About Botched Ink®
Botched Ink® is a UK-based brand founded by Lisa Henning in 2019, specialising in saline tattoo removal for permanent makeup and microblading. Developed to be gentle, predictable, and skin-friendly, Botched Ink® has become one of the world’s most trusted non-laser removal solutions.
We offer professional training, both online and in-person, for qualified PMU artists who want to correct, lighten, or remove cosmetic pigment safely. Distributed globally, Botched Ink® combines professional standards, scientific transparency, and a supportive training network that helps artists deliver better results. and gives clients real confidence in their treatments.
TL;DR
Botched Ink® is a UK-developed saline tattoo removal system, launched by Lisa Henning in January 2019, to make permanent makeup and microblading correction safer, gentler, and more predictable. Trusted by professionals worldwide, it protects the skin while lifting unwanted pigment naturally, setting new global standards for non-laser tattoo removal and training.
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The Story of Botched Ink®
Hi, I’m Lisa Henning, founder of Botched Ink®. I created this brand out of necessity, after years of facing the same challenges as every PMU technician trying to fix other people’s mistakes. This is the story of how it all started, and how Botched Ink® became one of the most recognised names in saline tattoo removal.
From Humble Beginnings to Global Impact
Back in 2012, I took my first steps into the world of permanent makeup, working from my home studio in Brighton (I’m now based in Manchester!). What began as a love for creating beautiful brows and lips quickly grew into something much bigger, and more complicated.
As the industry expanded, some clients started technician-hopping, chasing quick fixes and cheaper prices. The results were often uneven, mismatched, or simply botched. I soon realised that consistency matters, just like staying with your trusted hair colourist. Many clients came to me with leftover pigment from previous work, and I knew that adding more colour on top wasn’t the answer. Correction and removal work became my speciality.
That’s where the seed for Botched Ink® was planted, in the gap between what clients wanted and what their skin actually needed.
The Heart of Botched Ink®
Botched Ink® didn’t start as a product idea, it started as a refusal. A refusal to accept that trauma, pain, and thick scabs were just “part of the process.” A refusal to let technicians and clients keep paying the price for poor information and lower standards.
From the beginning, I wanted to build more than a saline solution, I wanted to build trust. Every ingredient, every line of training, and every standard we teach comes from experience earned the hard way: real clients, real results, real accountability.
That’s what sets Botched Ink® apart. It’s not just a clever formula, it’s a philosophy. It’s for the professionals who want to work with confidence, and the clients who deserve to heal beautifully.
Botched Ink® stands for integrity, consistency, and education. It’s not about shouting louder, it’s about setting a higher bar, quietly and relentlessly.
Why Removal Matters
By 2013, I realised I needed more options for clients who wanted a fresh start. I trained in salt and saline tattoo removal, followed by courses using acid and alkaline solutions. My goal was simple, to help clients safely remove botched brows. But I soon discovered another problem.
Most clients didn’t want removal. They wanted instant fixes, more pigment, not less. They hoped I could camouflage old work instead of lifting it, but that approach rarely lasted. The truth was, removal was often the best solution, yet the process was painful, slow, and had a long downtime. Many clients never came back after the first session.
It was disheartening. I started turning clients away if their old work wasn’t at least 70% faded. That decision cost me income, but it kept my integrity intact. I couldn’t deliver a quick fix that wouldn’t hold up over time.
I tried educating clients about how pigment fades and why proper maintenance matters, but the industry wasn’t ready. Most clients wanted “new brows now,” even if it meant living with more layers of pigment and future problems.
Gaining Confidence and Making a Change
By 2017, removal requests were rising fast, and so was my confidence. I’d become a trainer, teaching Dry Tattooing for scars and stretch marks, and it gave me a deeper understanding of how skin heals and responds. With that knowledge, I started revisiting saline removal with fresh eyes.
Scars & Stretch Marks Masterclass ➔
I finally had access to better products, and clients were beginning to say yes to removal, even though the process was still uncomfortable. That’s when I had the realisation that changed everything: removal didn’t have to be this difficult.
What if the solution could be both effective and gentle?
I wanted to make removal easier for clients, and more predictable for technicians. So, I wrote my own saline removal training course and began offering workshops across the UK, the first real steps toward what would soon become Botched Ink®.
The Birth of Botched Ink®
Developing the Formula
2018 was a turning point. I relocated, me, my dog Dixon, and my business, to Manchester, ready for a fresh start and the space to focus. I poured everything into developing the kind of saline removal solution I’d always wanted to use.
Creating Botched Ink® was simple in theory but complex in practice. I knew exactly what the industry needed:
Treatments that were less painful
Procedures that were easier for both technicians and clients
A solution that was gentle but highly effective
A couple of the ingredients that make Botched Ink® different came from my own life experiences, not from anything to do with removal. My chemist and manufacturer were brilliant partners in turning those ideas into a consistent, stable, skin-friendly formula.
The Launch
On 13th January 2019, after months of research, testing, and refining, Botched Ink® officially launched. And it worked, beautifully.
Since then, Botched Ink® has grown into a name that both technicians and clients trust. We’ve trained hundreds of professionals worldwide, helping them correct old pigment, remove botched work, and give clients a genuine fresh start.
In an industry where removal has become one of the fastest-growing services, Botched Ink® found its purpose, and it’s here to stay.
The Mission Behind Botched Ink®
At Botched Ink®, our mission is simple but powerful, to train, support, and nurture PMU technicians worldwide, helping them meet higher standards for permanent makeup and microblading removal.
We also want clients to understand the long-term maintenance cycle of cosmetic tattooing, so they can make informed, confident choices about their treatments.
Our Vision
Eradicate the need for removal caused by bad work or oversaturation
Set a new industry standard for brow and PMU maintenance
Help clients and technicians see removal as part of the natural treatment cycle, not a failure
Wouldn’t it be better if removal was only ever needed for maintenance, not because something went wrong?
Botched Ink® was built to make that possible, setting a benchmark for professionalism, results, and client care across the industry.
Setting a New Industry Standard
Our goal is simple, every PMU client should understand that removal is part of their long-term treatment plan. This isn’t about correcting bad work; it’s about maintaining great results year after year. Botched Ink® helps technicians make that conversation easier.
Of course, we also need to recognise the past. Many clients haven’t been told this before, so there are still tough discussions to have about fading, correction, and maintenance. But that’s where real professionalism shows, educating clients with honesty and care.
Together, we can reset expectations for the entire industry.
Botched Ink® isn’t just the safer removal solution; it’s part of a bigger shift toward transparency, trust, and lifelong results.
Going Global
In November 2019, we launched our worldwide online training, making Botched Ink® accessible to technicians across the globe. By May 2020, our UK and international operations had grown so quickly that we separated them into two entities to manage expansion more effectively.
When Covid hit, online training demand soared, but so did the challenges. Some trainers began offering low-quality courses and promoting Botched Ink® without proper knowledge. To protect the brand and ensure consistent results for clients, I made a tough decision in February 2021: to end distribution and limit product sales to officially trained Botched Ink® technicians only.
It was a bold move, but the right one. By controlling both product and training standards, we safeguarded what Botched Ink® stands for, consistent quality, genuine skill, and skin-safe results.
What’s Next?
Botched Ink® is growing, and evolving with the industry. The rise of emergency removal treatments has highlighted a real problem: untrained technicians using harsh saline or chemical methods without understanding skin science. We’re tackling this head-on through education, mentorship, and by keeping Botched Ink® exclusive to properly trained professionals.
Laser removal is also on the rise, but many clients are left with red, orange, or yellow brows once the black pigment is gone. That’s where Botched Ink® steps in, not to compete with laser, but to complete what laser started. Our saline solution clears the warm pigments laser can’t see, creating safer, more predictable results.
We’ve seen the evolution of the PMU industry from every angle, from early microblading trends to today’s complex pigment corrections, and we’re already shaping what comes next. The goal remains the same: empower professionals, protect clients, and lead the next chapter of PMU removal innovation.
Our Core Values
At Botched Ink®, our values aren’t slogans, they’re the standards that guide everything we do:
We share knowledge generously. Education is how the industry moves forward.
We champion and support the PMU community. When one tech grows, the whole industry benefits.
We act responsibly. Every treatment, every client, every product matters.
We’re uncompromising on standards. Skin health, honesty, and professionalism always come first.
These principles have shaped not just a product, but a movement. Botched Ink® isn’t here to follow trends, we’re here to raise the bar for everyone working in PMU correction and removal.
Why It Matters
Let’s be honest, the cosmetic tattooing industry has changed fast, but not always for the better. Training standards vary, and eyebrow “disasters” are far too common. Clients deserve more than cover-ups and quick fixes, they deserve confidence in who’s holding the needle.
That’s why Botched Ink® exists. We help technicians correct and maintain beautiful results, while teaching clients what safe, responsible removal really looks like.
Our work isn’t just about fading pigment, it’s about raising expectations. By educating both clients and professionals, we’re building an industry where trust and transparency matter as much as artistry.
Join the Botched Ink® Revolution
If you’re a technician ready to level up, or a client looking for trusted removal, Botched Ink® is where the professionals are. We’re not just a product, we’re a community, a standard, and a commitment to doing things right.
Our mission has always been to empower and elevate, not overwhelm. Every technician we train joins a network that values skill, ethics, and support. Every client we help gets more than a fix, they get their confidence back.
The story of Botched Ink® is still being written, and the next chapter belongs to everyone who believes the PMU industry can do better, and be better. Together, we’re not just reshaping brows. We’re reshaping the standard.
Experience & Achievements Timeline
Technician & Trainer Experience
August 2012: Permanent Makeup Training
April 2013: Salt & Saline Tattoo Removal Training
June 2013: MCA Microneedling Training
2014–2018: Numerous removal and correction courses
2015: Teacher training, launched Dry Tattooing (scar and stretch mark improvement) course
Later expanded into Saline Tattoo Removal and Microblading to Machine® Conversion training
Botched Ink® Development & Trainer Milestones
March 2017: Wrote my own saline tattoo removal (STR) course while distributing another brand
December 2017: Registered Botched Ink® domains and trademark
January 2018: Started teaching my own non-branded STR course
2018: Developed and tested the Botched Ink® solution
January 2019: Official UK launch of Botched Ink®
November 2019: Worldwide launch via distributors
February 2021: Pulled all distribution — made Botched Ink® exclusive to trained technicians
Established stock hubs in UK, USA, Canada, and Australia
Key Achievements
May 2019: Winner – Industry Innovation Award, Micropigmentation UK
Top of Google for saline tattoo removal and PMU removal keywords
200–250 daily website visitors, all unpaid organic traffic
1,000+ officially trained technicians across the globe
50%+ long-term active techs, featured on the Find a Tech Map
Built a strong, ethical, and globally respected removal community
Looking Ahead: A Future of Innovation & Empowerment
The story of Botched Ink® doesn’t end here, it evolves. We’re constantly refining how removal is taught, performed, and understood. Our mission remains the same: to protect skin, rebuild confidence, and elevate professional standards worldwide.
What excites me most about the future is seeing more technicians empowered with real knowledge and integrity, and more clients finally receiving the safe, predictable treatments they deserve. Every new tech we train becomes part of a global community that values skill, responsibility, and care. Every client we help reminds us why standards matter.
This isn’t just about removal; it’s about creating an industry where damage and disappointment no longer belong. When skill meets science, and when education meets empathy, we change more than brows. We change what’s possible.
The Author: Lisa Henning
Lisa is the owner and developer of Botched Ink®, an industry leading saline removal brand offering comprehensive online and in-person training, and our exclusive Botched Ink® saline removal solution.
