that's not what happened when she walked into vera's spa in september. >> extremely painful.l the cuts were really deep. i expected some swelling, but i looked like someone just took a pen to my face and just drew lines wherever they felt like it. >> reporter: christina filed a complaint with virginia's board that over sees licenses and was surprised to find there was already an open investigation into vera's spa. >> i didn't put great weight into researching this place. >> reporter: if she had, she might have seen this one from ashley harden. two days after her microblading procedure she said her skin was inflamed and swollen. so she went to a doctor. >> he said it was an infection where the area wasn't properly cleaned. >> reporter: plus her brows are not the color or shape she wanted. >> buyer beware. >> reporter: it salons for permanent tatooing. people doing it also have to be licensed individually, but board spokeswoman mary boroughs vaughn said it might not mean what you think. >> it doesn't mean you're good at it, it means you're minimally competent so consumers have

looking brows that can last for years but she says that's not what happened when she walked into vera spa in september. >> extremely painful. i could feel the cuts were really deep. i suspected some swelling but i looked like someone just took a pen to my face and drew lines wherever they felt like it. >> christina filed a complaint and surprised to find there was already an open investigation into veera spa. >> i didn't put great weight on researching all the reviews before this place. >> if she had, she might have seen this one from ashley harden. two days after her micro blading, she says her skin was inflamed and swollen so she went to a doctor. >> he said it was an infection where the area wasn't properly cleaned. >> plus ashley says her brows isn't what she wanted. it does license salons for permanent cosmetic tattooing. 88 statewide. the people doing it also have to be licensed individually, but board spokeswoman admits that might not mean what you think. >> the license doesn't mean you're good at it. >> it means you're minimally competent so consumers have some assurance they are

vera's. wood has volunteerly surrendered her permanent tattooing license and closed the spa.o we tracked her down and tried to ask about the state's ongoing investigation. >> i left you a message. you're lynn? >> no, i'm not. >> you're lynn, one of our producers talked to you. >> i went in feeling beautiful and i left feeling like a clown. >> reporter: despite her embarrassment, christina wants others to learn from her experience. it's not quite the lesson she planned to give her fans. >> would i do it again? not without checking a license and without reading all the reviews. >> reporter: we reached out to the unlicensed salons. a few thought the cosmetology license allowed the microblading but it does not. if there are negative findings it can keep vera's from opening later. >> this originated with a tip from a viewer. if you have an idea for the next investigation go to our nbc washington app and look up the state licenses for state procedures do some research. >> you guys were saying that trends change. you might get a tattoo, but two days it's a different thing. >> i know