Body art: The road to safe tattooing, piercing

Donya Betancourt, Pediatrician, drdonya@hotmail.com

This week, we will review ways to avoid complications from tattooing and body piercing.

Health and hygiene

You can decrease the possibility of complications if you go to a reputable tattoo or body piercing studio. Choose an establishment that is clean, tidy and orderly.

Autoclave: An autoclave is a heat sterilization machine regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It should be used to sterilize all non-disposable equipment after each customer.

Hygienic equipment: Watch the tattoo artist and make sure they open a sealed package of a new, sterilized needle to use for your procedure. Any pigments, tubes, trays and containers should be unused as well.

Commercial disinfectant or bleach: Instruments and supplies that can't be sterilized with an autoclave should be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant or bleach after each use. These include pigment bottles, drawer handles, tables and sinks.

Gloves: Ensure the tattoo artist or piercer washes their hands and puts on a fresh pair of latex gloves for each procedure. In addition, the gloves should touch only you during the procedure. If piercers or tattoo artists open drawers or answer the phone while performing a procedure, they expose you to possible infection -- ask them to replace their gloves with a new pair.

No piercing guns: Do not get your body pierced with a piercing gun. These devices typically can't be sterilized with an autoclave, and may thus increase your risk of contracting an infection. Such guns may also crush your skin during the piercing and may cause minor injuries.

Hypoallergenic jewelry: Brass and nickel jewelry can cause allergic reactions. Look for studs, hoops and other adornments made from surgical steel, titanium, 14- or 18-karat gold or a metal called niobium.

Any reputable piercer or tattoo studio should be willing to discuss health and safety issues. Ask plenty of questions about the qualifications and the cleanliness of the establishment. If the piercer or tattoo artist hesitates to answer your questions, take your business and your health elsewhere. Remember to shop around.

Follow-up care

Caring for your new body art depends on the type and extent of the work.

Tattoos: The tattoo artist should provide you with instructions after the procedure. Don't pick at scabs, which can increase the risk of infection, damage the design and create scars.

Oral piercing (tongue, lip): Use an antibacterial, alcohol- free mouth rinse for 30 to 60 seconds after meals while your piercing heals, and use a new, soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid introducing bacteria into your mouth.

Skin piercing (nose, ears, eyebrows, navel): First, wash your hands with soap and water before cleaning to reduce the risk of introducing bacteria. Next, rinse the area with warm water and gently remove any crusting with a cotton swab. Apply a dab of a medicated liquid cleanser -- the piercer might recommend an over- the-counter option -- and gently twist the stud or hoop to work the cleanser around the opening.

Clean the area once or twice a day -- if you clean it more frequently, it will become irritated. Avoid alcohol and peroxide, as they can dry the skin, and avoid antibiotic ointments, which keep oxygen from reaching the piercing and can leave a sticky residue.

Removal

If you decide you no longer want your piercing or tattoo, there are some options for removing them. Piercings often heal over, sometimes quickly, once you remove the jewelry that keeps the hole open.

Laser surgery: This is the most effective way to "erase" a tattoo. Pulses of laser break up the pigment and your body processes and expunges it naturally. It may require as many as 12 treatments over a year to reduce the appearance of the tattoo, and the treatment might not be able to completely erase it. Black ink is the easiest to remove, while red and yellow are the most difficult. Make sure you go to a reputable laser surgeon to avoid scarring.

Dermabrasion: In this method, the tattooed area is chilled until numb, then the skin is sanded down gradually. This shouldn't be too painful, but it may leave a scar.

Excision: The tattoo can be surgically removed and the edges of the incision sewn back together by a doctor, but this also can leave a scar, particularly if the tattoo is expansive.

Body art is a highly individual and personal statement, but as with anything in this day and age, it is wiser to err on the side of caution before you decide to change your look forever.