There are thousands of amazing permanent makeup studios out there. They have a friendly service, great art and thousands of benefits of being their client. But is everyone clean? Not all permanent makeup studios advertise the cleanliness of their salon, or give great importance to sanitation. Not doing this doesn’t give a prospective client the idea that they are being taken care of in every way, including their health! Sanitation and sterilization is so important and it is crucial that clients know whether or not to be serviced by an unsafe studio. Here’s how to tell if the studio you attend is, in fact, sanitary:
-There is barrier everywhere! Seeing any type of barrier (whether it is plastic bags, barrier film etc) let’s you know that the area has been pre-prepped before your session. Meaning, anything the previous client may have left behind has been cleaned. Make sure the artist always has clean barrier around anything they may touch during your session. If you are unsure, ask! Sanitary artists will gladly tell you that their station is clean and will be cleaned after your appointment.
-They open a STERILE needle in your presence! This is big! Make sure your artist opens a sterile needle in your presence every time. This will show you that no one has used that needle before you. Look for the sharps containers around the room (they are usually red boxes with warning labels on them). You will see your artist properly dispose of your used needle after your session, ensuring that no other client will use that same needle. Just how your doctor disposes of the needle after a flu shot, PMU artists should too.
-They wash their hands A LOT! If a PMU artist complains their hands are dry because of all the hand washing, stay with them! They are ensuring that even though they use gloves, they still wash their hands. Hand washing is crucial in preventing the spread of bacteria, germs, or anything a client may carry.
-Using disposable tools is a big plus! When an artist uses 100% disposable tools, it makes everything easier. Every client gets a new tissue, cotton ball, plastic bag, etc… What better reassurance than “My artist used all new tools on me”? It makes their clean up so much easier, as they don’t have to sterilize the tools. Just get new ones every time!
Sanitation and sterilization is so important, yet so overlooked! Many clients just care about the art, but that’s not all that’s important! Contracting something from an unsanitary place is awful, and you never know what else is out there. If you are unsure, ask questions to the salon. They will tell you all they do to ensure proper sanitation. Make sure the salon is up to OSHA standards as well as any other safety and health regulations from their state. There are many other ways a salon can make their facility as clean as possible, but these are just a few of the basics. Don’t settle for anything but the best. Make sure you come first 100% of the time, and that includes your health!
