Understanding your responsibility.
My favorite part of all new microblading trainings or training refreshers was the Infection Control portion of class. Being the educational support for hundreds of girls across the country made very aware of the need for more education on this subject. There are differences in infection control policy per state and it is our responsibility as artists to understand the universal precautions (or standards) for infection control and what extra precautions we must take to make sure that we and our clients are always protected.
Let's break down what the Universal precaution for Infection control is, the levels of infection control and how that applies to us as pmu brow artists.
Universal Precautions :
The practice of protection and avoidance in any field that exposes a professional to bodily fluids. These practices were introduced after the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's , and requires us to treat all patients/customer’s as if they were infected to minimize the risk of contagion and the spread of disease.
As permanent cosmetic artists we are required to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as masks, gloves, smocks, eye wear when necessary etc. We are also required to follow proper personal hygiene, disinfection, sanitation and sterilization of our equipment and proper disposal of all one time use items.
Levels of Infection Control :
Sanitation : The lowest level of infection control, this requires the physical removal of debris to reduce the number of bacteria, microbes etc. During training you should be taught the proper guidelines to washing your hands, and setting up.
Disinfection : The second level of infection control, this requires us to use products regulated by law to kill bacteria and a broad spectrum of other viruses. Per OSHA's 2001 BBP Standard, it requires all our disinfectant products to be an EPA-registered disinfectant with an efficacy against HIV and HBV or tuberculosis. ( for most microblading artists, I recommend Cavicide to clean areas, and the immersion of any metal implement that is not disposable, This is pre-autoclave) Post training you should be provided with BBP forms and guidelines + exposure forms. If you were not, we have them for 15$ available for purchase.
Sterilization : The third level of infection control refers to the process of eliminating, removal, or deactivates all forms of life (in microbiology referring to microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, spores, unicellular organisms etc.) This often requires the use of an Autoclave , Chemiclave, or UV light post drying and storage.
Following every guideline.
Being a responsible artist in the pmu world requires us to go the extra mile for our work space, ourselves and most importantly our customers. Each level of infection control has specific guidelines from prepping our station, setup, breakdown and disposal of any contaminated equipment or tools. This is a small explanation to what we do and all the equipment we use, If you have any doubts or you were not taught this, Please reach out to your trainer, your state or even us for any support!
We are proud providers of BBP + Exposure forms with guidelines included incase there is an exposure to bodily fluids. We also include a small a list of what we believe you should have ready incase there is ever a need for you as an artist to file a claim on your behalf or for your client with your insurance provider.
We hope you found our small post informational! Please let us know if you would like us to cover anything specifically on our blog! We love hearing from our artists!
Sending you all love during this tough time!
xoxo, Alma
