Health Risks of Tattooing and Piercing

Skin and mucous membranes in the mouth and nose protect us from many infections. Both tattooing and piercing procedures involve piercing the skin or mucous membrane with a needle or other sharp instrument. Infections and diseases that could be transmitted via the use of unsterilized tattoo equipment include surface infections of the skin, tetanus, staph, some forms of hepatitis, and HIV, and in some cases even allergic reactions. Consumers involved in the process may also have bacteria or viruses present on their skin that can enter their body and cause infection when their skin is pierced. Practitioners who do the tattooing and piercing are also at risk of becoming infected through accidental cuts and punctures.

The best protection against infection and disease is to carefully choose where you obtain your tattoo or piercing. So, take the time to find a good professional artist. Good professional artists wants your whole experience to be positive and will be just as concerned as you are about preventing infections and producing good art work.

Before you are considering getting a tattoo or having your body pierced at the particular establishment, check with the local health department and with the staff at that establishment what sterilization procedures they use to prevent the spread of infections. Don't hesitate to ask many questions, and make sure you get satisfactory answers. If the artist can't or won't answer all of your questions, don't be intimidated or afraid to leave and find a different artist. Keep in mind that it's your body, your money and your choice.
 

There is an elevated risk of infection in amateur tattoos and piercing studios. However, infection from tattooing in clean and modern tattoo studios employing single-use needles is rare.

Good tattoo or piercing studio will have a well-lit, clean and sanitary, work environment. All surfaces should be made of hard material that is easy to clean. All the instruments used should be made of quality stainless steel that can be easily cleaned and sterilized. They should also have proper sterilizer (preferably a steam sterilizer) to sterilize their equipment. A test strips should be used to indicate whether the machine is operating correctly. 

Practitioners performing the procedure should have clean working habits, including washing their hands before and after procedures, after handling contaminated items, before opening and handling sterile supplies, and before putting on and after removing their gloves.

Tattoo and piercing needles should always be brand new and sterile for each treatment. They should never be reused.

Only new fresh ink in disposable ink caps should be used for your tattoo. Sharing ink is like sharing dirty needles, so make sure your artist use only new ink from small disposable containers.

If shaving is needed, they should use a new disposable razor.

The areas to be tattooed should be totaly clean, usually first with soap and water and then with a skin antiseptic.

Those performing the procedure should use new gloves for each customer and during the whole procedure.

A sterile non-stick bandage should cover your tattoo before you leave.

Make sure that artist you use is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and you shouldn't be either.

Good professional tattoo artist studio will make sure you leave with oral and written aftercare instructions.

Refrain from using alcohol or drugs before being tattooed or pierced. Alcohol and drugs thin your blood, so you will bleed more.

Tell the artist if you have any allergies to metal, iodine, petroleum-based or alcohol-based products etc.

Never have tattoo or pierce skin that has a cut or break, pimples, warts, or other abnormalities.

If you must touch your tattoo or before rotating the jewelry to the pierced area, always wash your hands properly with soap and water first. If you are concerned that the tattoo or piercing is infected, contact your doctor or local health unit.

If the tattooed area becomes red, swollen, tender or if pus develops, you may have an infection. Don't wait, see your doctor immediately.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

©Maya Gavric, entrepreneur, consultant, realtor, freelance writer, web developer, artist and marketing coach has been working, researching and reporting on the Internet for years. Her numerous articles offer valuable insight and tips on wide variety of topics. In recent times she has paid particular attention to knowledge management on the Internet, health topics and environmental problems, exploring how our attention to hot issues might best transform current situation into better practice. For more health tips and info visit: Romwell Health Pages