The correct sterilization techniques that all tattoo artists need to know

Bacteria are the biggest problem for tattoo artists so let’s begin by looking at them. There are two types of tattoo that you will hear about; aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. The difference between them is that the aerobic bacteria must have oxygen in order to survive while the anaerobic can survive without oxygen. There are also bacteria that are termolabile and thermostabile; the thermostabile are hard to be destroy with heat while the thermostabile can easily be destroyed by heat.

Another term you will often hear used in connection to bacteria is ‘spore’. A spore is a reproductive cell and it is produced most usually by plants and protozoans. If you were to examine a spore under the microscope you would see that it has thick walls. The thick walls of the spore allow it to put up with conditions that would kill other forms of life such as extremes of heat. Bacteria form themselves into spores in an attempt to defend themselves and because of this these types of bacteria are not too easy to kill. In order to kill this type of bacteria they need to be exposed to long periods of heat. This all means that a lot of bacteria have no problem with heat and it may often be the case that heat alone will not be enough to kill these dangerous threats.

You will find that sterilizers that use flowing steam use boiling water to create steam in and unsealed container. Although the temperature reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit it is still not enough to kill all bacteria. Boiling water is no good at killing bacteria, and if you want to use it effectively in your tattoo parlor then only have it for making hot beverages.

You may be wondering how you are going to kill these bacteria; well for this job you will need to know about the autoclave. The professional tattoo artist no matter where they are in the world will always use an autoclave; it will kill the spores as well as any bacteria that go into it.

You will need to understand how the autoclave system works in order to be able to work it correctly. You should know that it kills bacteria by rising to a temperature of above 275 degrees Fahrenheit with a steam pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch.  It will be kept at this condition for up to forty minutes and then allowed to cool down and dry for a further twenty minutes. You will find that most autoclave will have this entire process on automatic with preset settings. The important thing is to ensure that the temperature is kept above 275 degrees Fahrenheit while working. Do not concern yourself with worry about the machine exploding. At the back of the machine is a release valve which controls the steam by releasing it.

You need to make sure that you clean your autoclave machine at least once a week. You should also use a spore strip to check it about once a month; you will find it easier to keep maintenance and cleaning up to date if you keep some type of records.

Don’t ever stand over the autoclave when you are opening the door; this is dangerous because and residual steam could shoot out the exit you have created and badly burn your body. When putting liquid bottles into the autoclave it is important to remove tops and place them upside down on the shelf; you should also remember to use the slow exhaust as well.