After 25 years of masterful Permanent Makeup, Jenice has finally retired! Her experience and dedication to excellence remains unrivaled both locally & nationwide. When she took her initial training, there was one tried & true method of doing permanent makeup – with a stylus & pigments.
Before entering the world of Permanent Makeup, Jenice was successful in massage, practicing in New Mexico, California & finally in Cary. In the early 90’s, Jenice started on the road to become a Registered Nurse. Moving to North Carolina in 1992, she worked at Duke, Rex & at a private medical clinic in Raleigh as an RN. With her expertise in nursing (especially at starting an IV), she was presented with the opportunity to start Permanent Makeup.
When she started, the door to getting trained was a weeklong course & everyone went to California for training. There were 2 certification groups & everyone was a member of one of the groups. One group, the American Academy of Micropigmentation, had a Board Certification Test & after going through their extensive program, Jenice was the only & 1st Board Certified Technician in North Carolina.
Both groups (the other is the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professional) hosted semi-annual conventions around the US. Not one to be resting on her laurels, Jenice attended almost every convention for almost 10 years. The conventions consisted of advanced training, the latest in the industry & an annual Blood Borne Pathogens (BBP) Certification. Today, BBP can be doner online – a far cry from a 4 hour classroom session!
Jenice’s enthusiasm for learning prompted her to continue her education & study to be a Certified Instructor. After being certified, she trained many students in her art & saw them become Certified Technicians. After taking the 100-hour training course, they could apply to be a Certified Cosmetic Professional. Many of her students are still successful in the field.
While the standards Jenice followed are still in place, it wasn’t long before new “quickie” training methods emerged. Anyone could sign up for a weekend course & start working and this is still going on today. While these companies offer their own ‘certification’, it is a far cry from an organization of your peers with no agenda in promoting their business. As Jenice often commented, “even with my 1000’s of hours in the field, I can’t fix most of the mistakes these novice technicians make.” It ranges from poor technique, a lack of understanding with pigments & skin and an application method that is inferior to the stylus.