Pre-sterilized Needles and Piercing Instruments Elayne Angel APP President Yukatan, Mexico Earlier this year—while I was still the APP’s Medical Liaison—a Florida health inspector emailed me a question that deserves addressing here, in The <strong>Point</strong>. Her inquiry was regarding the APP’s stance on the prepackaged “sterile” instruments, needles, and jewelry that are being marketed and sold to our industry. (She had seen an increase in use <strong>of</strong> these items by piercers in her state.) When she set out to research the procedures used for the sterilization <strong>of</strong> these products, she reported that she could not locate any manufacturers <strong>of</strong> body piercing instruments, needles, or jewelry that follow the standards for sterility established in the United States for medical device manufacturers. In the U.S., manufacturers selling sterile products are obligated to follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR part 820 and International Standardization Organization standard 13485 for sterilization to ensure that their products are safe and effective. These detailed good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements form a highly structured system for regulating quality, and govern the methods used in the design, manufacture, packaging, labeling, and storage <strong>of</strong> all finished devices intended for human use. All items used in a piercing (including jewelry, needles, tools, and any other supplies or equipment) must be sterilized in the studio using an autoclave that is sporetested regularly. The only exceptions to this would be medical supplies that come directly from a medical supply vendor who adheres to the requisite stringent standards, or a body art industry supplier who can certify that they uphold the same requirements. The APP Procedure Manual describes inhouse sterilization: “To minimize the risk <strong>of</strong> cross-contamination and to ensure that the piercing procedure eATING: is as clean as possible, many components <strong>of</strong> a piercing set-up are disposable. Unless supplies will be sterilized in a Statim autoclave immediately prior to the procedure, all disposables must be individually packaged in autoclave bags, sterilized, and remain in their pouches stored in enclosed, nonporous containers until use. Disposable materials that can and should be autoclaved include piercing needles, corks, rubber bands, cotton swabs, toothpicks, and gauze.” The excerpt below is from my book, The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing (Random House, May 2009): Even in studios where procedures are done only with disposable equipment, an autoclave must be used. A piercer cannot be certain that needles and body jewelry are sent in a sterile state or whether contamination occurs during shipping. Medical suppliers have stringent requirements for sterilization and packaging, but other industries are not held to the same standard. <strong>Piercers</strong> and body art business owners should pay close attention to this <strong>issue</strong> for the safety <strong>of</strong> their clients. It has become clear that many piercers are making the assumption that items touted as “sterile” are ready to use in the studio. However, this may not be the case when the products come from body art suppliers. While piercers aren’t medical pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, this is an area in which abiding by their practices is entirely appropriate. When you buy “sterile” prepackaged products from body jewelry and piercing supply companies, be aware that they are not bound by the same requirements that govern the medical field. For safety you must sterilize on-site all jewelry and needles, as well as forceps and other tools before use. • Slowly eat small bites <strong>of</strong> food that you put right onto your molars. • Don’t eat spicy, salty, acidic, or hot temperature foods or beverages for a few days. • Be extra careful <strong>of</strong> your jewelry when eating crunchy food. • Cold foods and drinks feel good and help reduce swelling. • Foods like mashed potatoes and oatmeal are hard to eat because they stick to your mouth and jewelry. • For tongue piercings; try to keep your tongue from twisting in your mouth when you eat because you can bite the jewelry when your tongue turns. • For lip piercings: be careful not to open your mouth too wide because your jewelry can catch on your teeth. • Each body is different and your healing time may be a lot longer or shorter than your friends’. If you have any questions, contact your piercer. WhAT TO AVOId • Do not play with your jewelry. You will cause permanent damage to teeth, gums, and other oral structures. See the APP Brochure: Oral Piercing Risks and Safety Measures for more information. • Avoid talking too much when your piercing is new. This could make ugly, uncomfortable scar t<strong>issue</strong> form, and make your healing take longer. • Avoid using mouthwash that has alcohol in it. The alcohol can irritate your piercing and delay healing. • Avoid kissing or contact with others’ bodily fluids like saliva while you are healing. • Avoid chewing on gum, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, tobacco, and other foreign objects that could have bacteria on them. • Avoid sharing plates, cups, forks, and spoons. (“Hints and Tips” continued) TIPS FOR NAVel PIeRCINGS • Avoid stress and recreational drug use, including too much caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. • Avoid aspirin as long as you are bleeding or swelling. • Avoid putting a healing piercing in a lake, pool, hot tub, etc. To protect a lip piercing use a waterpro<strong>of</strong> bandage (such as Clean Seals ). You can buy them in any drugstore. • Don’t smoke! It increases risks and lengthens healing time. • Wear a hard, vented eye patch (sold at pharmacies) under tight clothing (like nylon stockings) or use a piece <strong>of</strong> ace bandage around your body to keep it in place. Don’t use tape because it can cause a rash on your skin. This patch can protect your piercing from from being hit during sports or other dangers, and reduce irritation from tight clothes. • Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping. TIPS FOR eAR/eAR CARTIlAGe ANd FACIAl PIeRCINGS • Use the t-shirt trick: Dress your pillow in a large, clean t-shirt and turn it nightly; one clean t-shirt provides four clean surfaces for sleeping. • Keep everything super clean that comes near or touches the pierced area: telephones, headphones, eyeglasses, helmets, and hats. • Be careful when styling your hair, and let your stylist know if you are healing a piercing. Each body is different and your healing time may be a lot longer or shorter than your friends’. This brochure contains wording and information written specifi cally for minors. for additional information, please see our brochure Suggested Aftercare Guidelines for Oral Piercings. Disclaimer: These guidelines are based on a combination <strong>of</strong> vast pr<strong>of</strong>essional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you think you have an infection, visit a doctor, but be aware that many doctors have not received specifi c training about piercing. Your local piercer may be able to suggest a piercing-friendly medical pr<strong>of</strong>essional. for more information, see the APP Brochure Troubleshooting For You And Your Healthcare Pr<strong>of</strong>essional. Use <strong>of</strong> this brochure does not imply membership in the APP. A current list <strong>of</strong> APP members can be found at safepiercing.org. false claims <strong>of</strong> membership should be reported to the APP. APP logo and name ©2011 <strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>Piercers</strong> Content and images licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-noncommercial-no Derivative Works License. To view a copy <strong>of</strong> this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ 2011 edITION Only when sterile items are purchased from medical suppliers—who must uphold strict CGMP standards—can articles be considered ready for use without sterilizing in-house. The only exception would be if your body art industry supplier can show you certification that they are following the same stringent standards required by the medical industry. P OUT NOW! Two New APP Brochures Aftercare for Minors and Oral Aftercare for Minors • Simplified language • Specifically for a younger readership • No mention <strong>of</strong> nipple or genital piercings This brochure contains wording and information written specifi cally for minors. for additional information, please see our brochure Suggested Aftercare Guidelines for Body Piercings. Disclaimer: These guidelines are based on a combination <strong>of</strong> vast pr<strong>of</strong>essional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This is no to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. If you think you have an infection, visit a doctor, but be aware that many doctors have not received specifi c training about piercing. Your local piercer may be able to suggest a piercing-friendly medical pr<strong>of</strong>essional. for more information, see the APP Brochure Troubleshooting For You And Your Healthcare Pr<strong>of</strong>essional. Use <strong>of</strong> this brochure does not imply membership in the APP. A current list <strong>of</strong> APP members can be found at safepiercing.org. false claims <strong>of</strong> membership should be reported to the APP. APP logo and name ©2011 <strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>Piercers</strong> Content and images licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-noncommercial-no Derivative Works License. To view a copy <strong>of</strong> this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ 2011 edITION TAkING CARe OF YOuR NeW ORAl PIeRCING TAkING CARe OF YOuR NeW PIeRCING 18 THE POINT ISSUE 56
We Address Insurance Needs For Your “Beauty Business” Coverage available for: n Body Piercing n Tattoo Services n Permanent Makeup n Medi-Spas NIPC n Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Liability n General Liability n Property, if needed. For more information, have your insurance agent call Lyla Byers at: Available in all 50 states. 1.800.275.6472 PO Box 834, Poulsbo, WA 98370 n www.RPSins.com/NIPC Writing specialty programs nationwide since 1976.
Change language