•Reveals How She Introduced Body Tattoo To NIGERIA
+Permanent Make-Up Technique
On Thursday, 7th December 2021, all members of Practitioners of Spa and Beauty Association of Nigeria gathered at Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos State. This was to induct new exco members. The meeting was classy and members were given the platform to sensitise new and upcoming members. During this event, City People’s Reporter, DAMILOLA AKANDE met with the new POSBAN president in the person of Dr. Mary Charles. In an interview, Dr. Charles talked about how she introduced permanent make-up and tattoo to Nigeria. She also revealed her plans as the new POSBAN President. Read on for more.
Can you tell us more about yourself?
I am Dr. Mary Charles, the CEO of Twinkul Skincare located at Ikeja, Lekki and Switzerland. I am also the President of Practitioners of Spa and Beauty Association (POSBAN).
Can you tell us how Spa treatment and beautification started for you?
I have been in the beauty industry for 22 years. My first award was given to me by City People Magazine. The award was for being the “Beautician of the Year” after Tara was awarded a year before. I have been in the industry for so long, I was the one that introduced Permanent Make-up and Body Tattoo to Nigeria. I also introduced Microblading, which includes Microstrokes and Shading.
How did you come about introducing body tattoos to Nigeria?
That happened when I relocated from America, I used to live in New York where I had all my children and also schooled. When I relocated to Nigeria, I had some tattoos on my body and I attended a conference where a guy saw my tattoos. He liked them and told me this was his first time seeing someone with tattoos in Nigeria. He asked me where I lived and advised me to go for training. I thought about it and was worried about the level of acceptability due to the mentally back then.
Funny enough, when I went back to America, I learnt from one of the best schools in New York. So, when I came to Nigeria and I introduced it, luckily a lot of people accepted it. My place was always filled up back in Allen Avenue, I am still on Allen but the main offices are in Lekki and Switzerland.
With your huge success in your body tattoo business, how did Spa come about?
The beauty school I attended taught me about beauty all through. After my tattoo and permanent make-up course, I went back to do another comprehensive course where I did Cosmetology Courses and all about beauty.
As the President of POSBAN, how do you intend to tackle untrained beauticians?
Thankfully, Lagos State Public Safety and Wellbeing Commission is a part of us. They are ready to work with us in order to sanitise this industry. If you go on Instagram, you see a lot of them mixing different types of chemicals to sell to people. These mixtures in turn damage their clients’ skin who in turn come back to us to rectify their skin. Most of them did not go to school while some of them did. So what we will do at POSBAN is to send a message to them to offer them better places to go through training and then give them a certificate from Lagos State Public Safety and Wellbeing Commission.
At the same time, we are trying to set up a beauty council, because, in the international world, you cannot set up a beauty outlet without going to the beauty council to get a certification, so these are the things we are going to introduce and I believe that most of those beauty services will hear about us and will join us. When people come to my spa, I tell them that black is beautiful, you don’t need to tone. Use a moisturiser that will help your skin glow. These are the things that we want to preach.
How do willing beauticians reach out to POSBAN in order to be members?
We have a website, we are on Instagram and we are going to do a lot of publicity that is why City People Magazine, Ovation, Genevieve Magazine and others are here to help pass the message. Our Instagram page is also active, so we are accessible via that medium.
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