Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Tattoos, needles and hygiene

Options
  • 09-02-2012 1:18pm
    #1
    Evan La Crey
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭


    I was gobsmacked recently to hear from a friend that some tattoo artists in Dublin do not change the needle for each customer. He experienced this in some of the parlours. How is that possible, in this day and age, when everyone is fully aware of the dangers of sharing needles in the spread of HIV and Hepatitis.

    Cannot believe this!
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    chin_grin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,808 ✭✭✭✭chin_grin


    Eh, did you or your friend not report him/her?

    http://www.hsa.ie/eng/

    Not sure they can do anything though, but it's worth a shot.


  • Options
    #3
    Evan La Crey
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭Evan La Crey


    Hey certainly should have. I can't believe he didn't. This happened years ago but I just found out about it the other day. If I'd known back then I would have made sure he reported it. Not sure if there's any point now, so many years later. The place might be gone or just hygienalised ; )
    Maybe he still should think about reporting them.


  • Options
    #4
    chin_grin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,808 ✭✭✭✭chin_grin


    No point if it was years ago. So begs the question, why bring it up now?


  • Options
    #5
    Hellrazer
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hellrazer


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    I was gobsmacked recently to hear from a friend that some tattoo artists in Dublin do not change the needle for each customer. He experienced this in some of the parlours. How is that possible, in this day and age, when everyone is fully aware of the dangers of sharing needles in the spread of HIV and Hepatitis.

    Cannot believe this!


    Your friend is talking crap.A tattoo needle costs less than 20 cent if you buy in bulk.
    Its a complete myth that artists dont change needles.

    Unless he was talking about way back in the 70s before all this Hiv/Hep came out but since the fear of aids the tattoo industry is cleaner than most hospitals.


  • Options
    #6
    Evan La Crey
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭Evan La Crey


    chin_grin wrote: »
    No point if it was years ago. So begs the question, why bring it up now?

    Well, I'm thinking of getting one. I was asking him which places are good. He said avoid a certain few places which I won't name. I was shocked and now I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced it.

    And Hellrazer: I hope you're right and he was mistaken, but that's what he said and he is well used to getting tattoos and that is what he said he saw. He has no reason to lie about it.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Star Lord
    Registered Users Posts: 30,123 ✭✭✭✭Star Lord


    And was he watching them go from tattooing one person to tattooing another without changing needles/inks/etc, or did he simply come in with the artist ready, needles in the gun?


  • Options
    #8
    Evan La Crey
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭Evan La Crey


    DamoElDiablo wrote: »
    And was he watching them go from tattooing one person to tattooing another without changing needles/inks/etc, or did he simply come in with the artist ready, needles in the gun?

    Ok, I asked him and he said the norm is that they open a brand new needle from a sealed pack in front of you so that you know it is brand new.

    In this place he said the guy didn't do this. Instead he took and already opened needle from an Autoclave (steriliser), so therefore he said there was no way of knowing whether the needle was brand new.

    Granted that is not definitive re-use, but I'd rather see the new needle opened in front of me.


  • Options
    #9
    irisheddie85
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭irisheddie85


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    Ok, I asked him and he said the norm is that they open a brand new needle from a sealed pack in front of you so that you know it is brand new.

    In this place he said the guy didn't do this. Instead he took and already opened needle from an Autoclave (steriliser), so therefore he said there was no way of knowing whether the needle was brand new.

    Granted that is not definitive re-use, but I'd rather see the new needle opened in front of me.


    If it was taken out of an autoclave then it is sterile. that is the point of an autoclave even if it wasn't a new needle.

    Some places sterilize most of the gun as well as the needle in an autoclave so maybe he was taking a part of the gun out not just a needle but your friend thought it was just the needle


  • Options
    #10
    Star Lord
    Registered Users Posts: 30,123 ✭✭✭✭Star Lord


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    Ok, I asked him and he said the norm is that they open a brand new needle from a sealed pack in front of you so that you know it is brand new.

    In this place he said the guy didn't do this. Instead he took and already opened needle from an Autoclave (steriliser), so therefore he said there was no way of knowing whether the needle was brand new.

    Granted that is not definitive re-use, but I'd rather see the new needle opened in front of me.

    Some do, some don't open it in front of you from my experience, they just get their stuff ready and do it. Because he didn't see them opening it doesn't mean that it wasn't a new needle.
    Unless this was some scratcher that had a limited supply of needles, I'd say that your friend was very much mistaken.


  • Options
    #11
    Hellrazer
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hellrazer


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    In this place he said the guy didn't do this. Instead he took and already opened needle from an Autoclave (steriliser), so therefore he said there was no way of knowing whether the needle was brand new.

    He didnt take a needle out of a clave.He took the tube out of the clave.The tube is what the needle travels up and down in and the artists holds.Tubes are made of stainless steel and are completely safe when autoclaved after being thouroughly cleaned.A lot of people make this mistake and assume that its the needle that they see beoing taken out of the autocleve.



    Granted that is not definitive re-use, but I'd rather see the new needle opened in front of me.

    Then ask them to do open it in front of you.Most artists wont open a vacuum packed needle until theyre about to start tattooing.Once its opened its no longer sterile so it makes sense to leve it until the last minute.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Hellrazer
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hellrazer


    irisheddie85 wrote: »
    If it was taken out of an autoclave then it is sterile. that is the point of an autoclave even if it wasn't a new needle.

    Theres no need to re-use needles with the price being so low.


    Some places sterilize most of the gun as well as the needle in an autoclave so maybe he was taking a part of the gun out not just a needle but your friend thought it was just the needle

    You cant autoclave a tattoo machine-well you can if you strip it down completely and dont autoclave the electrics. (BTW Its not a tattoo gun).Its electric and water and electrics dont mix too well.There are brands out there that are completely autoclaveable and thats one of their selling points.Besides a good artist bags their machine so it wont pick up nasties.


  • Options
    #13
    Kast0r
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Kast0r


    chin_grin wrote: »
    Eh, did you or your friend not report him/her?

    http://www.hsa.ie/eng/

    Not sure they can do anything though, but it's worth a shot.

    they wouldnt do a thing im afraid, with the laws the way they are anyone can re-use a needle, even doctors.. its just up to our logic and morals to change needles, personally i open and dispose of needles in front of customers, then tell them of the dangers, its something that was beaten into me from the start.

    also another point to make is that someone can be very hygienic but use disposable tubes!


  • Options
    #14
    irisheddie85
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭irisheddie85


    Hellrazer wrote: »
    irisheddie85 wrote: »
    If it was taken out of an autoclave then it is sterile. that is the point of an autoclave even if it wasn't a new needle.

    Theres no need to re-use needles with the price being so low.


    Some places sterilize most of the gun as well as the needle in an autoclave so maybe he was taking a part of the gun out not just a needle but your friend thought it was just the needle

    You cant autoclave a tattoo machine-well you can if you strip it down completely and dont autoclave the electrics. (BTW Its not a tattoo gun).Its electric and water and electrics dont mix too well.There are brands out there that are completely autoclaveable and thats one of their selling points.Besides a good artist bags their machine so it wont pick up nasties.
    Sorry by most of the gun I meant take it apart and autoclave what can be. I know where I have got tattoos have dine this regularly. Not between every tattoo but at the end of every day as well as having the gun wrapped


  • Options
    #15
    Melion
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,259 ✭✭✭✭Melion


    irisheddie85 wrote: »
    Sorry by most of the gun I meant take it apart and autoclave what can be. I know where I have got tattoos have dine this regularly. Not between every tattoo but at the end of every day as well as having the gun wrapped

    Machine, not gun


  • Options
    #16
    Elbow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭Elbow


    Something doesn't add up here, surely if the studio in question has an autoclave then it suggests that there is a reasonable level of hygiene....

    and any studio with a reasonable level of hygiene wouldn't use the same needles on multiple clients


  • Options
    #17
    Princess Peach
    Registered Users Posts: 11,698 ✭✭✭✭Princess Peach


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    I was gobsmacked recently to hear from a friend that some tattoo artists in Dublin do not change the needle for each customer. He experienced this in some of the parlours. How is that possible, in this day and age, when everyone is fully aware of the dangers of sharing needles in the spread of HIV and Hepatitis.

    Cannot believe this!

    Did your friend ask the tattoo artist? He was obviously concerned about where this needle came from, did he stop him and ask if it was a new one or did he just assume it was used?

    If he was concerned surely he asked before letting himself get tattooed.


  • Options
    #18
    13th Floor Elevator
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭13th Floor Elevator


    Evan La Crey wrote: »
    I was gobsmacked recently to hear from a friend that some tattoo artists in Dublin do not change the needle for each customer. He experienced this in some of the parlours. How is that possible, in this day and age, when everyone is fully aware of the dangers of sharing needles in the spread of HIV and Hepatitis.

    Cannot believe this!

    Sniff, Sniff.. I smell bull**** & pointless fear mongering.


  • Options
    #19
    Melion
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,259 ✭✭✭✭Melion


    Can we just close and delete this thread?


  • Options
    #20
    Kast0r
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Kast0r


    Melion wrote: »
    Can we just close and delete this thread?

    agreed.


  • Options
    #21
    Hellrazer
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,595 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hellrazer


    Im closing the thread but leaving it here for future reference.So the next time someone says I know that xyz dont use new needles then I`ll just go

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056544220&page=2


  • Advertisement
This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement