Brow Rescue with Kelly Louise Aesthetics

Introducing Brow Rescue & Kelly Louise Aesthetics

Lisa: Hi everybody. Let me introduce Kelly from Kelly Louise Aesthetics in Wolverhampton. I’ve known Kelly for quite a few years now — she was actually one of our very first Botched Ink® technicians, joining back in January 2019. And now she’s one of our experienced trainers, working on live model classes in Birmingham — a really great central location in the UK.

Kelly, do you want to introduce yourself a bit more — maybe share your PMU background and the other treatments you do?

Kelly: Yeah, definitely. I started in permanent makeup in 2017. I originally trained in microblading, but within a year I realised it wasn’t suitable for every skin type — which, as we all know, you’re not really told during training. Oily skin, mature skin — it just wasn’t ideal for a lot of clients.

So I decided to train in micropigmentation, using a machine. I qualified in November 2018, and then in January I trained with you for Botched Ink. That was always the plan from the start — to add removal. I had so many clients coming to me with brows that had been done elsewhere, and I didn’t know what I could do for them. Early on I’d think, “Can I work over this? Can I just put ink on top?”

Lisa: Because that bit’s never included in training, is it?

Kelly: No! I tried — and soon realised, no, you can’t. The skin doesn’t take it, especially when it’s been implanted too deep and gone blue. You’re none the wiser in the beginning. That’s when I introduced Botched Ink.

Now, I offer brows, eyeliner and lips — mostly soft, natural enhancements like powder brows. I don’t do much stroke work anymore. I also do neutralising, and my removal services include both laser and Botched Ink saline. I’d say I’ve become a specialist in corrections, because I offer the whole package — clients can come to me and I can fully rescue their brows.

Lisa: So basically, every day you’ve got either a tattoo machine or a laser machine in your hand?

Kelly: Every day, yeah!

Lisa: That’s a proper specialist. So when you first got into corrections and removal, what were your thoughts about the industry back then? What’s changed?

Kelly: I was terrified of micropigmentation. The idea of using a tattoo machine on someone — it felt so permanent! I’d been trained to believe microblading was semi-permanent, that it fades out of the skin… but now I know that’s not true. We’re putting ink into the skin — it’s a tattoo. It’s permanent.

I used to say, “I’ll never pick up a tattoo machine.” And now I couldn’t imagine picking up a microblading blade again!

THE BROW RESCUE JOURNEY

Lisa: I’ve seen you really evolve into a removal specialist — especially since you launched Brow Rescue. How did that come about?

Kelly: I created Brow Rescue because there was nothing else like it. Clients were coming to me, and I knew they had a long journey ahead — multiple removals, months of healing, and it was going to cost them a lot. Some would be with me for a year or more. This was before I even added laser. But once I brought in both methods, I knew I could get amazing results.

It’s been a journey. I’ve built up my experience with Botched Ink, and I’ve got the portfolio now — clients can see what I can do.

Lisa: And Botched Ink just works, doesn’t it? You know what’s going to happen every time.

Kelly: Exactly. I know I’ll get results. Of course, clients want it done yesterday, but I wanted to create something that would help them invest in the full journey — and invest in me. I could earn more doing single sessions, but this way, I know they’re committing to the process and they know they’re saving money in the long run. And it builds loyalty — they stay with me the whole way through.

Lisa: So what does the package actually include?

Kelly: It’s unlimited removal sessions — saline or laser, depending on what’s needed. I always start with saline because of the way modern inks behave. We do a consultation, then they have removal sessions until I’m happy their skin is ready for rework. After that, they get a full new brow treatment, which includes two sessions plus a top-up.

When skin’s been overworked — especially with microblading — it often has scar tissue. Botched Ink helps a lot with that, but sometimes the skin can only take so much. You have to go in lightly and work with what it can handle. So most of the time, they need that third session — and that’s included. They pay one fee, and they know they’re sorted.

BUILDING A SPECIALIST BRAND

Lisa: And you were the first person I saw doing this as a proper package.

Kelly: Yeah — I’d never seen anyone else do it at the time. People have started offering similar things now, even using similar names, but mine’s called Brow Rescue. I got the idea when talking to a nurse who does lip fillers. She told me about her rehab packages — she can’t just keep adding filler, she has to dissolve and rebuild. And I thought, “That’s exactly what we need to do with brows.”

Lisa: Total lightbulb moment.

Kelly: Exactly! It made complete sense. Everything done in one place, with one person who understands the journey.

Lisa: And people travel to see you, don’t they?

Kelly: Yeah — I had a lady come from London just today!

Lisa: That’s because of how you present yourself. On your Instagram it’s clear you specialise in removal. And your website — what’s the URL again?

Kelly: It’s Kellylouiseaesthetics.com

Lisa: Right! And on there, you’ve got whole pages dedicated to removal — really educating clients.

Kelly: That’s what I try to do. A lot of people find my page and say they didn’t know red or yellow tones could even be removed. That’s why they come to me — I do so much video and education around it. They can tell I know what I’m doing.

CLIENTS ARE ASKING FOR REMOVAL — AND Booking

Lisa: Do you still get clients who object to removal, or are they coming to you specifically for removal now?

Kelly: They’re coming to me for removal. They see me as the specialist — the one who can actually help them.

Lisa: And what would you say to anyone else looking to offer a similar kind of package? I mean, don’t call it Brow Rescue, please — anyone listening, I will see it.

Kelly: (laughs) Yeah, thank you. Don’t! I’ll notice!

REMOVAL IS NOW HALF MY BUSINESS

Lisa: But seriously, how much has offering removal — proper removal — changed your business? And how does it feel, as a technician running your own business?

Kelly: It’s changed everything. We’ve just done our year-end, so I’ve been looking at the stats. Last year, removal made up 33% of my business — and I was already well known for it. But from January to April this year? It’s now 57%.

Lisa: Wow — that’s massive.

Kelly: It’s been full-on! Some weeks, I’ve had 10 removal clients. And I love it. I love removals because I’m starting a journey with these clients. They’re putting their trust in me. We talk about what’s happened — what they’ve been through — and honestly, I feel like a therapist sometimes. Their brows are red, white, patchy — they’ve had so many top-ups over the years. But because they’ve already done their research and watched my videos, they understand what needs to happen now.

CLIENT EDUCATION CHANGES EVERYTHING

Lisa: That education piece is huge. I’ve always wanted the Botched Ink website to be equally about educating clients and techs. I’ve always believed that it’s actually the clients who are going to lead this industry forward — not just the professionals.

Kelly: I really believe that too. And it’s why I’ve focused so much more on my social media this past year. When clients understand it’s a journey — that it’s not going to be done overnight — they’re willing to commit. Sometimes they even finish my sentences! I’ll say, “We need to take some ink out…” and they’ll say, “…before we can put new in.” And I’m like, yes! They’ve been listening. It makes my job so much easier. A couple of years ago, most people still thought there was a quick fix to bad brows. There really isn’t.

BUILDING TRUST THROUGH POSITIONING

Lisa: And because you’ve properly positioned yourself as a removal specialist — and stuck to it — you’re now getting exactly the kind of clients you want.

Kelly: Yeah. I had someone travel three hours for an emergency removal. There were definitely artists closer to her who offer removal, but because of how I explain things and how I show my work, she said, “I need you.”

Lisa: That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do with the Botched Ink brand — get clients to actually remember the name. Not just ‘saline’ or ‘removal’, but Botched Ink specifically.

Kelly: And they’re starting to! I hear clients say the name now. It used to just be “removal,” or they hadn’t even heard of saline. But now, they’ll say, “I saw Botched Ink” — and it’s all over my profile, so they know I use it. Sometimes they’re Googling how to get rid of microblading, they come across Botched Ink, and then they find me.

Lisa: I’ve always said this — I think you feel the same — when we share so much info upfront, it’s like clients almost talk themselves into the decision. Not in a bad way — they’re just getting all their questions answered before they even reach out.

Kelly: Exactly. I’m not convincing them. I’m just confirming what they already believe. And with Brow Rescue, it’s all laid out. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll take them out and give you something beautiful and new. This is what it costs.” It’s transparent, and they trust it.

WHY I STILL CHOOSE BOTCHED INK

Lisa: You’ve been a Botched Ink tech for over six years now, so I imagine over the years you’ve tried other removal brands too?

Kelly: Definitely. I’m the type of person — if I wouldn’t have the treatment myself, I won’t offer it to a client. So I’ve tested others. In fact, I did a little experiment on my own brows. I used Botched Ink on one side, and another big-name brand on the other.

Lisa: You actually did that?

Kelly: I did! I just wanted to see the difference — how it felt, how it healed, and what the results were. And honestly, Botched Ink won hands down. The drying down within 24 hours, the flaking versus scabbing, the way you can see the colour lift — and especially the way the skin heals. It’s just a different kind of removal solution.

Lisa: You can see the difference in the skin, can’t you?

Kelly: You really can. The other products don’t maintain the integrity of the skin the way Botched Ink does. It almost reconditions the skin. I’ve had clients send me photos after two sessions — two months in — and you can already see reduced scar tissue.

Lisa: And that photo you posted the other day… it was incredible.

Kelly: I know — that one was wild. The client had previously had laser that ruined her brows — she had no hair left. After just two Botched Ink sessions, the healing was amazing. She messaged me to say, “I can’t thank you enough — the condition of my skin is incredible.”

There was another post where a redhead client commented on how much her skin had changed since I started using Botched Ink. She even tagged you to thank you. It’s lovely to see.

Lisa: That’s why I don’t mind people trying other brands. You learn by comparison — but when the results speak for themselves, that’s when it sticks.

LASER VS SALINE: WHY TECHS ARE COMING BACK

Lisa: I’m going to be honest — not so much this year, but last year and maybe the year before, we lost quite a few Botched Ink techs to laser. They trained in laser and then stopped buying Botched Ink.

Kelly: Why would they do that though? You still need both!

Lisa: Exactly — that’s my point. What’s interesting is that a lot of them are coming back now. And then we’ve got new PMU artists who are also laser-only techs, and they’re trying Botched Ink too. Some of them just fell out of love with non-laser options — but they’re starting to trust it again.

One thing I see you focus on a lot is patch testing — especially when you’re doing combination removals. Botched Ink first, laser after — or the other way round.

PATCH TESTING ISN’T OPTIONAL — IT’S ESSENTIAL

Kelly: It’s really important. It shows me what colours are actually present in the skin. But more than that, it helps track progress. Clients can physically see what’s changing. They understand why I’m using the method I’m using. And they get why I don’t just jump straight into laser.

Lisa: Do you do the laser patch test in the first session? Or further down the line?

Kelly: Always the first session. At consultation, I can already see what’s going on — orange, red, yellow tones — I can see them. Clients often can’t. So I say, “Watch this — this is what’s going to show up.” And when we do the patch test, they’re shocked. But they believe it, because now they see it.

Lisa: That’s just an experienced eye, isn’t it? I don’t do many treatments now, but I haven’t lost that. You can still spot colours and depth.

Kelly: Yes — you can see the halo, the underlying pigment. Clients usually don’t see it until you show them. Once we do the patch test, they’re on board. They understand why we’re starting with saline. I might retest later in the journey, but that depends on their skin. Every case is different.

WHEN LASER GOES WRONG

Lisa: How do you feel when you see clients turning up with laser-only, overtreated brows — or yellow ones?

Kelly: It’s frustrating. The laser tech should know better. If a client walks in with blue-grey brows, that tech should have been trained to understand what colours will show up underneath.

Lisa: But the reality is, most of the people doing PMU laser removal were trained in body tattoo removal first — where patch testing isn’t even typical.

Kelly: Right — and then they go straight in, removing the entire brow without doing a few test shots. They don’t ask: What’s underneath? What’s it going to present? If you remove blue, and red shows up… now they’re left with pillar-box red. That’s not better.

Lisa: And the client had no idea that might happen.

Kelly: Exactly. Even if they were told “this might happen,” they weren’t prepared. Then suddenly they’ve got a bright red brow — and they’re horrified.

Lisa: I’ve seen so many of those photos — blood spotting, bright red pigment, scabbing after laser. It’s just over-treatment.

Kelly: I had three clients this week who’d had laser elsewhere. Red, raw brows. Yellow still visible. And what did the techs tell them? “You’ve got to keep going.”

Lisa: That’s awful.

Kelly: One lady had four laser sessions. The first — maybe the second — should’ve taken the blue. But two more after that? What are you doing? The red isn’t going to shift with laser. And you start wondering — are they even using the right filters?

Lisa: Like 1064 for the dark colours… 532 for the brights?

Kelly: Exactly. Do they even know what they’re doing? And some of these people are microblading or PMU artists themselves — you’d think they’d understand colour theory.

Lisa: But most don’t even check pigment ingredients. I used to make pie charts — how much black, red, yellow — just from reading the labels.

Kelly: Right? They just pick a colour and use it, not knowing what’s actually in it.

Lisa: And most laser techs — especially those without PMU training — have no clue what’s in these pigments. And they don’t care.

Kelly: They don’t. And honestly, should they be treating brows at all if they don’t understand PMU? I don’t think so.

WHO SHOULD BE DOING PMU REMOVAL?

Lisa: Look — the people who’ve been doing PMU laser removal for six, eight, ten years — they’ve earned their stripes. At the time, there weren’t many other options. But today? With what we now know?

If a new client walks in asking for brow removal and you don’t understand PMU pigments… you really shouldn’t be treating them.

Kelly: 100%. PMU artists have the theory, the colour knowledge…

Lisa: And — one word — experience.

Kelly: Exactly. Even if a PMU artist is also laser trained, and they’re still doing four or five sessions on red pigment — that’s a problem. I get that if laser’s all they’ve got, they’ll use it. But now there is an alternative — Botched Ink’s been around six years. So why not say, “Let’s start with saline, lift the red or yellow, then come back for laser when the skin’s in a better condition.”

Lisa: That makes so much sense.

Kelly: I’ve got laser techs who refer clients to me now. They know they’ll end up with red brows if they try to treat it themselves. So they send them to me for saline, then take them back for laser after. That’s how it should be.

Lisa: But not everyone’s willing to send the client away.

Kelly: Exactly. Sometimes they just don’t want to turn down the money.

PERMANENT MAKEUP CLIENTS AREN’T LIKE TATTOO CLIENTS

Lisa: I mean, the thing is — and I say this as someone who’s covered in tattoos and a bit of a tattoo snob — a lot of tattoo artists have stayed away from permanent makeup, not because they can’t do the artwork, but because of the clients. When someone’s getting a tattoo on their arm, it’s art. But when it’s on their face — they know every single dot, every line. The expectations are completely different.

And it’s the same with body tattoo removal techs getting into PMU. Laser doesn’t remove brows — it removes colour. And that distinction matters. It’s why I wanted to do this talk with you — because the future isn’t just laser or saline, it’s about more PMU techs doing both. Or working together.

SALINE AND LASER TECHS SHOULD BE COLLABORATING

Kelly: Exactly. I think laser techs need to ask themselves, “What’s best for my client?” And sometimes, that means doing a couple of sessions of saline first — or referring to someone who does it properly.

I’m not about to pinch someone else’s client. If a laser tech sends them to me for saline, I’ll happily send them back for laser. That’s how it should work — building the right relationships with people who care about getting the best result.

Lisa: That’s the end goal. I don’t think any laser tech wants to leave a client with orange or red brows. But they end up doing a full removal session without stopping — even when the red’s already showing halfway through!

WHO TRAINS WHO? AND WHY PMU KNOWLEDGE MATTERS

Lisa: One thing we’ve been doing in the background at Botched Ink is getting contacted by a lot of laser techs. But if they’re not already trained in PMU, I won’t train them in Botched Ink. They won’t have the needle skills or understand pigment theory.

Instead, I try to team them up with a local Botched Ink tech — someone who does have that background. And the same goes the other way — if a Botched Ink tech doesn’t do laser, I encourage them to collaborate with someone who does.

Kelly: Yes — I’ve done that too. I’ll reach out to a laser tech and say, “Look, I’ve got these brows where I’ve done what I can, now I need you to take out the remaining blue.” It’s about playing to each other’s strengths.

THE REMOVAL INDUSTRY ISN’T JUST LASER — IT’S A TEAM EFFORT

Lisa: I had a brilliant chat with a laser company recently. They’re going to start working with us more closely, and one of their team — a PMU artist himself — said something that stuck with me:

“We are the removal industry, not the laser industry.”

And that’s it. That’s why I get frustrated when ego gets in the way.

Kelly: Yes! It’s not about competing — it’s about doing what’s best for the client.

SHOULD EVERY PMU TECH OFFER REMOVAL?

Lisa: So Kelly — what advice would you give to PMU artists who don’t offer removal yet?

Kelly: Honestly, I think it should be part of what you offer. I can’t imagine there’s a single PMU artist who doesn’t get clients with over-saturated brows on a regular basis. You need to be able to lift a bit of ink, even just to make room for something new.

I’ve got clients from six years ago who’ve had three touch-ups by now — and a few are just starting to go a bit ashy. So I do a quick lifting session, just to make space. One or two sessions of Botched Ink can get out enough carbon to let you start fresh.

Lisa: And how could you not want that in your services? Why send a loyal client elsewhere when you could be the one to help them?

Kelly: Exactly. Whether it’s Botched Ink or another saline method, removal should be part of every PMU artist’s toolkit.

“REMOVAL’S NOT WORTH MY TIME” — A MISTAKE?

Lisa: One thing I’ve heard — especially from highly experienced PMU artists in the US — is that removal isn’t worth their time financially. They’re charging top-tier rates for brows and don’t see the value in removal pricing.

And look, I get it. The pricing structures are totally different in the US compared to the UK. But here’s what I say:

If it’s not worth your time, team up with a local Botched Ink tech. Let them clear the brows — then send the client back to you.

Kelly: Yes, definitely.

Lisa: Or if you’re working in a team, have one technician focus purely on removal. That way, you’re still keeping everything in-house — and you’re not turning clients away.

CLIENTS DESERVE THE FULL PACKAGE

Kelly: It doesn't make sense to me that you’d send someone away when they’ve come to you. They trust you. So you should be able to cater to everything they need. You put the ink in — you should be able to take it out.

Lisa: But a big majority of PMU techs are still just telling clients to “go get laser” — with no further advice. That’s the bit I can’t get past.

Kelly: Right, and then what? That client’s been with you for five years. Maybe they want a different shape now, something softer. Or maybe they need a lift in the tail — that means more removal. It’s not a quick fix.

Lisa: And if you do tell your client to go get laser — and they come back with salmon, orange, or red brows… then what?

And I’m sorry, but we’re seeing way too many techs on Instagram trying to cover yellow brows with nano strokes. The money’s been taken, but the yellow’s still there.

Kelly: I can’t look at those posts! The yellow’s just sitting there in the background. Why would you be happy with that? Why are you posting that?

Lisa: Do those clients even know there were other options? Or were they never told?

Kelly: That’s what I wonder. Have they been told, “This is your only option”? Because it’s not. And it’s not a good look.

REMOVAL WITHOUT EGO — WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER

Lisa: And if it’s your own client coming back to you again and again… we’re just going in circles. There’s no long-term answer unless we start working together.

Kelly: Definitely. And there’s room for everyone.

Lisa: I stay in my lane — but I’m also very open to laser. And I do believe, quite strongly, that we were the first removal brand to properly welcome laser techs and promote combo treatments. No one else was doing that before.

Kelly: A lot of laser techs are still really anti-saline. They don’t even realise how good it can be.

Lisa: And the sad thing is — they might never have tried Botched Ink. They’ve got no idea it’s a very different kind of saline.

Kelly: Right — and it’s whether they’re open to trying it, or even experiencing it. Some just… aren’t.

Lisa: The key word, Kelly — open. That’s the thing, isn’t it?