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Tattoos and Tattoo Removal: Best of Both Worlds feat. 1 Point Tattoo

If you’re familiar with Astanza, you have undoubtedly heard of 1 Point Tattoo. This client of ours is a leading tattoo shop in Kailua, a town on the east coast of the island of Oahu in Hawaii, and has been featured on our blog and social media countless times. They are home to some of the world’s most talented tattoo artists and serve as Kailua’s best solution for removing and lightening unwanted tattoos.

We had the honor of interviewing shop owner Simon Halpern and leading laser technician Kristine Le-Esposito to get an inside look at 1 Point’s history and learn how adding laser tattoo removal has positively impacted their business and clients’ lives.


How did 1 Point Tattoo get started and what are the tattoo styles you offer?

IMG_0071SIMON: I’ve been tattooing for almost 16 years now. Actually, I learned to tattoo here. I worked for other people for about eight years. Then in 2016, I figured it was time to start my own environment and open my own shop out here, and I’m so excited and happy that I did; it’s been fun. As far as the name of the shop, I read an old book pretty much based on a lot of the Japanese style of tattooing. Back in the day, they would look at American tattooers, and they’d see a lot of the sailor-style tattoos, and they called us One Point tattooers because we would do clipper ships, and sparrows, and smaller one point reference tattoos. So I thought that was a really interesting historical element to the tattoo industry, and seeing as how we are in the middle of the Pacific, I thought it was a cool little tribute to both, you know, our past as well as our future, so that’s where the name comes from.

There are 5 of us here. My style is more ornamental; I do big mandala work. I learned to tattoo in Hawaii, so I learned Polynesian style and American traditional; I had the fundamentals. I designed the shop to have each artist be very particular in what they want to do. So, we don’t have any young artists here. Everybody here probably has close to 10 years or more experience as an artist. Everybody here is a professional, well-established artist, and everyone’s got their own style. So if I’m doing ornamental, we have Ash Hochman; she’s doing a traditional style. And then we have Joshua Flinn doing more Polynesian, and he’s incorporating some watercolor and different styles of pattern work in there as well. Robert Bennett doing some really cool color realism and taking it to another level with that. And then we have Vincent Samaniego, and he is doing more of our black and gray style.

1 Point Tattoo doesn’t just tattoo–they provide an experience and art form that is carefully crafted by their talented team of tattoo artists. Each tattoo is customized based on a client’s wants and the artist’s expertise. Because of each artist’s vast years of experience honing their specific style, 1 Point Tattoo is busy year-round and by appointment only. They will occasionally accept walk-ins based on availability but are usually booked out. Watch the full interview below:

Why did you want to add tattoo removal to the shop?

SIMON: I brought Kristine on to help out with the front of the shop, but I also wanted her to have something that she could call her own as well. I think it’s a mixture of two things. 1) I like the idea of Kristine being an integrated part of the shop, not only in the front. I wanted that idea of her having something that she could call her own. 2) As far as the industry goes, we see a lot of tattoos coming in and out of here. It would be a lot easier for cover-ups if we’re like, “Hey, if you take this off, it’s easier for me to cover it up.” I mean, my work, in particular, there’s so much negative space that I use that it’s beneficial to get it off–like that would be huge. So kind of watching the industry and seeing what’s happening was good, and as an owner, realizing that there was a need in the market, and we could really benefit the people that live here.

We get a lot of military too–I know Kristine has done work to help people get into the military. If they have hand tattoos, not only is it getting the ability to do stuff for cover-ups, but it’s helping people out that are trying to get a career. So overall, to answer your question, there was a need I saw that we could fill.

DSC01150Tattoo artists and shops vs. laser tattoo removal. There’s always been a lingering misconception that these two industries are pitted against each other. However, that’s definitely not the case. Numerous tattoo shops like 1 Point Tattoo are adding laser tattoo removal to improve their artwork and help clients. As Simon shared, laser tattoo removal is a beneficial tool that allows him to erase an existing tattoo in order to deliver a cover-up without any restrictions. He also shares how laser tattoo removal also helps change lives and secure jobs by removing tattoos to help individuals get into the military. Other laser tattoo removal practitioners use laser tattoo removal in similar scenarios like removing gang-related tattoos to help ex-incarcerated individuals start fresh and gain employment. All in all, tattoos and tattoo removal are better together.

What can people expect when they walk into your shop? What is the aesthetic of the shop?

SIMON: I really wanted it to be very clean; you know, as clean as a doctor’s office. Very clean and professional aesthetic. All in all, though, regardless of what’s been in here, it’s definitely been that very professional clean aesthetic, nice art on the walls, and good staff. We’re here to really build solid relationships essentially through art; that’s the motto of the shop. We’ve stayed true to that. I’ve always wanted it to feel like people are welcome, you’re spending a lot of time and money, and we’re putting you into paying, so the most that we can do is make it a comfortable experience for you.

1 Point takes a minimalist approach to its shop, and prioritizes cleanliness to ensure a safe working environment for both staff and clients. They make sure to follow all Hawaii State Department of Health guidelines and are Blood Borne Pathogen certified to ensure the best and continued safety in the shop. Above all, they want clients to feel comfortable with every visit–whether they’re putting a tattoo on or taking one off.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Kristine_1 Point TattooKRISTINE: I’ve been lasering for the shop for five years. I’m originally from California but have been in Oahu now for over ten years, and I love what I do with lasering. I just love helping people. It’s really come a long way from complete removal to lightening for a cover-up. I just manage the shop and do only laser tattoo removal – I do not tattoo. So people find that a little bit different, but my main focus is lasering.

How many clients come in asking for laser tattoo removal?

 KRISTINE: I would say I average anywhere from 3 to 9 people a day, 30 to 40 a week. And we will see all different kinds of scenarios. Not everybody wants to get them lightened to get covered up. Some people want them completely gone, and some people are unhappy things that didn’t come out the way they wanted. Or they had some fun on Friday the 13th and now regret it. I think that’s what sets us apart. Some tattoo shops might just be doing it to lighten for other work, but we’re doing it for the full spectrum of laser tattoo removal. Some people come in and have one tattoo on them, and I’m removing that one tattoo. It doesn’t matter why you’re coming in here – no judgments. We obviously love tattoos, and we build the art, but if someone doesn’t like theirs, if they don’t want it and it’s just one little tattoo, that’s fine; I remove them all the time. You just need to make sure you’re providing them [the best service], and obviously, with the lasers – we have the best, the results speak for themselves.

The reasons for removal are many. Like Kristine shared, some people get tattoos on a whim that they end up regretting the next day. Others may have loved their tattoo many years ago but have outgrown it over time or through different life stages. Unlike other tattoo shops that solely use laser tattoo removal to fade for cover-ups, 1 Point uses its Duality laser to perform a full spectrum of removal services, from complete removal, tattoo lightening, and selective removal. They are a no-judgment shop that focuses solely on making sure their clients’ needs are met.

How did you find Astanza Laser and the Duality, and what has that partnership been like for you?

KRISTINE: It’s been great, honestly. We started looking into laser tattoo removal about five or six years ago. We were trying to bring the best results to Hawaii here on the island, a different laser, things that weren’t being offered here that could set us apart. That’s where you guys came in. I went to the [New Look Laser] college down there. It was awesome; I got hands-on, I learned and was super eager, we did everything there. 

Since then, it’s been five years; I love everybody at Astanza. They’re great, they come to service my machine, and there’s always a lot of good back and forth of educating each other on different things, different results, types of tattoos, and things like that. Things just melted together really well, and it’s still going really well at 1 Point. The engineers are amazing. If something happens or we need to fix something, you know I’m all the way out here; the service team is great because I can just FaceTime them, and they can help me. And that’s something not everyone can do or has. Even the engineers that are no longer with you guys, I actually called one, and he still helped me. It just shows that you guys take care of your people and your community. [You guys are] so warm and great and inviting, but also super educational, and things just go smoothly, and it should be that way.

New Look Laser College, Astanza’s training division offers 2-day training courses for individuals interested in getting certified to practice laser tattoo removal or start their own laser tattoo removal business. Pair that with our award-winning service and marketing support, business builder systemlifetime training clinical support, and 3-business day service guarantee, and you’ve got a recipe for success as an Astanza client.

What are some awards and recognitions you have received both as a tattoo shop and also for laser tattoo removal?

KRISTINE: With laser tattoo removal, we won the Astanza Before & After Photo Contest, of course. With the tattoo shop, the awards and accolades for tattooers usually come from expos. In our shop, we only have one expo we’ve gone to for a few years now because of Covid. The artists in our shop are super talented. Everyone’s been tattooing for 10+ years in here. The level of art is really high. But laser-wise has been through you guys for cover-ups, complete removal, fading, and now also brows.

2021 B&As-01-11 Point Tattoo has won the Best Tattoo Removal Lightening and Cover-Up photo from Astanza’s Client-Only Before and After Photo Contest numerous years in a row, most recently in 2021. Every picture they submit makes it hard not to choose because it shows the power of laser tattoo removal in a tattoo shop and how fading a tattoo can improve better artwork for a client to get exactly what they want while also giving the artist freedom to showcase their finest talent. Furthermore, 1 Point now uses laser tattoo removal to remove and correct permanent makeup and has added micro scalp pigmentation to its tattoo services.

Inked Mag recently featured 1 Point Tattoo and Tattoo Removal – check it out by clicking here! To learn more about 1 Point or book an appointment, visit https://1pointtattoo.com/, call (808) 377-6676, or follow them on Instagram.

 


If you are a tattoo shop owner and want to add laser tattoo removal to your business or a tattoo artist looking to start your own tattoo shop – we would be happy to help! Contact Astanza to learn more and get started.

Also, check out our on-demand webinar, Pre-Recorded Webinar: Under the Ink: An Inside Look at Laser Tattoo Removal from Tattoo Shops. During this webinar, we interview three Astanza tattoo shop clients as they share how laser tattoo removal has increased their bookings and profitability.

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