Converted old ambulance makes for unique tattoo removal studio
Sasha Elez sees a lot of SASKATOON mistakes.
“A lot of wedding bands. A lot of lower back tattoos. Tribal. Asian writing. Those are the big common ones,” he said.
Elez removes tattoos for a living. The process he uses is not unique, but his business, Tattoo Medic, is hardly run of the mill. Rather than open a clinic and have patients come to him, Elez converted an old ambulance into a mobile tattoo removal studio.
Elez came up with the idea after needing the service himself. At 16, he got a tribal band tattoo on his upper arm. Years later, he wanted it gone.
“It looked bad,” Elez said. He spoke to an artist about covering up the old tattoo, but was told he would need to get it lightened up to do so. Unfortunately, the artist couldn’t recommend any removal clinics in Saskatchewan. Elez said the most up-to-date style of laser — the one he uses — wasn’t in use anywhere in the province at the time.
“That was the light bulb moment,” he said.
Elez, who had left the Air Force after eight years of service, had already been looking for a business idea.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” he said.
It wasn’t as easy as getting a laser and putting up an “Open” sign. Elez lives on an acreage near Moose Jaw. He didn’t think there would be enough customers in the area to sustain a business.
Then came the idea for an ambulance. It made sense for several reasons. First, it was mobile. Rather than pay to rent commercial space, he would just need to licence the vehicle and sometimes pay for parking. He currently serves clients in nine Saskatchewan cities.
An ambulance is also already a medical-grade space, which makes maintaining a sterile environment much easier.
“Everything in here is stainless steel and vinyl,” Elez said.
He purchased the used vehicle in Ontario and drove it back to Saskatchewan. It required a few modifications — a heater, a fridge, some ventilation — but the process was reasonably painless, he said.
Spencer King, who hired Elez to remove a tattoo on his back, said the setting took a bit of getting used to, since he’d never been in an ambulance.
“It definitely is a little intimidating at first, but it’s pretty comfortable in there and he makes you feel at ease with everything,” King said.
The convenience of having Elez come to him is a big plus.
“It’s really nice. It adds a lot of comfort to it, I guess, because it’s not the most pleasurable experience,” King said.
Having a tattoo removed hurts much more than having it applied, although the process is much shorter, he noted.
“It feels like hot bacon grease being poured on your back.”
Removing a tattoo requires breaking up the ink molecules so they are small enough to be attacked by the body’s white blood cells. It takes several sessions to get a piece completely off. Elez guarantees success in six sessions or he will continue treating it for free.
He is careful to remain professional when faced with an ugly tattoo, he said. He won’t ask why a person got a particular design, although many are more than willing to share the story unprompted.
Sometimes no amount of explanation can make a tattoo make sense. In those cases, all he can do is laugh, he said.
“The most original one I’ve seen is the poo emoticon on somebody’s butt cheek. That was pretty funny.”