At Astanza, we don’t just sell lasers; we change lives. We are a client-focused company that works with customer-obsessed aesthetic businesses worldwide. While our laser technology delivers transformative results, it’s the business owners and practitioners who drive the true impact.
Envision Laser Removal is one client making waves in their community and pulling on our heartstrings. This family-owned laser business in Port Charlotte, Florida, uses the Astanza Duality laser and Zimmer Cryo cooling machine to deliver various aesthetic treatments, including fast, effective, and comfortable tattoo removal.
We recently interviewed owner Eric Wells about his tattoo removal business journey and how it’s positively impacted his life and the Port Charlotte community. Keep reading to learn more about Envision Laser Removal and get an exclusive look inside their practice.
Tell me about Envision Laser Removal’s history and what makes you unique.
“I’m a retired principal, and my wife is a retired teacher. I needed tattoo removal because I begrudgingly got a tattoo because my only son asked me to get a tattoo, which turned into a long dermatological treatment process because of allergies to the ink. My first treatment was done in Fort Myers at Tattoo Cemetery, where I met Lisa Herren. Lisa did all of my treatments and helped me get rid of this allergic reaction tattoo. She then wanted to go into business with me and Susan, but we decided not to do it [at the time].”
Check out the full interview with Eric and Envision Laser Removal below:
What impact did Lisa Herren have on your business?
“So she actually sent me to tattoo removal school at New Look Laser College, and I had an incredible experience there well over a year ago. [They offered] very dynamic instruction; the team was just incredible. This made me delve deeper into the tattoo removal industry based on the information I had learned. I actually did a deep dive on the machines and the technology and did a lot of reading for over a year before we jumped into this business. Unfortunately, Lisa passed away. So Susan and I decided to take on this business, and probably a good percentage of it was to try to support Lisa’s kids’ future because Lisa paid it forward with us in terms of sending us to school and paying for the airfare. We’re just excited, and I’m overzealous about helping these girls in the future.”
New Look Laser College is Astanza’s laser tattoo removal training division. New Look Laser College is the first training institution to focus solely on laser tattoo removal. We offer numerous courses each year, at our Dallas headquarters and other locations, including Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and more. As part of the Astanza Experience, Astanza clients receive complimentary training and clinical support for life and may attend any New Look Laser College course in Dallas, Texas, at no cost.
Lisa Herren was a beloved Astanza client and previous owner of Tattoo Cemetery. She took care of other members of the Astanza family, as shown through her actions and friendship with Eric and Susan. Sadly, she passed away in July 2021, but her memory lives on through the clients of Tattoo Cemetery, her family, and her friends at Envision Laser Removal. Clients and visitors can see a plaque of Lisa and her daughters posted underneath Envision Laser Removal’s mission upon entering the practice.
What is your shop’s aesthetic? What can customers expect about your shop when they visit?
“We wanted a comfortable, clean, and well-aesthetically appointed facility, and we found it in a bank building on the 4th floor with a beautiful overview look of Port Charlotte. Most of my clients are just amazed by the view we have outside the building because it’s a mirrored window building. It’s very clean, and the property owners really support us and take care of the facility. We love it there. A great percentage of our customers make verbal notes about it, in addition to our Google Reviews.”
Not only is Envision Laser Removal’s practice clean and accessible, but it’s also exceptionally spacious and professional. Clients can easily locate the office on the building’s 4th floor, enjoy a quiet waiting room with magazines, a water fountain for noise privacy, and more. The consultation and treatment rooms also have a great view of Port Charlotte that clients can enjoy during their visit.
What do you hope to achieve as Envision grows?
“In terms of business development, we’re looking at [adding] laser hair removal [with the MeDioStar] and rounding out our tattoo removal business with the Trinity. We’ve only been in business actively for about five or six months and are the only one within about 45 miles of any other tattoo removal establishment. We are considering duplicating what we’re doing now in another town about 30 miles away. We think it would be very beneficial to our clients in the northern area where we serve. It’s been an incredible ride and incredible support from Astanza and the team itself. It’s been really impressive, just what I thought it would be.
What are some additional services you offer?
“We’re getting a significant number of customers coming in with troubling eyebrow shading and microblading, and some even with tattoos on their eyebrows. We’re spending a lot of time with those clients and helping them remove those eyebrow tattoos with great success. Toenail fungus – I’ve had a professional baseball player in because his feet are always in cleats. He’s referred some people to us, so that’s been a significant surprise. And a lot of vascular lesions, in the face, in the legs, and blemishes are just incredible within certain communities of Fitzpatrick scale types III, IV, and V, asking for the removal of lesions on their face, hands, and arms. It’s really going well, and an educational challenge as well in myself with growing and learning more about this aesthetic business.”
Envision Laser Removal officially opened in March 2022 and has already become the leading laser aesthetic provider in the Port Charlotte area. Although they started with laser tattoo removal, their services have quickly expanded at the request of their clients. The Astanza Duality laser is also FDA-approved to perform procedures like pigmented lesion removal and vascular lesion removal, which is very helpful for businesses like Envision Laser Removal that serve clients with a wide variety of skin concerns.
What is a changing lives moment you’ve experienced since opening Envision Laser Removal?
“We have a few of them, quite frankly. We loved the idea you guys had with Community Day, so we adopted that for this area. We are doing free tattoo removal for sex trafficking, gang-related tattoos, and prison tattoos above the collar and below the cuff, and we’re doing those for free. Some of the stories are just incredible. We had a lady who was taken in 8th grade and now is a grandmother of five. She has four tattoos she was given by three different people after she was taken. They put sex trafficking marks of ownership on her hands. [We’ve served] individuals trying to improve their lives by removing prison tattoos; they want better jobs. And so, as a principal and my wife as a teacher, it’s really empowering to help these people and do this for free. It feels so good after being retired for a short period of time and then going in and helping these people. It’s even more powerful to learn about their story and share personal stories with them.”
While Astanza works closely with numerous non-profit organizations, government entities, and correctional facilities to deliver free tattoo removal for formerly incarcerated, human trafficking survivors, and at-risk youth, more and more Astanza clients are adopting the #ChangingLives initiative in hopes of giving back to their communities. Astanza also hosts a monthly Community Day, a #ChangingLives program that aims to improve the lives of individuals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by removing visible tattoos on the hands, face, and neck.
Why did you choose Astanza technology, and what have you enjoyed most/what are you most looking forward to about this partnership?
“Going into business itself, because I had a small computer business years ago, you really got to know your stuff if you’re going into business. Just walking into New Look Laser College, I found that [Astanza] had biomedical engineers teaching the class, a business part, and support. But even deeper than that, when I left there and the materials that I left with allowed me to do some deep diving into the research out there. I read a lot of white papers on the technology. It’s mind boggling the skills you need to have to do this business. I felt like Astanza not only supported their clients technically and equipment-wise, but there was this energy with you guys that you really want to see people be successful. We had a little trouble with our delivery, and I got the chance to speak to David, your president, and [he was a] really receptive guy. I didn’t think he would support us the way he did. I just think that when a person is trying to start a business, which is already difficult with everything associated with putting it together and making it all work, you guys have been really pivotal in that. The institutional memory in your organization for any issue we have – you’ve got a person to ask, “Hey, I’m faced with this, I’m faced with that, what do you think?” It’s really powerful for me to do this business, come in as a novice, and be able to perfect my practice. It’s a powerful relationship that we have, and I really appreciate and value it.”
To learn more about Envision Laser Removal or book an appointment, call (941) 269-2827, visit https://envisionlaserremoval.com/, or follow @envision_laser_removal on Instagram.
Astanza is so grateful to partner with clients like Envision Laser Removal. We believe in supporting our clients every step of the way, from laser training at New Look Laser College, to comprehensive marketing support through our Business Builder System, and unparalleled service support, including our 3-Business Day Service Guarantee.
If you’re interested in starting a laser tattoo removal business, learning more about our products, or getting trained at New Look Laser College, contact us today to get started.
