Piercing Safety - F.A.Q.
First off, is the studio itself clean and neat? Is there used equipment setting around, and /or does the studio seem dirty and cluttered? The artist and employees are in contact with this all day long; if they are willing to put their health at risk, they will more than likely put your health at risk.
Does the piercer consult you on aftercare and ask questions regarding health, etc.? Piercings take a commitment and additional care. A good piercer will make you aware of this beforehand. Also, a responsible piercer wants to know if you have any health conditions and/or sensitivity to the metal and other products they will be using.
Do they use an autoclave? When in doubt,t ask to see it. Fun thing is that we are pretty damn proud of our autoclaves and are more then willing to show them off.
Does the piercer seem standoffish, uneducated, or unwilling to answer questions? Education plays a significant role in an artist's career. I consider it about 90% of the job. I enjoy sharing my knowledge whenever possible. This is my art and my career. If the artist doesn't answer your questions before you spend your money, do you think they are going to be there if there is a problem after they have your cash? And more importantly, are they going to know how to correct the problem?
Ask where and what their experience is, how long they have been piercing, where they did their apprenticeship or their training, where they worked in the past, and anything else about their past that comes to mind. Understand that many high-profile studios have a revolving door of employees, and there is usually a reason for that. Whether it be a never-ending line of unskilled artists, a change in the studio's policies, or management. Many studios claim to have a combined experience of approximately 25 years. This seems very impressive until you consider that they have 15 artists working for them, and none of them has over 2 years of working experience. This person is selling themselves to you. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and if you feel like you are being led down a primrose path to an alternative universe, leave.
Also, are they willing to volunteer information that may change your mind about getting the piercing? Things like healing time, whether or not you can swim, refusing to do the piercing with improper jewelry, and the risks involved with the piercing. A good artist should be willing to walk away from business and refuse to perform the piercing if it may put the piercee's health at risk. This is a question of ethics. If their motivation is solely the bottom line, they will promise the world, lie, cheat, and distort the facts to get your dollars.
Check around, talk to people who collect piercings. Nothing is ever as effective as firsthand knowledge. That and most collectors love to talk about their piercings. As long as the first question you ask isn't, "Did that hurt?" Ask to see some photos of their work. Visit the studio and talk to the artist ahead of time. Just cause you are in the studio doesn't mean you have to get something done that day. Try to visit as many studios as you can and use your own judgment. Let the artist's skill, knowledge, and experience dictate your choice and not the price.
The old saying "You get what you pay for.", holds very true with piercing. If Studio A charges $25 to do a piercing, and Studio B charges $50.00 for the same piercing. There's a chance that Studio A has reduced its overhead to lower the price. Most of the time, this cost-cutting involves reducing investments in the quality of jewelry, the artist's experience, and the level of sterilization and prevention of cross-contamination. The only cost-cutting measure I take at the Axiom is reducing advertising expenses. The biggest thing is how you feel about the person. If you feel uncomfortable or think you're being pressured, leave.
This also applies to tattooing.
All equipment, tools, needles, and jewelry used by Axiom are adequately wrapped, sterilized in an Autoclave, and then stored until needed. For more information on the Axiom methods of sterilization, etc.. go to The Axiom Policies and Procedures page.
An Autoclave is defined at http://www.xrefer.com as "A vessel in which high temperatures can be achieved by using high pressure; the domestic pressure cooker is an example. At atmospheric pressure water boils at 100 °C; at 5 lb (35 kPa) above atmospheric pressure the boiling point is 109 °C; at 10 lb (70 kPa), 115 °C; at 15 lb (105 kPa), 121 °C, and at 20 lb (140 kPa), 126 °C".
The most common cycle is 121°C under 15psi for 15 minutes. Once an item has been autoclaved, it can be considered sterile, and autoclaving remains the most effective method to date.
The Concise Medical Dictionary, Oxford University Press, © Market House Books Ltd 1998 defines sterilization as "the process by which all types of microorganisms (including spores) are destroyed. This is achieved by the use of heat, radiation, chemicals, or filtration." and sterile as "1. (of a living organism) barren; unable to reproduce its kind (see sterility). 2. (of inanimate objects) completely free from bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other microorganisms that could cause infection."
First off, see "Does a piercing hurt more with a needle or an Ear Piercing Gun?" in the Pain FAQ.
The primary concern is the prevention of sterilization and cross-contamination. Since they are made of porous plastic, they can not be autoclaved and tend to collect contaminants. Since they are often reused, and the device's action when it pierces the skin can cause a spray of bodily fluids, they present a health risk. They are only safe when used for one-time purposes, and even then, their safety is in question.
With needles, everything can be sterilized through autoclaving. Ear piercing devices and the jewelry were only designed for the lobe of the ear. The type of jewelry used can make cleaning the piercing very difficult, and often doesn't allow enough room for swelling. Additionally, the jewelry does not work well or at all in other areas of the body, such as the upper ear cartilage and nostrils.
Additionally, you need to consider the knowledge of the person using the Device and the environment in which they are using it. Often, the piercing is performed in the middle of a retail space or within a mall. Even something as basic as a sink for the employee to wash their hands between customers isn't even available. The setup area is often used as a counter that also serves as a retail sales point. The employee also generally has no understanding of the concept of cross-contamination prevention. Since their main job is not piercing and their other duties involve waiting on other customers, answering the phone, and ringing up sales. I have personally watched an employee at one of the local retail stores in Des Moines put on a fresh pair of gloves, answer the phone, disinfect the lobes she was piercing, ring up a customer, take a drink of soda, and then hold the lobes. At the same time, she marked the lobe and then drove through a storage container to find the device. Just as she was about to load the jewelry, the phone rang. She set the device down on the shelf where they kept hair products, answered the phone, took another drink of soda, and at last pierced the lobes of the poor preteen girl. All of this with one pair of gloves. Why? Because no one has trained her not to.
I counted around a dozen surfaces, not counting whatever else was stored with the device in the container, that she touched. The scary part is it would only take one customer with Hepatitis B, which under the right conditions can live on a surface for up to 28 days, and you suddenly have a huge health risk not only to those getting the piercing but also to all the employees and customers.
You might be thinking, 'It's only an ear lobe piercing; tons of people have healed them out just fine. The gun piercings are cheaper, and I can start with that cool, huge bling bling past diamond stud.' But why risk it? You have to ask yourself, do you want your health or, in a lot of cases, the health of your child at risk?
Cross-contamination prevention involves a series of precautions and steps taken to prevent the spread of contamination from one person, item, or surface to another. This is especially needed when you are creating a wound and placing a foreign object into it, like with piercings.
Most of it is a result of hygiene and good habits that have developed over time when handling sterile and contaminated items. The key is to isolate both and to avoid contact outside of the area. This is achieved through frequent hand washing, changing gloves regularly, and disinfecting surfaces. It is one of the reasons that piercing procedures are done in an order of acts.
- Washing hands
- disinfecting the setup surface
- covering the setup surface with a sterile drape
- transferring all sterile and single-use items to the drape
- Don a fresh pair of gloves
- Unwrapping and preparing items
- disinfecting the piercing area
- marking the piercing area
- Don a fresh pair of gloves
- Preform piercing
- Changing to a fresh pair of gloves if there are additional items needed or piercings to be done
- Don a fresh pair of gloves
- Dispose of contaminated items in the correct containers
- Wash hands and disinfect the setup surface and the piercing chair or table.
Disinfection is performed using a disinfectant that kills most microorganisms but allows spores to survive. Thus, even though the item or surface is devoid of microorganisms at the time, the spore will later open and contaminate the area.
Sterilizing not only kills off the microorganism but also the spores. If sterile items are stored correctly, they will remain free of microorganisms and pathogens.