Body Art

So you’ve decided you really want to do it.  You are prepared for the pain and the social stigmas.  Now you want to know…”is it safe?” 

Actually, it’s very safe, depending on who does your piercing/tattoo.  To my knowledge, there has never been a confirmed case of AIDS coming from a tattoo or piercing, there is simply not enough fluid exchange.  What you do need to know about is hepatitis.  That is what caused tattooing/piercing to be outlawed in many states.  There are also all kinds of other creepy crawly bacteria that can lie around.  Therefore, it’s important to find out if the people doing your body modification are away of these things and are taking the proper steps to control it.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, caused by infectious or toxic agents and characterized by jaundice, fever, liver enlargement, and abdominal pain.  It is very painful and can be deadly.  Along with this are several bacteria that once exposed to an open wound can be painful and leave scars from your tattoo or piercing.  It is vital that the person who performs your body modification know about these risks and takes precautions against them.

You need to ask your prospective artist about cross contamination and the steps that they take to prevent it.  Do they use an autoclave?  It is usually the case, but you can go ahead and ask if it is a single use needle.  What kind of virucides do they use?  How long have they been tattooing?  Have they ever been to any medical classes?  What steps do they take during the tattooing/piercing to prevent infection?  You should get good answers to all of these, not stumbling or “I don’t knows”.  If they don’t convince you it’s safe, go somewhere else.

They should go through every step of the procedure with you.  Some will get irritated with the questions.   I suggest you go to someone who does not.  You do not want to go through a light surgery with someone who gets annoyed that easily at questions.  It is best if you feel comfortable with the person doing it and that they have answered every question you can come up with.  Even if it sounds stupid, ASK!  You are doing something to your body that is permanent.  It is vital that the person doing this to you, not only can draw, but also can answer these questions for your health.  Not only can death occur, but also bad scars and infections can happen.  You want a beautiful piece of artwork or piercing, not big scars and infections.

These are just basics, if you have any other questions or concerns, please email me at dinky@sexyads.com.  Know before you go what you are going to ask and what you want. 

Next time, what actually happens?  A description of the procedures and what you should expect and what you should expect to pay (though this does vary greatly depending on the artist).

Dinky