Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vanessa Dougherty. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Vanessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Our mission is to revolutionize the field of Restorative Permanent Makeup and Medical Tattooing through education, innovation, and excellence. We aim to raise awareness about the transformative potential of these procedures, not only among the general public but also within the medical community.
To achieve this, we provide comprehensive, high-quality education to aspiring artists, ensuring that these specialized services are performed with the utmost skill and care. By equipping professionals with the necessary knowledge and techniques, we strive to elevate the standards of practice in this field.
Additionally, we seek to establish ourselves as a trusted referral source for the medical industry, particularly in reconstructive surgery. Our dedication to delivering exceptional patient outcomes sets us apart and reinforces our commitment to quality care.
At our state-of-the-art La Jolla clinic, we offer top-tier restorative permanent makeup and medical tattoo services that reflect our commitment to excellence. We believe that everyone should have access to these life-changing procedures.
To further our mission, we actively participate in plastic surgery conventions and contribute to medical publications. Through these efforts, we aim to increase awareness and accessibility of restorative permanent makeup and medical tattooing, making them widely recognized and respected within the healthcare community.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Vanessa Dougherty, and I am the owner and lead artist at Restorative Permanent Makeup, a cosmetic and medical tattoo clinic/training facility located in La Jolla, CA. We provide a variety of services and training programs, with our most sought-after offerings being eyebrow enhancements, lip color, scar camouflage, and 3D areola tattoos.

My artistic journey began in my youth, where I discovered my talent for art and makeup while giving makeovers to friends. This passion led me to become a professional makeup artist, which eventually introduced me to the world of permanent makeup. Eager to expand my skills, I took a class with a local instructor. However, I soon realized that to master this art form, I needed a deeper understanding of tattooing techniques. Consequently, I trained with professional tattoo artists and secured a position at a local tattoo shop.

While I enjoyed tattooing, I found that the tattoo shop culture and environment did not align with my personal values or what I wanted for my future. The late nights and weekends were not conducive to my true passion: restoring beauty and confidence. This realization prompted me to leave the tattoo shop and join a plastic surgeon’s office specializing in permanent makeup.

It was here that I first encountered medical tattooing when the surgeon asked me to create an areola for a breast lift patient who had lost her nipple due to surgical complications. After successfully completing this procedure, I began working on facelift scars and other unwanted marks for patients post-surgery. This experience solidified my calling; using tattooing as a means of healing after reconstructive surgery was incredibly fulfilling.
Recognizing that many people were unaware of these transformative procedures inspired me to open my own clinic three years ago in La Jolla, Restorative Permanent Makeup. My vision was to create a space that specializes in both permanent makeup and medical tattooing, where I could serve clients and train a team of artists dedicated to restorative techniques. My goal is to foster an environment that merges medical professionalism with artistic creativity, ensuring clients feel comfortable and confident throughout their experience.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

As I reflect on my journey as a business owner, I realize how new this experience still is for me. I opened my business just three years ago, after spending two decades either working on commission or renting space from a plastic surgeon. Back then, I only had myself to worry about. But when I decided to open my own clinic and scale my business to train more artists and host classes, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. Taking on that responsibility was terrifying! Suddenly, I had people relying on me for their income. We’re still small, with fewer than five people on the payroll, but I’ve discovered that I absolutely love being an employer.

Through this experience, I’ve learned some valuable lessons. First and foremost, I realized the importance of learning everything myself before delegating tasks. This doesn’t mean I have to be an expert at everything, but I need to understand what needs to be done and how to ask for it. To gain this knowledge, I hired business coaches and absorbed everything I could from them. This education not only showed me that there were too many tasks for one person to handle but also helped me identify the skills and qualities I needed in my team members.

Another crucial lesson I’ve learned is the importance of balancing professionalism with humanity. I genuinely care for my employees, and they appreciate that I keep it real. I’m not afraid to admit my mistakes or show vulnerability. I strive to create a safe, appreciative, and valuable environment for my team. When the business succeeds, I want everyone to feel it’s a reflection of our great teamwork. I celebrate our wins together and offer rewards when deserved. This approach brings out the best in people, making them want to work hard and genuinely care about the business.

It’s incredibly rewarding to watch my employees grow and develop. I see myself as their mentor and view them as invaluable assets to my business. Providing fulfilling work and seeing them take pride in their jobs is one of the most satisfying aspects of being an employer. I truly love this role and the positive impact it has on both my business and the lives of my team members.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As a tattoo artist with 22 years of experience, I can confidently say that tattooing people on their face and body is a challenging yet rewarding art form. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that providing this service requires a unique blend of artistic skill and technical expertise. The techniques and tools needed to achieve a good result often vary from person to person, as we are essentially working on a living canvas. There are numerous factors that can go wrong, and when mistakes are made, it can be incredibly disheartening for an artist and their client. This profession is certainly not for the faint of heart.

In my journey through body art, permanent makeup, and medical tattooing, I started at a time when there was little formal education available. I had to learn through trial and error as I honed my skills, which is a natural process when mastering any craft. However, the key difference in tattooing is that mistakes are made on human beings, and the emotional toll on the artist can be unbearable. The last thing we want is to permanently alter someone’s appearance and have them be unhappy with the result. It’s an enormous responsibility that weighs heavily on our shoulders.

There were countless times when I wanted to give up, but my passion for helping people and the hundreds of beautiful results and happy clients kept me going.
Fortunately, mistakes happen rarely these days, and I’ve learned what NOT to do because I learned the hard way. This experience is one of the primary reasons I became an educator. I wanted to guide and mentor artists at the beginning of their careers, teaching them everything I’ve learned so they don’t have to make the same mistakes I did. By sharing my knowledge, I hope to contribute to the growth and improvement of our industry as a whole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.restorativepmu.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorativepmu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restorativepermanentmakeup/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ0bYjCtwpfKFqje5vtoj2Q
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/restorative-permanent-makeup-la-jolla
• Other: https://linktr.ee/restorativepmu

Image Credits

Dena Meeder Portraits for head shots