Tattoos, Piercings Present Some Risk
DETROIT is a place well known for Tattoos and Body Piercings, however they may be termed. From NBA stars to Celebrities to suburban housewives and college students, adore or tried body art or belly button rings. With that in mind, the Wayne County Consumer Protection Task Force is reminding residents to make sure their adornments are done right.
The county’s Environmental Health Division licenses forty-three such establishments, and those are the only places where one may legally perform piercing or tattoo work.
An area of concern, however, is so-called tattoo or piercing “parties”. They are often held in private homes or hideouts that lack the sanitary and safety measures that tattoo and piercing establishments do provide.
Dirty needles and other equipment can spread blood-borne diseases. Customers to these places are prone to deadly diseases including hepatitis and AIDS. They might also get infected from other infections and other maladies.
An incident earlier this year as shocked the officials in which, an 18-year-old Lincoln Park boy was cited under a city ordinance for performing piercings on about 15 high school students, including some minors, at his house. His mother later turned over the piercing equipment to police.
A 1998 county ordinance, which allows the Environmental Health Division to license and inspect such establishments, lays out several rules for parlors, including:
Minors may not receive body art or jewelry piercings without parental permission. Establishments also must confirm the age of anyone who appears to be under 25, and keep records of those checks for inspection. Parental guidance must be insisted in case of minors.
Mobile body art establishments are prohibited. Body art may not be performed on anyone who appears to be drunk or under the influence of drugs. A medical screening questionnaire, seeking histories of AIDS, hepatitis, allergies and certain skin diseases, is required before the procedure begins.
Practitioners must wear medical gloves during the procedure, and all reusable instruments must be sterilized and placed in sealed, dated packaging. Single-use needles or other sharp objects, as well as razors, must be disposed of immediately.
Violations could result in fines of up to $500 and/or 90 days in jail.
Robert Haggerty, owner of Beyond Reality in Wyandotte, said people who want to get tattoos or piercings are advised to follow the tips:
Make sure you’re comfortable with the place. Observe whether the people behind the counter clean and friendly? You must check out whether there are autoclaves (sanitizing machines) onsite. Ask for certification that they have been inspected within the last 30 days.
Make sure the establishment is licensed. The license, usually from a county board of health, should be prominently displayed. Make sure all instruments used to perform the work are in sterile bags. You may ask the artist to use brand-new needles during work. Take a look at a portfolio of the artist’s work. Make sure they’re capable of doing the work you want.
After all your desire to have a tattoo or pierce jewellery must not cost your life. It is worth more than that. Following the law saves your life, after laws are made to protect human beings like us.