DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Health approved licenses for the Arch for lip blushing, flux freckles, and fine line/tiny tattoos. 

 

Prior to this, cosmetic studio was only licensed for cosmetic makeup, or permanent tattooing of the eyebrows

 

The Arch is one half of a dual business venture — The Arch and Rose Quartz Spatique — owned by cosmetic tattoo artist Ashley Ciepiela and licensed esthetician Rebecca Moore at 395 Main St.

 

Ciepiela hopes to start offering these additional services in the summer. She said business slows down for eyebrow work since it requires customers to stay out of the sun for up to two weeks. 

 

Although Moore works with her clientele on skin care but sometimes customers like the "sun-kissed look," Ciepiela said. 

 

Permanent makeup artists have started to tattoo freckles manually or using a machine to give customers that look. Ciepiela is certified to tattoo freckles both manually and mechanically. 

 

The process of tattooing freckles is the same method as eyebrowing, Ciepiela said. 

 

The freckles are semi-permanent so depending on sun exposure they can last up to a year but many people come in more frequently to get a touch up. 

 

As people age, they get less circulation in our lips which may cause discoloring around the sides, Ciepiela said. The lip blushing service can be used for that or as an enhancement to lips. 

 

For the course to get her certification in this service, Ciepiela used herself as a model because she wanted lip filler but could not afford the $500 every month. 

 

Ciepiela wanted to get a fuller lip without having to get injections so she colormatch to make it look as natural as possible but give it more of a top lip. 

 

This process can be transformative for people, she said. This service can be done manually or by machine. 

 

"A lot of times, if somebody has a scar or maybe any kind of birthmark deformity that they're self conscious about, [this service] can help cover up," Ciepiela said. 

 

Permanent makeup artists have started to add other services because brows are also an investment that can cost up to $500, she said, so tattoo artists and permanent makeup artists are starting to do fine-line tattooing, also referred to as micro tattooing. 

 

These tattoos are often small stuff that a tattoo shop may turn away because it is not worth it or their minimum might be $150. 

 

And she said, someone may not be willing to pay that much for a small thing so permanent makeup artists started doing it because they are familiar with the machine and needles needed to do it. 

 

Ciepiela has been using the needles needed for this to do eyebrows for two years and has also already received a certificate to provide this service. 

 

"I don't see myself competing with any of the people that are opening businesses to create these gorgeous sleeves or back pieces, or these large scale things," Ciepiela said.

 

"That's kind of the equivalent to the lips and the eyebrows. What I'm looking for is filler services."

 

Ciepiela is also working with the board to get approval to offer saline lightening, also referred to as saline removal. The saline lightening process allows customers to lighten their tattoo over a span of multiple sessions without using lasers. 

 

She is hoping to get that approval in May.