Dermal Pathology & Pathogens
This outermost layer acts as the body's first line of physical defense against invading pathogens during a tattooing or piercing procedure.
The Epidermis
Iron oxide can often produce pigments in shades such as red. yellow, and this color commonly associated with the earth/ground.
brown
Swelling and redness straight after a body art procedure such as a tattoo can be part of this normal response to injury.
inflamation
While sterilization kills all microbial life, this lower-level process is used on environmental surfaces like countertops and chairs between clients.
disinfection
Employees may judge a person negatively because of visible tattoos or piercings. What is this called?
appearance-based bias
To make a tattoo permanent, ink must bypass the epidermis and be deposited into this thick, vascular layer of skin located directly beneath it.
The Dermis
This liquid ingredient carries and distributes pigments throughout many different types of ink.
carrier/solvent
This component of blood is responsible for clotting and stopping active bleeding.
thrombocytes/platelets
To ensure proper sterilization, shops use special color-changing strips called this type of indicator inside the autoclave bags.
chemical indicator (or sterilization strip)
Why might visible tattoos or piercings be a concern in certain careers?
some workplaces have appearance or dress-code policies
Because body art punctures the skin, it opens a direct dermal pathway for these bloodborne viruses, specifically types B and C, which cause severe liver inflammation
Hepatitis
at the molecular level the color of a pigment is related to how the electrons interact with this form of energy?
light/electromagnetic radiation
An immune reaction to pigments that can cause itching, bumps, redness, and in serious cases anaphylactic shock.
Allergic reactions
This machine uses high-pressure steam to completely sterilize reusable metal equipment like tubes and grips.
Autoclave
A person with visible body art may be treated differently during a job interview because of assumptions about their personality. What is this an example of
stereotyping
This common cluster-forming bacterium is a major cause of skin infections after piercing; its MRSA strain is notoriously resistant to standard antibiotics
Staphylococcus (or Staph)
Immune cells of this name can engulf pigment particles.
Macrophage
What is the thick, raised scar that stays strictly within the boundary of the initial injury can develop after tattoos.
Hypertrophic scar
The CDC mandates that body art studios regularly run a "spore test," also known as this type of monitoring to ensure the autoclave is actually killing bacteria
Biological monitoring
What is one possible professional consequence of getting highly visible or difficult-to-cover body art?
having fewer career opportunities in workplaces with strict appearance policies
When the dermal pathway is breached, these specialized immune cells in the skin engulf the foreign tattoo pigment, trapping it in place and making the art permanent.
Macrophages
Changes in pH can affect the chemistry of inks since pH describes the concentration of these atoms in a solution.
H+
What is the potentially life threatening complication that can occur if an infection keeps on spreading
sepsis
Piercing and tattooing needles must never be sterilized for reuse; by law, they must be pre-sterilized by the manufacturer using this gas or gamma radiation, and then disposed of in a sharps container.
What is Ethylene Oxide (EtO) gas
Why is it risky to assume someone is irresponsible, unprofessional, or untrustworthy just because they have tattoos or piercings?
What is because body art does not determine a person’s character, skills, or work ethic