Just been looking into cross contamination quite a bit lately and the importance of getting it right. I see they are trying to bring machine bags in as conpulsory now also, I think they may have already in parts of the US. I’m aware that my artist leaves his machine lying around inbetween clients on the worktop he washes down and fingers it without cloves etc etc etc. It isn’t until you sit and study a tattooist at work just how many times they cross (I shouldn’t say all) the cross contamination boundaries. Hand to ink bottle, back to work, wipe hair back, back to work, adjust his seat, back to work, adjust the power supply, back to work and quite often without changing gloves.
All tubes and tips come out of the autoclav but what good is this if you are going to finger them with dirty hands/gloves?
I’m not a fanatic with cleanliness but I would like to know how many people know what extents are supposed to be taken with the machine and cross contamination, how important all these little things are, and how likely picking something up is if you do end up getting wiped down after harry hetatitis has been in the chair and the machine hasn’t been cleaned down properly or the chair arm hasn’t been wiped down.
You can only do so much to keep things clean, but what are they and do you know what to look out for?
Artists input is probably more useful here.
As a health care proffesional I definitley pay attention to cross contamination. In this area we have a problem with MRSA and VRE. A safe measure for anyone after getting a tattoo done would be to get a prescription for a profilactic antibiotic. Keeping your site clean and an antibiotic ointment could also be used. Check with your artist to see what type of ointment would not affect the quality of the tattoo during the healing process. Its not any different than taking care of any other abraision. Dont be afraid to ask your artist questions. If the artist doesnt want to explain things and changes the subject quickly, consider running as fast as you can to another studio.
More to my point, do you know how your artist cleans the actual machine. From my understanding this is the most difficult, yet probably quite conaminable (is that a word?) part of the whole process/machinery. Yes the tips, grips and tubes go in the autoclav, but what about the actual machine itself (the set and coils), surely that can’t be autoclav’ed (is that a word?), can it.
I went by last night to set up another session for some more work, the artist I use was just finishing with a person and setting up for the next one. He wiped down the gun and other equipment ( non sterile items) with a type of Sani-wipe solution. The same thing done in the hospital for non-invasive items. Next time you go to the doctor watch and see how much stuff your local doctor touches in his exam room before he gets to your exam. The dirtiest item in the doctors office is his stethoscope. Think about how many bare chests and backs it touches and generally isnt cleaned between patients.
Thats my point, you can be sure about 10% of people who have been in the studio before you have some form of infection or whatever to pass on, hep c and other things so this new bag thing might be a good idea.
I’ve also heard lately of a new kind of machine that runs from a compressor, although it is noisey apparently you can autoclav the machine.
i’ve been an artist for ten years and i totally agree that things can only be so clean. i work in IL and were not required to use machine bags or clip-cord bags. Now I do use clip-cord bags but not machine bags. And I do wipe everything down after every client. I personally think you’d have to get into some really extreme tattooing to have to worry about your machine passing something on.
I agree, in the typical tattoo environment which is typically open, busy and lots of people passing you can only be so clean. I think it is a hypocritical thing for a tattoo artist to claim he is untimately clean when infact they aren’t, and it is nigh on impossible to be unless we all started wearing white coats and face masks and standing in a disinfectant tank before entering the studio.
Got me wondering about the so called ‘kitchen scratchers’ out there being slagged off left right and centre by the pro tattooists. Are they really so much more of a health risk if they are using disposable tubes, tips and needles and cleaning down the machine as you would in a studio? Infact you would have a lot less traffic and so not be attracting as much outside bodies, so……………………
Just a thought that will probably piss any pro off, but it does seem very hypocritical of any tattooist to claim ultimate sterility (not sure thats a word)
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