West Coast Ink Issue 1 - 2012 | Page 7

How many tattoo removal companies have you seen situated in an active tattoo shop?! would allow me to fulfill my desire to help people while working in an industry that I loved. I trained with and was certified by Lorenzo Kunz Jr. based out of New York City. From there I joined New Skin Laser Tattoo Removal and shadowed Peter Mckay until I was ready to work on my own. What are some of the challenges faced in the tattoo removal business? Misconceptions of how laser tattoo removal works based on the crap people hear and read from the internet. People don’t realize that it is in fact, possible to have tattoo’s removed, or they think that laser removal will leave a scar. What many people don’t know is that we can actually lighten an existing tattoo to then be covered up with a new one, or we can alter and fix mistakes. You have some tattoo’s I can see. Which would you say is your worst one? It’s a four way tie between the bumble-bee on my leg, the tribal armband, the alien holding a match surrounded by water (Circa, 1993), and the 4a.m drunken decision to tattoo a blue diamond on my hand. Any future tattoos in mind? A bowl of Pho, with a pair of chopsticks leaning against the edge; this will compliment my taco inside the praying hands! What’s the most memorable tattoo you’ve had to remove? I’m currently working on this one. So a girl walks into the shop. She’s blonde, well dressed, and I’m thinking she’s lost or something. She say’s to me, “I have a bad ass tattoo I’d like to have removed!” I look the girl up and down and can’t see any tattoos. I said to her, let’s see this “bad ass” tattoo then. The girl proceeds to pull the collar of her shirt down only to reveal the actual words “BAD ASS” tattooed across her collarbone! What would you say is so significant about New Skin Laser Tattoo Removal? Both Pete and I are certified laser tattoo removal technicians. We operate one of the best laser machines in today’s market and practice the highest level of sterilization in our shop. Pete and I have both fallen victim to the split decision to have something tattooed on our bodies, only to realize years later that we hate it and want to have it removed. For this reason, we can relate to our clients and we understand their circumstance. What does the fut