4.1 Patrons: No person shall perform any body piercing procedure upon a person under the age of 18 years without the written consent and proper identification of a parent, custodial parent or guardian, or under the direct supervision of a physician.

Any procedure performed on a minor must be done in the presence of a parent or guardian. Nothing in this section is intended to require a technician to perform any body piercing procedure on a person under 18 years of age with parental or guardian consent.

4.1.1 Age of all patrons must be verified via picture identification and documented prior to the procedure being performed.

4.1.2 Picture identificpation of all patrons 21 years of age or younger must be photocopied and kept with the patron's paperwork.

Microdermal piercing. There is green pus surrounding the dermal. Most definitely infected. Please read blog on how to take care of an infected piercing. 

An ear piercing should never get this bad. Take care of it quick if it is, this infection gets worse if not taken care and could start bleeding. 

unfortunately wasn't able to keep this guys ear lobe together, due to severe infection. 

This is so sick! Seeing this most definitely in my mind confirms that i will NEVER get my lip pierced. 

PLEASE WATCH! All tattoo artists and beginners...this is extremely important. Especially when you finally do your first portrait. 

What a great presentation for anyone in the field or looking to get into the field. I've seen "a lot" of people that have been tattooing for years and still don't know how to properly outline. Thumbs up! 

To find an apprenticeship, there is one thing you must know, this won't make you rich as fast a you think. Apprenticeships is all about providing you with the all the skills that you will need in the real world of not just in tattooing and piercing, but also in sterilization and learning the aspects of how to manage a business.  Apprenticeship typically lasts within a time period of 6 months. The tattoo artists then decides whether or not you are ready to take a larger step into the tattoo industry....becoming an official artist. 

WHO YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THAT WILL MENTOR YOU:
Anyone, that has exceptional work, and has been tattooing for over 5 years.. 

YOUR PORTFOLIO:
To prove that you have what it takes to become a tattoo artists and/or piercer, make sure you always carry around a portfolio of some of your best work you've done.. Don't worry! I'm not specifically talking about tattoo work, i'm talking about photos you've drawn and paintings. 

BE HUMBLE AND POSITIVE!
Most mentors look for apprentices that have a drive to learn all different styles, to draw closed to the real true meaning of art. If you walk in with the attitude that they owe you something, you're sure to leave empty handed. 

WHAT DOES IT USUALLY COST? 
There are a few artists out there that still offer free apprenticeships, keep in mind though, find a free apprenticeship is very rare. . If you happen upon an artist that offers apprenticeship at no cost you have found a real gem. But don't think this means a free ride! You will have to work very hard and be as dedicated to your training as they are. On the other end of the ball, most apprenticeships will cost money based on the education they can provide to you. Talk to your local artists!

CONTRACT:
ALWAYS sign a contract between yourself and your mentor, even if you have to make one up. This will protect you in the event that your apprenticeship does not turn out as you expected. Do not sign anything unless you agree 100% with the terms in the contract.

American Red Cross Training

The Southern Nevada Health District Regulations Governing the Sanitation and Safety of Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishments state that all tattoo, permanent makeup and body piercing technicians must complete the American Red Cross training in Preventing Disease Transmission or its equivalent within 30 days of passing the written exam.

American Red Cross 2011 Class Schedule

• March 8 & 28
• April 19 & 22
• May 17 & 27
• June 14 & 24
• July 19 & 22

• August 16 & 26
• September 13 & 23
• October 18 & 21
• November 18 & 22
• December 16 & 20

Registration and payment should be made at least one week before the start of the class.

To enroll contact the American Red Cross:

• By phone at (702) 791-3311
• In person at 1771 East Flamingo Road, Building B, Suite 206, Las Vegas
• Online at www.redcrosslasvegas.org 
  • From the home page click on "Take a class"
  • Scroll down to the Bloodborne Pathogens Training class and click "buy now" and choose one of the below classes
    • Bloodborne Pathogens; or
    • Bloodborne Pathogen/Adult CPR/First Aid to attend all three classes.
  • A major credit card is needed to register online

Preventing Disease Transmission is held from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. CPR and First Aid classes are conducted from 10:15 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. (depending on class size)

Classes are conducted by the American Red Cross and held in the Clemens Room of the Southern Nevada Health District Ravenholt Public Health Center, located at 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas. (map & directions)

Tuition for the Preventing Disease Transmission class is $25. Tuition for the CPR and First Aid classes is $45. The cost to attend all three courses is $65.

Regulations require that at least one person is trained in CPR and First Aid, as evidenced by current certification, and is available at the establishment during hours of operations.

It is the responsibility of the shop owner and/or manager to ensure that all operators and technicians stay current with their training. Non-compliance may result in suspension of health permit.

Hepatitis B Vaccination Requirements

The Southern Nevada Health District amended the body art regulations to require all tattoo, permanent makeup and body piercing operators and technicians working in Clark County be immunized against Hepatitis B.

The vaccination is a series of three shots and must be completed unless:

• The operator/ technician has previously received the complete hepatitis B vaccination series and can provide documentation.
• Antibody testing has revealed that the operator/ technician is immune.
• The vaccine is contraindicated for medical reasons.

Hepatitis B immunizations are available from the Southern Nevada Health District at the following locations:

• Ravenholt Public Health Center
• East Las Vegas Public Health Center
• Henderson Public Health Center

Visit the Locations webpage for maps and directions to each location.

Additionally, many private health insurance companies will pay for the hepatitis B vaccination. Vaccination is available at the health district for $66 per shot.

Documentation of hepatitis B immunizations of all operators/technicians working at a health permitted establishment must be maintained and available for review by the health district.

Any operator or technician found, during a routine inspection, not to have initiated the hepatitis B vaccinations series will not be permitted to operate.

Apprentice Requirements

Per the Southern Nevada Health District Regulations Governing the Sanitation and Safety of Tattoo Establishments and the Regulations Governing the Sanitation and Safety of Body Piercing Establishments, applicants must have a minimum of six months continuous training in a duly-licensed establishment in Nevada, another state or country before they can receive a permanent body art health card.

Applicants who do not meet this requirement must serve an apprenticeship for a minimum of six months in a health permitted establishment. All health permit holders have been provided with the procedures for apprentices who will be working in their establishments.

Apprentices must have a temporary health card before they can begin their apprenticeship.

The requirements for a temporary health card are similar to a permanent body art health card, except the apprentice will need to provide the following additional information.

• Letter of employment from the owner of a permitted facility where they will be working. The letter must include:
  • Date, facility name, facility address and phone number.
  • Applicant's job duties (e.g. tattoo, permanent makeup and/or body piercing).
  • Signature of owner or manager of facility.
    
    
• Upon completion of at least six months training, the applicant must submit written proof from the health permit holder stating the required training is complete before an operator health card is issued.

Note: Permanent Health Cards will not be issued without written documentation from the health permitted establishment where applicant will be operating.

Every idiot that thinks they can buy a tattoo machine and start inking up their friends always seems to forgets one key element - the prevention of cross-contamination. This is the part that can make your "clients" really sick or even kill them, but your average scratcher usually doesn't pay any attention to it. As long as they've got a working machine, a needle and some ink, that's all they need to become the next great tattoo artist, right? It's time for a wake-up call, folks.

What is Cross Contamination?
First of all, cross contamination is the spreading of germs, bacteria and/or disease by carrying them from an infected area to a non-infected area. To make this more simple, let's take a look inside your own home. We'll use the kitchen as an example.

I think most people realize that we can't see germs and bacteria, although we acknowledge that they can be found everywhere. Kitchens are especially prone to these tiny organisms due to the presence of foods that we prepare and eat there. Raw meats are very likely to be contaminated with bacteria such as Staph, Salmonella, and E-coli which can make you very sick if you ingest it.

If you prepare a hamburger tainted with bacteria and then go wash your hands, you have just contaminated the faucet you touched to turn the water on. So the next time you touch that faucet, even if your hands are clean, you re-contaminate your hands. Now if you go and touch someone's plate, they may touch their fully-cooked (and now safe) hamburger on that tiny area you touched and re-contaminate their meat.

"The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that between 6.5 million to 33 million cases of food borne illness occur in the United States each year. Worldwide, the numbers grow to staggering proportions...As many as 9,000 people in the United States alone, die yearly."

Blood-Borne Pathogens and You
OK, this has little to do with tattooing or body piercing, right? Wrong. The above was an example of food-borne pathogens - microorganisms that make people sick and die every year from food. The scary thing is, food-borne pathogens are nothing compared to blood-borne pathogens. This is where this article applies to you.

Blood-borne pathogens are the microorganisms that carry infection like Staph and MRSA, Hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, and a host of other illnesses. This isn't a little tummy ache from Aunt Sally's bad potato salad we're talking about. These are serious diseases that can be carried in people's blood, many times without them even knowing it. When you tattoo or pierce someone, you come in contact with blood and bodily fluids. If you do not know exactly what to do to prevent those fluids from touching and contaminating any other surfaces, you are putting lives at risk every time you tattoo or pierce someone, including yourself.

When you tattoo someone, everything becomes contaminated. The ink is contaminated, the machine is contaminated, the needle is contaminated, the tube is contaminated, your gloves are contaminated and sometimes even the air around you is contaminated. Your work station is a hazard, your client is a hazard, your equipment are hazards and even that stick of deodorant you use can cross-contaminate from one client to the next. Germs, bacteria and blood-borne pathogens are everywhere. You can't see them, you can't prevent them - the only thing you can do is prevent them from becoming a threat to you and your customers. If you don't know how to do that, then you have no right putting a tattoo needle or piercing needle to anyone's skin, period.

And if you're a client who thinks it's cool that your friend's uncle has a set-up in his kitchen and is willing to give you a really good deal on that tattoo or piercing, you had better listen up. This is why it's more expensive to get a tattoo in a professional studio, because it costs money to properly sterilize equipment and test it for any trace of contamination. If they didn't clean anything, they wouldn't have to charge as much either. But you get what you pay for, people. Go ahead and complain about those high prices - but just remember that every time you get a "deal" on a tattoo or piercing, you're probably putting your life at risk. If you don't think your health and life are worth a few extra bucks, then you agree to accept whatever consequences you endure as a result of your own stupidity.

Recognizing Errors
Licensed tattoo and piercing studios follow strict guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), OSHA, and their local health department. The CDC's list of rules for the prevention of cross-contamination of blood-borne pathogens is 32 pages long. The meticulous care it takes to prevent the spread of invisible microorganisms is mind blowing, and is something that takes a professional months and months of training and practice to perfect. And then they have to submit regular spore tests to a lab, proving that their sterilization process is working. Do you think anyone working out of their home is doing any of that? They may give the illusion of cleanliness, but there are a lot of tiny mistakes that can be made in the blink of an eye that can put you at risk. Would you even recognize it if your artist made a safety error?

Wearing gloves doesn't make an artist magically safe. They are safe only for as long as the surface of the gloves remain untouched by any other object. The instant they come into contact with anything, they are just as much of a risk as wearing no gloves at all. If the artist doesn't thoroughly wash their hands before putting the gloves on, just the act of donning the gloves could contaminate them with whatever might be on their hands. If they wash their hands but then touch a dirty faucet to turn off the water, then washing their hands was pointless. If they wash their hands, put on gloves, and then touch their face, open a door or answer the phone, those gloves are no longer a barrier between you and the organisms they've come in contact with.

That's just an example of the first five minutes or so when getting a tattoo or piercing. There are so many things that can be overlooked by someone who hasn't been properly trained and/or doesn't have the proper equipment and sterilization products. Single use, disposable needles and tubes, are being used by many artists, but that doesn't automatically make them safe either. Any time your skin is broken, you're sending out an open invitation for bacteria, so you have to be 100 percent confident in the abilities of your artist before you allow them to touch you. Hopefully, you think highly enough of yourself to expect only the best of care when you sit in a chair and put yourself at the mercy of someone else. Life is already short - don't make it shorter by making poor decisions.

An autoclave is essentially a pressure cooker primarily used in the medical field for sterilizing medical instruments. An autoclave must maintain a temperature of at least 246 degrees for 30 minutes in order to fully sterilize the equipment.

There are two major types of autoclave sterilizers - steam and chemical. Most dentists use chemi-claves, but steam is really the only kind acceptable in the tattoo field. There are different styles of steam autoclaves, all acceptable to use in the sterilization of the equipment. It is a good idea to ask to see the autoclave. Is it clean? More importantly, was the shop personnel more than happy to show it to you, or did they act like they had something to hide?

Also, keep in mind that the presence of an autoclave does not mean effective sterilization. Autoclaves need to be regularly tested to ensure that they are working properly. Ask to see the results of their latest spore test. These results should be no more than two months old.

Some non-professional artists will try to convince you that a pressure cooker designed for canning food is acceptable for sterilizing used tattoo equipment. This is not true. Kitchen pressure cookers do not reach the temperature or pressure required to effectively kill all blood borne pathogens. Do not trust anyone using a kitchen unit. Medical sterilizers are much larger and are designed specifically for killing bacteria.