My story might be a little different. I was not trained as a beauty therapist, nor did I have a career in the beauty or aesthetic industry prior to studying at NZLT. I recently started my business Lucēre at 45 years old and I owe much of this huge accomplishment to Ruth and Stacey and the education at NZLT.

I am a long-time fan of laser hair removal. I got my legs done in the very early 2000's when it was still brand new to NZ and it was crazy expensive. It was such a big deal at the time and I have absolutely no regrets as I have had the best part of 25 years not giving any of my precious time and energy to thinking about body hair! It worked so well I continued getting various laser treatments over the next 15 years in different cities I lived in NZ and overseas.

Living in Canada I became good friends with my laser tech and remember thinking how cool her job was and how much she loved her work. Back in NZ, I decided to get some more laser hair removal and I received a burn that blistered, scarred and damaged my tattoo permanently. I later learnt basic laser training 101 - never laser over a tattoo (unless you are there for tattoo removal of course)!! I later found out that the laser tech that had given me my treatment was brand new and had only a basic overview from her boss. After that I had a totally different appreciation of how advanced a laser treatment actually is.

Eventually my daughters wanted some laser treatments, and I was determined to protect them from the same thing happening. But it turned out at that time in our small town, it was almost impossible to get an appointment and while there were a few IPL machines around, there was only a very small number of laser devices in town. Having tried both myself, I preferred laser for hair removal. So, we were travelling 1.5 hrs for treatments and that was time consuming and frustrating.

Around the same time, I needed a new job. That's when I decided with my husband that I would go back to school and study. I decided I would learn laser hair removal and purchase a laser device and start my own small business.

I started with the Laser Safety and the Laser Health & Safety Officer Certificates and then pursued the Diploma in IPL and Laser Hair Removal. But as with most people in this industry, once you open the door to the world of lasers, there is SO MUCH more to learn and so many more exciting lasers and treatments to explore, especially when you head toward skin rejuvenation. Once I had a taste for it, I was hooked, and so here I am now with a laser for hair removal, a laser and a BBL for skin rejuvenation, and an RF microneedling device!

Starting from scratch with no prior knowledge, in hindsight, was a good thing! I couldn’t pick up any bad habits or incorrect knowledge from someone else who was inadequately trained, and I learnt with excellent devices. Plus, Ruth and Stacey were able to scare me enough (in a good way) with details of treatments gone wrong that I was adamant I did not want to start this business until I was ready with the confidence and knowledge to begin treating people successfully.

NZLT courses have taught me the science behind light and laser treatments regardless of the wavelength or the different devices. With this generic knowledge I have been able to choose the best machines to purchase for me and my business. Which, if you are starting out, you'll know is incredibly tough because there are so many companies and devices to compare.

Through NZLT I have also been able to meet people in the industry and create friendships and networks that have been such an asset. People to use as a sounding board or ask questions about their work and businesses. The networking aspect has been a nice, surprising extra that comes with the in-person trainings. And perhaps one of the biggest perks of having studied at NZLT is having Ruth and Stacey available to answer questions or bounce ideas off. They are so knowledgeable and trustworthy, and this really makes NZLT training unique and special.

Light and laser treatments are so amazing, and the technology is so exciting and I absolutely love my work. I have no regrets at all. This industry is exciting and forever growing and changing.

My perspective has changed over time. While laser hair removal is such a great treatment to give people confidence and a feeling of freedom and got me interested in this work to begin with. Skin rejuvenation is hugely exciting and the results that I get to see are life changing.

My personal favourite is probably my MOXI 1927nm fractional laser for skin rejuvenation, I absolutely love what it has done for my own skin. At 46 years old I am aging quicker now but my skin has never looked so good!

My favourite NZLT courses so far would be the historic Core Essentials 3 day in-person training, and the Melasma course and the Skin Lesions, Cancer and Melanoma awareness courses I studied online. I have referred back to these course workbooks many times and I enjoyed meeting new people and working with different technology at the in-person training workshops.

The Laser Safety Certificate and Laser Health & Safety Officer Certificates are a bit more of an intense learning experience - but they are truly the core foundation for laser techs and business owners so I could not have gotten far without them!