we stick together and educate each other as much as possible we will all win. If you have a great way of doing a procedure and you want to share it because you’re proud of it, do so. We at the SPCP are always looking for new informative articles.

Let’s get back to ethics. There are several technicians in the industry going around touching up other techs permanent cosmetics with camouflage pigments. Now let me explain the situation. The tech tells the client that the person who did her brows did a bad job of placement and she would cover up the tails or arch and give them new ones in the place she felt they should have been done. Well you know what that spells: DISASTER. You cannot go around covering up someone else’s brow procedure because you would have placed them differently – different does not translate to wrong.  You certainly cannot cover them with camouflage pigment. Camouflage pigment is not magic it can’t make brows or dark under eye circles disappear. Have you ever seen camouflage pigment in the daylight where someone went over someone else work? Let me tell you it is shiny, pasty and opaque.

I see these clients and they want me to fix them. Hello! I would like to fix them, but I am not the fairy princess of permanent makeup and neither are you. You cannot cover bad permanent cosmetics with camouflage pigments - this is not going to work.

 Pigment lightening is a different “animal” and takes multiple procedures with no guarantees. Shiny skin most times means scar tissue. Scar tissue in a tattoo is from going over an area too many times. The skin is very delicate; it does not have to be beat up to get color in. Remember this when you’re moving your machine a million miles an hour and going over the skin too many times. Practice slowing down your machine - the pigment will go in, I promise.

Pigment removal or lightening is another class that you must be trained in and pick up additional insurance for.  Contact the SPCP if you need training in this area or an insurance reference.

We all have to do touchups and I happen to charge for them. You might consider trying to at least get your supplies covered. Doing four or five touchups in a day and having no money at the end of the day can be discouraging. In the beginning of your career I feel it is necessary to bring your clients back in 6 weeks to evaluate your work but giving it away is crazy.  We do not owe them two to three touchups with each procedure. This is a habit we got into long ago and it very well may need to be amended. Not everyone even needs one; if you tell them they need a couple of them, they’re coming back because you owe it to them. If you’re doing good work and using superior equipment and supplies, you will need very few touchups. This brings me to my next question.

Touchups

• Do you charge for touchups?
• How long do you wait before doing them?
• Do you call touchups something else?
• Do you charge full price to touchup someone else’s work?
• Do you find out the pigment that was previously used on them if they are not your clients?

…technicians both young and old think they have perfect vision and do not need magnification.

…technicians think they do not have to wear protective eye wear.

…technicians walk out of the procedure room with gloves on.

…lighting is not an issue.

…technicians wear high heels to work.

…technicians answer their phone during procedures.

No, I am not picking on anyone - these situations occur everyday in this business. We are dealing with blood and cross contamination issues. Stop and evaluate how many of these you are guilty of. Staying alive (John Travolta) this is a really big issue… think about it.

Until next time,

Debi Diorio, CPCP