A NON-NEGOTIABLE TO BECOMING COMPETENT IN PMU

PMU TRAINEE FORMS

With any new career, it takes time to master the skills and discover the tricks of the trade. The 100-hour rule serves as a guideline for the minimum time required to achieve competence. While not a legal requirement, keeping a log helps new artists track the hours applied to the new skill, allowing them to set realistic expectations for personal growth.

It is ethically imperative for artists in training to disclose their level of experience to all participating models during this period. The "Model Waiver Form," used alongside the "100 Hour Log," ensures that clients are well-informed about the artist's skill level. This transparency helps clients make informed decisions when choosing an artist. When used together, these forms protect the industry and ensure the health and safety of our clients.

By creating this resource, Sara Mac aims to address a neglected area in PMU and elevate industry standards.

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR PMU BEGINNERS

If you've just completed your Permanent Makeup training and find yourself feeling a little nervous, rest assured, you're not alone. Unfortunately, in the world of Permanent Makeup, tattoo apprenticeships are not a common practice, making it incredibly challenging for new artists to launch their careers successfully and without a hitch. This scarcity of proper guidance has led to an influx of poorly executed procedures, including botched brows and other PMU techniques. Regrettably, this trend has had a devastating impact on the reputation of permanent makeup as a whole.

Having such a luxurious treatment should be a safe and exciting space for creative exploration. So, how can we address this issue within such an unregulated industry? To tackle this problem, let's begin by exploring the concept I like to use - known as the "100 Hour Rule".

WHAT IS THE 100 HOUR RULE?

The basic idea of the 100 Hour Rule is that you can be great at a particular skill or task if you commit 100 hours in a year to that skill or task.

During the 100 Hours, you are required to:

keep a log of your hours spent learning the new skill
Treat all clients during this time as models
Stay under the guidance of a trained professional
Most importantly, be transparent about your level of experience

It's crucial to understand that no great PMU artist started as a prodigy right from the beginning. It takes hard work and unwavering dedication to acquire a skill, along with years of practice to master it. If you find yourself expecting immediate perfection, it's important to recognise that such expectations are unrealistic. Slow down, enjoy the journey, and embrace the process.

BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING THE 100 HOUR RULE

The 100 Hour Rule provides a great foundation for the new artist. Think of it as your north star. Working towards something tangible and measurable so that you know you are on the right path. The 100 Hour Log is a perfect way to calculate and reflect on the time spent on a particular task and helps you manage expectations along the way.
Knowing the amount of hours spent working on a new skill can also help you track your progress and subsequently increase your prices. It is an honest and fair way for clients to recognise the price v’s perceived value.
Treating your clients as a model during this phase keeps the client accountable and the industry sustainable. Having your client sign a Model Waiver allows your clients to make an educated decision when booking so everyone’s expectations are managed.
Protect yourself and your business from any unforeseen circumstances that may come when offering a new skill. If your clients agree to be a model your reputation should be spared in the case things don’t go to plan.

HOW DO I COMPLETE THE LOGBOOK?

The log can be used to complete mat practice activities. Working on clients can be put on hold until the artistic component for microblading or machine shading is refined. Once your mat work looks great we can use the remaining hours of the logbook to work on real skin. Before you work on models, you should be at a stage when muscle memory is well formed and the output of work comes easily. This allows you to think more about other things like skin depth, stretch, and stabilisation when moving over to real clients. A full procedure should take about 2 hours. This means you only need to complete one brow a month to stay on track with your logbook to achieve results within 1 year.

CAN I MAINTAIN MY OWN LOGBOOK?

Ideally, you should be in a position to reach out to your trainer for support and sign-off. Any good training program should equip you with some practical exercises to complete at home. Each time you perform an exercise have your trainer critique the work. This is the only real way you can ensure you are on a great path. There is no point bashing out the same exercise if you're doing it wrong again and again. Working alone is how bad habits are created.

WHAT IF MY TRAINER DOESN’T OFFER THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT?

Unfortunately, I hear this all too often. I can not stress enough how important it is to invest in a good trainer who is in a position to take on support outside of the classroom. If you find yourself in this unfortunate position, you can purchase the OHMYBROW BOSS Mastery Mats which comes with exercises you can do at home and a support group to submit your work for review completely free.

CAN MY TRAINER SIGN ME OFF REMOTELY?

Yes, of course! In my opinion, completing the 100 Hour Rule under any circumstance is better than not at all. Remember, this is not a regulation it’s just a recommendation.

YOU MUST GAIN CONSENT TO WORK ON MODELS

Until you have applied 100 Hours to a new skill, anyone that you treat during this time is still considered a model. It is your ethical obligation to be transparent with your client until such time.

Everyone has a right to know the level of experience their artist has and concealing this information is deceitful. Clients have the right to make an educated decision on their artist in relation to skill level. There are plenty of people willing to volunteer their time to help budding artists so don't feel like you have to lie about your skill to get bums on seats.

We need to remind ourselves that what we are doing is permanent! We can not practice on people's faces without their consent! Permanent makeup takes years to master and any treatment performed within your first 100 hours should be advertised as a "request for a model". Put your ego aside, earn your place in the industry, make sure your price reflects your skill and always disclose your level of experience.

BENEFITS OF USING A MODEL CONSENT FORM

Clients were more patient and understanding during procedures, knowing the practitioner was learning.
Clients left with an open mind about results, making them less likely to complain.
Model pricing aligned with the value perceived by clients.
Model clients provided encouragement and valuable feedback, aiding in professional growth.
Clients understood the learning arrangement and the risks involved.

If you are new to cosmetic tattoo or still within your first 100 hours I highly recommend using the Model Waiver form alongside your log book.

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