What to look for
Body art is an invasive procedure in which the skin is punctured or
compromised. Contaminates or pathogens can invade the body through
punctured skin. Poor sanitation practices, such as improperly sanitized
instruments or lack of autoclave spore testing, can lead to infection or
transmission of communicable diseases, such as
hepatitis B and
hepatitis C.
By asking
questions and observing how a facility operates, you can help reduce your
risk for complications arising from body art procedures.
- Ask to see their license. All
body art facilities operating in Boulder County are required to be
licensed by Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) and to have their
license on display. Also, all operators are required to have blood-borne
pathogen training. Ask to see their certificates.
- Every facility should be recording "spore" information. Most body art
facilities use an autoclave to sterilize instruments. The only way to know
if the autoclave is operational is to perform a spore test, which is sent away
and analyzed by a third party laboratory. Boulder County Public Health requires
these tests to be done at least monthly, and the results to be on-site.
- All instruments used in a procedure must be sterilized in "peel packs." A
peel pack is a bag that is clear plastic on one side and stiff paper on the other. A
color change strip on or in the peel pack can tell you if the instrument inside was
sterilized at the proper time and temperature.
- Any machines used in the procedure that cannot be sterilized must be clean
and disinfected. Tattoo machines and ear piercing guns do not come in contact
with the skin, but they must be clean and disinfected before and after each use.
- Proper disinfectants must be used. The
label of a disinfectant will tell you what it can destroy. A disinfectant used in a
body art facility must be capable of destroying hepatitis B.
- The operator should demonstrate clean technique. This involves the operator
washing their hands, wearing gloves, not touching dirty surfaces during the procedure,
ensuring sterilized instruments are not compromised. When handling a sterilized
instrument, an operator that touches a dirty surface must remove their gloves,
wash their hands, and put on new gloves.
- Review past inspections when considering a facility. BCPH publishes recent
sanitation inspection records on this website. Even with a perfect record at the time
of inspections, body art should be considered a procedure that involves some risk. By
selecting a facility with a strong track record, you may be reducing, though not
eliminating, that risk.
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