Tattoo 'burns' led Ben to open his own laser studio

A PLYMOUTH man who suffered third degree burns after paying to have a tattoo removed with a 'fluid' was inspired to open his own laser clinic - to stop the same thing from happening to other people.

- KATIE OBORN

Ben Kelly, aged 35, was left seriously injured after a 'bad experience' with tattoo removal and began researching new laser technologies to get rid of unwanted body ink.

Making the brave decision to leave his successful engineering career, the born-and-bred Plymothian retrained and opened Plymouth Laser Clinic in Bretonside.

Now the business is going from strength-to-strength and has expanded to offer even more services since Ben first started out, including laser hair removal.

Ben says he prides himself on remaining 'affordable' but he also ensures his clinic is a safe space for those seeking treatment, including trans people who want to remove their body hair permanently. Ben says the business, which is based in Plymouth's 'Queer District, is a 'safe and professional environment' for trans clients.

He said: "We see trans people at the initial side of their when journey their mind is torn between what direction to go in and what guidance to get. We're one of the first points of their journey. At the beginning of their journey, we're a part of that, we make them feel at ease and relaxed in a professional environment."

Ben explained that setting up the clinic seven years ago was a 'complete career change' for him - but he hasn't looked back.