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2020 Health Care Champions Technician: Melissa Briggs

DermaHealth Laser & Skin Care Clinic

Posted online

Melissa Briggs believes in the power of self-confidence.

That personal assurance is the goal at DermaHealth Laser & Skin Care Clinic, where Briggs is co-owner and technician doing permanent cosmetics and tattoo removals.

“Everyone has something that bothers them, and sometimes this can create a wound in their self-image,” Briggs says. “If I can help heal or minimize these wounds, however visible or invisible to the eyes of others, then I feel proud and rewarded by my place in the world.

“Seeing those clients return later, their head held higher and their smiles vibrant, that is my biggest accomplishment.”

To help foster self-confidence in her clients, Briggs aims to educate them, but that means she has to learn first. She participates in ongoing education and training on an annual basis.

“Education is super important to me, not only for the professionals and technicians, but for the clients as well,” says Briggs, who has multiple industry licenses and certifications, including those in cosmetics and tattoo removal. “In my complimentary consultations, I try to educate clients so they can make the best decisions for them, even if they choose not to use DermaHealth for their needs.”

She recognizes the personal nature of her business.

DermaHealth, for instance, works with Harmony House “to provide corrective and assistive cosmetic services to the survivors of domestic violence,” she says.

Briggs adds, “We help educate them in the best way to apply makeup, provide services to minimize scarring or other services that they may need on a one-to-one basis.”

The health care clinic additionally works with individuals diagnosed with breast cancer who have had a mastectomy, Briggs says, noting she tattoos new nipples and areolas for patients who had them removed.

“For me, it is an artistic challenge, trying to create a realistic, believable 3D look that mimics what they had before cancer. But the real reward is seeing the impact this recreation has on them,” she says.

Tattoo removal also is among the services at DermaHealth, and Briggs is especially proud of her work helping law enforcement or enlisted clients get accepted for a job as “tattoos can be a big hindrance with their acceptance.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a barrier for DermaHealth, much like other elective health care procedures. However, she says the clinic was ready as sanitization already was a large focus.

“We have always sanitized the rooms between every client, but now we have put greater effort into restricting client flow, trying to stagger appointments so clients are less likely to meet, and clean the front desk and waiting room more frequently,” Briggs says. “When we limited our hours and procedures in March and April, we donated all our masks and gloves to the hospital.

“This did create an issue once we started to reopen and supplies were back-ordered, but we prioritized procedures by client demand and supply cost until we could get the supplies we needed.”

In the community, Briggs gives back as a volunteer at Springfield Little Theatre, and she has worked personally and through her business to support Harmony House, The Child Advocacy Center and Convoy of Hope. She’s also a Rotary Club of Springfield member and a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts.

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