Overview

Whether you choose Prettyology Micropigmentation Academy or another training establishment, you'll want to make sure that the course you enroll with for your fundamental training is accredited by one or both of the two nationally-recognized accrediting organizations: the Society of Permanent Makeup Professionals (SPCP) and the American Academy for Micropigmentation (AAM).

Prettyology Academy’s Fundamentals classes are approved by both organizations.

Why is this important? An accredited fundamental course will cover all of the basic theoretical, practical, and medical aspects of micropigmentation. Upon successful completion of such a course, you’ll have received the training necessary to begin performing micropigmentation outside of the classroom. You’ll also receive a 100-hour certificate recognized by AAM and/or SPCP, which is necessary to practice in many cities and towns across the United States.

Once you have your certificate, there may be additional requirements in order to practice on your own. The information below is designed to help you understand what comes next.

Practicing in the United States

In the United States, micropigmentation is considered a body art. Body arts are regulated at the local level by the cities, towns, or states. There are no nationwide regulations. Some localities have very strict regulations. Others are completely unregulated.

In our experience, most localities require formal training in micropigmentation - typically the 100-hour certificate mentioned above. Some also require experiential learning such as an apprenticeship where a practitioner acquires experience working under a licensed practitioner or instructor before obtaining a permit to practice on their own.

If you’re a student of Prettyology Academy, we can offer a limited amount of assistance with career guidance and with navigating local body arts regulations.

For students looking for experiential learning, Prettyology Academy offers post-graduate support packages which offer supervised procedures, observation hours, and additional mentoring & support services.

If you’re interested in practicing in Massachusetts, continue reading the sections below. For regulations in other states, we recommend the following resources:

• The American Academy for Micropigmentation has a list of certifying agencies for all 50 states.
• The Society of Permanent Cosmetics Professionals has a similar list.
• Google! Start by searching for “Body Arts Regulations in [the city and/or state you want to practice in]”.
• The board of health or equivalent agency in your town, city, or state. Ask them to point you to where their body arts regulations are published.

Practicing in Massachusetts

Massachusetts leaves regulation of body arts to the local cities and towns. You'll need to comply with the regulations published by the locality in which you plan to practice.

Start by Googling “Body Art Regulations in [the town you want to practice in] Massachusetts”. If you find your town’s regulations, you’ll need to learn and follow them. If you don’t find them, ask your town’s Board of Health for a copy.

If your town has not regulated body arts, your Board of Health may want to put reasonable regulations in place to allow you to practice. Fortunately, the Commonwealth published model body arts regulations for cities and towns to use as a template or guide to create their own regulations.

If you’re a student of Prettyology Academy, we can offer a limited amount of assistance with local body arts regulations.

Practicing in Boston

The City of Boston enacted a new set of comprehensive body arts regulations in 2017. These new regulations are among the most stringent we’ve seen.

To practice in the City, you must hold a license to practice body arts from the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). To receive a license, a new practitioner must first complete a 100-hour course accredited by either the SPCP or AAM, and then must complete a 200-hour apprenticeship under the supervision of a Massachusetts licensed body arts practitioner. The apprenticeship needs to include at least 30 hours observing procedures, and performing at least 50 supervised procedures on clients. Prettyology Academy offers both observation hours and supervised procedures to its graduates. You are allowed to charge clients for these procedures, so this part of your apprenticeship is already revenue-generating.

Your trainer will guide you through the steps to apply for a license upon completion of your apprenticeship.

Practitioners in Boston may practice only in a location with a valid Body Arts Facility/Establishment permit. The permit must be on display in a public area. If you’ll be working for someone else, ask to see it. If you’re planning to practice in your own facility, you’ll need to obtain a permit for your facility.

You can view the full text of the BPHC Body Art Regulations for practitioners and establishments. We’ve highlighted the relevant portions for micropigmentation artists in orange.

Post-graduate support system

We understand that navigating next steps after micropigmentation training can feel daunting. From apprenticeships to state regulations, Prettyology Micropigmentation Academy can help you navigate this process. We offer Apprenticeship Support to help you complete required hours.

Download our apprenticeship program details and FAQ, or Contact Us for more details on these packages.