Flourish Beauty Clinic

If you have read Microblading – One Woman’s Nightmare or heard of Jami Ledbetter’s nightmarish experience with Microblading, there is a good chance you were left wondering, “How on earth does something like this happen?!” Or, “How do I protect myself and my loved ones from having a bad experience with Microblading?” You are not alone. Uncover Why Our Country is Plagued with Bad Microblading is the second installment in our three part series. Since there are actually many fantastic, qualified artists who do beautiful work day in and out, Discover What You Can Do to Avoid A Microblading Nightmare will be the third and final part of our series, and will give tips on what to look for not only in an artist but in a business that provides these services.

1. Lets dive into who we feel is the real culprit, who is really responsible — the businesses that profit from “training” people to Microblade. Make no mistake, skilled trainers absolutely need to be well compensated for properly training artists to tattoo people’s faces. They are not the issue here, as they are dedicated to providing quality training that really prepares students. This article is not about them. One of the biggest rackets going on is that of “training” in the States, and Microblading training is no exception.

Here are 9 of the main issues with how these businesses operate:

(You may want to be sitting down because it is pretty appalling.)

-Potential students are lured in with promises of making six figures as a result of taking a $5000 class.

This blatantly ignores how truly difficult it is to excel in this field and can attract people who just want to make money fast with minimal investment. Students regualarly choose Microblading because using a manual tool to do “semi-permanent” work seems less intimidating than using a rotary tattoo machine to do permanent work, but the reality is that both implant pigment into the skin and are considered permanent. Yes permanent — not semi-permanent. That rant will be saved for another day.

-Potential students are not required to have any experience in the beauty industry.

Prior experience may not need to be a requirement, but it is something that many consumers assume is a requirement. On its own this is not a significant issue, as many great artists do come from unrelated backgrounds. However...

-Potential students are not assessed on natural talent or on having an eye for basic aesthetics.

When combined with the other elements mentioned here, it does not bode well for people’s faces. A person typically either has an artistic eye or they do not. Some skills are incredibly hard to learn, even with great training from top instructors.

-Teachers are often unqualified with minimal education and experience of their own.

It is not uncommon for a student to take a class and almost immediately attempt to teach others. Oh, the allure of a quick buck.

-The ”Curriculum” has very little substance, with unqualified “instructors” having no idea how to properly prepare students.

It is quite common for students to leave their training without understanding basic color theory. This is no exaggeration and is truly mind-boggling when one considers that color (ink) are our artistic medium. If students encounter issues, these instructors do not know how to help troubleshoot the problem. When working with an ever changing, living canvas -skin- this is completely unacceptable.

-"Instructors” fly in from another state or even another country.

Unscrupulous businesses skip town once class is over, leaving their inadequately prepared students without any support.

-“Classes” may be done completely online.

It is not April Fools' Day; this is not a joke. Unfortunately. Many Microblading artists hold certifications from “training centers” that exist solely online. A number of popular, big name companies offer classes for beginners with no prior experience, done completely online. These students receive no hands-on training before becoming certified!

-Businesses literally trade money for meaningless “certifications.”

Since turning a profit is their primary objective and they don’t have to stick around to face the ramifications of their actions, these businesses pass out students' certifications at the end of class REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKILL OR ABILITY.

-Since students may have zero prior experience, they trust that these “professionals” have adequately prepared them and believe that their “certification” means they are ready to work on someone's face.

Clearly this is a tremendous disservice to students and consumers alike. It is not just a disservice, it is nearly criminal.

If the businesses that train students were held accountable, if they held themselves accountable, bad Microblading would be nearly unheard of and the next two issues would be moot. Unfortunately that is not the case.

2. Next on the agenda is the limited national and state level regulations required for a Microblading license. Most states have extremely limited requirements in order to become licensed. Washington State, for example, requires a four hour Bloodborne Pathogens class and a $250 fee. That’s it. Not even time spent at YouTube University is required. If that isn’t enough of a shock, even with minimal requirements there are people doing Microblading without a license or the mandatory Bloodborne Pathogens training. Yikes. To put that absurdity into perspective, in Washington State a person needs 500 hours of accredited on-site training and must pass board certification in order to acquire a license to “safely” rub oil on a client’s body.

3. Last is the public’s general lack of understanding regarding Microblading services. Where Microblading students assume their instructors are giving them good training and solid information, the general public assumes that Microbladers are properly trained, adequately skilled, and that the information they share is correct. Sadly, that is not always the case.

Between the businesses that profit from Microblading, students not taking their jobs seriously, the limited state and national regulations, and the public’s general lack of understanding regarding Microblading services, it may seem as though having Microblading done is an extremely risky proposition. Next up, Discover What You Can Do to Avoid A Microblading Nightmare, the third and final part of our series, which will give tips on what to look for not only in an artist but also in a business that provides these services.