Tattoo Popularity: Safety Risk?
April 4th, 2011
At a dinner party this weekend, the conversation turned to the ever-increasing popularity of the tattoo. It seems like many athletes and celebrities sport the ink. The question of safety also came up and I suggested that perhaps the salon of a tattoo artist might not be as clean and sterile as needed to prevent infection or exposure to blood borne diseases. Just because a needle is presented as “sterile” it may not be. According OSHA, transmission of Hepatitis (and other infectious diseases) is possible when poor infection-control practices are used during tattooing or piercing. Body art is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, and unregulated tattooing and piercing are known to occur in some informal or unregulated settings. Getting a tattoo requires that your skin be pierced by a needle and injected with tiny amounts of ink.
Reusing dirty needles is an obvious safety violation, but it’s not good enough to just find out if the artist uses clean needles. When you’re dealing with injections and blood, you need to be aware of other potential hazards.
1) Does the artist wash his or her hands? Though tattoo artists should wear gloves , they also need to wash their hands before putting gloves on and after taking them off. They should only put on fresh pairs.
2) Is the equipment sterilized? Sterilized is different from being clean. By wiping over something with a towel, the instrument will look clean, but it could still be infectious. Sterilization involves applying chemicals or heat, killing bacteria and viruses.
3) Are work surfaces clean? The work area needs to be cleaned and sterilized. A clean tattoo needle can be exposed to germs from the table surface or other equipment.
Tattoo businesses are regulated like hair salons, not like medical facilities. Even though the risk is not great in contracting an infection or blood borne disease, safety is always worth considering, as problems can occur. When styles change, unlike a bad haircut that can grow out, a tattoo is expensive and painful to get rid of.
Lisa Rinna and Ashley Bashioum: “Soap” Connection
January 12th, 2011
Guest Comments by Ashley Bashioum
Lisa Rinna is known for her provocative roles on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place during the 90s. She now appears with her husband Harry Hamlin, called Harry Loves Lisa, a reality show which features the engaging married couple.
I had the pleasure of meeting this spunky TV personality while being interviewed on her show Soap Talk while I was on the Young and the Restless (Mackenzie) on CBS. Both on and off screen Lisa was a joy to be around. She was very professional and since it was my first live interview, she made sure I felt at ease. We spent a considerable time talking about my Dad being a plastic surgeon!
A recent tabloid hot topic has been Lisa’s decision to undergo a lip reduction in order to restore a more natural look to her lips. The silicone that had she injected into her lips in the 1980s (not FDA approved) created scar tissue, started moving, creating an uneven contour. In August 2010 she had the corrective procedure done with the full support of her family. It will take six-nine months to see the final results, but judging from recent photos featured in People Magazine, she is already looking fantastic! When you are in the public eye there will always be scrutiny, you just learn to live with it.
Update: Lisa Rinna has just been named to Celebrity Apprentice. I know I’ll be watching this season!
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