Why My SPCP Approved Trainer Credentials Are Important: Arizona Permanent Makeup

Permanent Makeup
Feb 1
4 min read

Updated: Feb 8

Why My SPCP & CPCP Credentials Matter — And Why You Should Care

Out of all the credentials I hold, my SPCP and CPCP certifications are, by far, the ones I cherish most. I’m deeply proud of them—but pride alone isn’t the point.

What do these credentials actually mean?

Why are they such a big deal?

And most importantly… why should you care?

If you’re a client, a student, or someone considering a career in permanent makeup, this matters more than you may realize.

Training Comes With Responsibility

As trainers, we don’t just teach technique—we shape professionals. That means we have a responsibility to continually evolve, continue our education, and never stop raising the bar.

I’ve been training for many years, originally in Las Vegas, Nevada, where permanent makeup is regulated through the Southern Nevada Health District. There, I held:

A valid Body Art Card
A permanent makeup license
A mentor/trainer license

That mentor license wasn’t handed out lightly. To even apply, the Health District required:

A minimum of four years licensed practice
Good standing with no violations
Documented professional experience

That license legally allowed me to train others—and it meant something. I still work and teach in Las Vegas and I still hold all of these credentials.

Why SPCP Credentials Became Essential in Arizona

I’ve been a member of the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals (SPCP) for over 20 years. While in Nevada, I didn’t initially pursue SPCP Approved Trainer status—because I already held a government-issued trainer license, and SPCP approval wasn’t required there.

Arizona changed everything.

Arizona has:

❌ No regulatory board for tattooing or permanent makeup
❌ No statewide licensing standards
❌ No trainer requirements
❌ No minimum education or experience

It is, quite literally, the Wild West of permanent makeup.

And I’m not exaggerating.

Anyone can buy a cheap machine on Amazon, watch a few YouTube videos, call themselves a permanent makeup artist—and start training others the next day. I see it happen constantly. I needed to set myself apart from these types of practices and elevate myself to gain the trust of the public. As a trainer, I need to lead by example and raise the bar for my industry.

So I made a decision.

If Arizona wasn’t going to set standards, I would.

Raising the Bar — On Purpose

To protect clients, students, and the integrity of this industry, I chose to raise the bar for myself.

Sat for the CPCP board certification exam
Earned Certified Permanent Cosmetic Professional (CPCP) status
Completed the SPCP Train-the-Trainer program
Became an official SPCP Approved Trainer

These credentials allow clients and students in Mohave County, Kingman, Scottsdale, and beyond to independently verify my qualifications through the oldest and most respected permanent makeup organization in the country.

SPCP Credentials Are Earned — Not Bought

Unlike many online “credentialing” providers where you simply pay a fee and download a certificate, SPCP does not sell credentials.

They:

Vet everything
Verify everything
Test everything

Yes—it’s expensive.

Yes—it’s rigorous.

And yes—that’s exactly the point.

States That Recognize SPCP as the Gold Standard

SPCP certification isn’t just respected—it’s required or strongly recognized in many regulated states, including:

New Jersey – Requires 100 hours of training and SPCP-certified instructors
Massachusetts – Many local health boards require SPCP-accredited training
New York – SPCP-approved schools provide mandatory 100-hour training
Tennessee – Requires 100-hour fundamentals and SPCP-aligned standards

In some states, you cannot be licensed unless you were trained by an SPCP-approved trainer.

What It Takes to Become an SPCP Approved Trainer

Here’s what SPCP actually requires:

Requirements:

Active SPCP Professional or Lifetime Membership
CPCP Board Certification
Minimum 5 years industry experience
Verification of 300+ procedures per technique taught
Completion of the SPCP Train-the-Trainer Program
Submission of 17+ documents, including curriculum
High school diploma or equivalent

Maintaining Approval:

Full re-application every 4 years
Re-completion of Train-the-Trainer
16+ hours of continuing education every 2 years

This is not something you stumble into.

Why Self-Taught Doesn’t Fly — And Why That’s a Good Thing

SPCP does not accept self-taught artists as professional or board-certified members.

And that’s not gatekeeping—it’s public safety.

Talented artists without formal training often lack critical knowledge in:

Anatomy & physiology
Skin biology
Fitzpatrick skin typing
Contraindications
Color theory
Bloodborne pathogens
Cross-contamination prevention

A beautiful procedure performed on the wrong client can cause permanent damage—keloids, infections, pigment migration, or even reconstructive surgery.

Talent without knowledge can be dangerous.

SPCP does allow self-taught artists to join as Affiliate or Associate Members, giving them access to vetted education and a pathway to legitimate training—but membership is not a credential.

Why Experience Matters Before Teaching

Even the best training doesn’t make someone ready to teach immediately.

Permanent makeup is performed on living skin, and every client heals differently. Mastery only comes from:

Seeing healed results weeks, months, and years later
Working on hundreds of real clients
Learning how skin reacts over time

That’s why SPCP—and many regulated states—require years of experience before teaching.

Teaching before you’ve mastered your craft isn’t just reckless.

In many states, it’s illegal.

Unfortunately, in Arizona, there is a substantial amount of grifters. It's not only the clients who suffer, but students are paying thousands of dollars to get trained by unqualified and inexperienced trainers. It isn't until they go out on their own and start doing procedures that they realize their training was a complete waste of money. With popularity of permanent makeup exploding, we also have an explosion of new technicians using PMU training as a cash grab.