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In recent years, many tattoo and piercing businesses have come under new regulations involving the sterilization of equipment used in their daily operations.  These regulations generally outline requirements for routine spore testing of the autoclaves, record keeping, and cleaning and packaging of sterilized items.  This article focuses primarily on the theory of proper autoclave sterilization and common spore testing issues.

The Center for Disease Control has recognized the risk associated with the re-use of tattoo and piercing equipment, primarily the potential transmission of tuberculosis, hepatitis-B, and HIV virus through the use of non-sterile needles and equipment. Legislation has been passed in many states already, and we can expect the remaining states to fall under some type of regulation over the next few years. Some business owners may feel these regulations requiring routine autoclave spore testing is another unnecessary and costly governmental burden.  In reality, it should be recognized as a valuable tool to help legitimize the safety of tattooing and piercing, and in the long run help the publics perception of thetattoo and piercing artists businesses.

Most new and existing studios look to the internet to find an autoclave. There is constant trading on Ebay of used autoclaves, and several new businesses have arisen dealing with nothing but the purchase, repair, and re-sale of used autoclaves.  The problem with this is the deteriorating condition of the autoclave.  These units are used in one studio for awhile, sold and shipped to another, and so on. Over time, the temperature gauges, pressure gauges, seals, timers, switching valves, and heating elements deteriorate and lose accuracy. So how do you know your autoclave is really sterilizing?

Spore strip testing is currently the method of choice to determine if you are achieving complete sterilization.  A spore strip test is a biological challenge to the sterilization cycle and unit.  A spore strip is a small piece of filter paper that is impregnated with thousands of bacterial spores typically of the genus Bacillus or Geobacillus.  The most common in use today are Bacillus atrophaeus for dry heat sterilization, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus for autoclave steam sterilization.  Think of a spore as a bacterium encapsulated in a resistant shell.  Steam must first penetrate this shell before it can come in contact with and destroy the bacterium.  Spores are harder to destroy by steam sterilization than the disease causing organisms listed above.  If you destroy all the spores in a sterilizer run, you can be assured you also destroyed any blood-related pathogens that may have been on the sterilized instruments.

Typically, a set of spore strips are purchased from an independent testing laboratory through a mail-in program.  Each week or month, a spore strip is placed in the sterilizer with a typical load and ran through the sterilization cycle.  When the cycle is complete, the spore strip is mailed back to the testing laboratory for further analyses.  Some spore test kits include a control strip.  This is the same as the spore strip that was placed in the sterilizer, but this one is not sterilized.  It is left out on the counter.  The control strip is part of a quality control system that validates that the spores were viable prior to being placed in the sterilizer.  If you consider that spore strips are mailed throughout the United States and subjected to different temperature, pressures, and environmental conditions, there is a possibility that the spores could have been damaged in shipment.  The control strip should always test positive for growth and verifies that the spores were viable prior to sterilization.  Many businesses opt to not use a control strip to save on cost.  It currently is not a requirement in most states to use a control strip.  But that may change someday.  If a control strip isnt used, most testing laboratories maintain a stock of spore strips of the same lot number they have mailed out and use them for positive controls with each days testing.  This doesnt quite simulate the degree of quality assurance you get when a control strip is used at the business site, but helps.  It also validates that the test media used by the testing laboratory supports growth and is satisfactory for use in testing.

So how do you ensure that you pass a spore test?  Make sure your sterilizer is achieving a minimum 121°C (250°F) for a minimum of 30 minutes.  If youre using a vertical pressure cooker type sterilizer, try and vent out the cold air as the unit is warming up by opening the valve on top.  When it approaches operating temperature, close the valve and start your timer when 121°C is achieved.  The temperature must remain at 121°C or higher for the full 30 minutes, so always start your timer once you have reached sterilizing temperature and pressure.  Most horizontal type autoclaves, like the Tuttnauer, Pelton & Crane, and Napco units include automated chamber venting in their cycle, so manual venting usually isnt necessary with these types.  Also make sure you dont overload the sterilizer and your items are labeled and packaged correctly.  Make sure you dont have any obvious steam leaks.

What do you do if you fail a spore test?  The first thing is quarantine and re-sterilize any items that were ran through the run that failed.  This is easy to do if you keep records of your sterilizer runs and have properly packaged and labeled the items sterilized.  Perform any routine preventative maintenance on the unit.  Check the seals and run a few runs and observe the cycle for proper temperature, pressure, and time.  One check highly recommended for any used autoclave or for recurring spore test failures is to compare the autoclave temperature gauge against a maximum recording NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) thermometer.  This will ensure you are achieving the temperature indicated on the gauge.  Weve found temperature gauges on used autoclaves to vary by as much as 20 percent.  NIST thermometers are sometimes hard to find and expensive to purchase.  They can be rented fairly inexpensively athttp://www.shop.sporestriptesting.com .  Once you have verified that your unit is working properly and have done an inspection and preventative maintenance, perform another spore test and send it to the lab.  Wait on a passing spore test report before you use the sterilizer again for daily operations.

The author of this article, Tymn Combest, has over thirty years experience in microbiology and sterilization science and is the owner of Enviro-Tech Laboratories, Inc. in San Angelo, Texas.  For questions related to this article or for spore strip testing services, the laboratory can be contacted at http://www.sporestriptesting.com,  or toll free at 1.800.944.1302.

Barcodes are a part of a system of inventory control and price checking invented in the 1950's. It is represented as a series of vertical lines that are read by an optical machineand translated into data. Originally conceived as a way to make inventory control within large stores much easier, it is an everyday sight in modern life. Nearly every item purchased from even a medium sized merchant has a barcode on it. 

Barcode tattoos are usually done in an ironic tone on the wrist or neck. Those who wear them are commenting are today's culture, in which people are often treated as a product to be bought and sold. It protests against a society where homogeny is revered and individuality is ridiculed. Barcode tattoos are also associated with anarchist values and havebeen embraced by numerous groups, including punks, Goths, gays and activists. 

Another group that seems to be heavily into barcode tattoos is celebrities, musicians in particular. Several musicians and pop stars have tattooed a barcode on themselves that is the same as the one on their successful album or single. These tattoos are usually found the neck as well as the wrist.

Bees have been a part of human history for as long scientists can tell. In fact, there are theories that bees and their honey were very important to early man because the words for honey, bees and beeswax are similar in widely dispersed areas such as China, France, and Iceland. 

Early man thought the bees were heaven sent. And because they had the ability to find their ways back home from over long distance, bees were seen as representative of the soul. They came to be associated with sexuality and fertility. The bee's detailed, organized hive has made it also a symbol of social order and cleanliness. They also project the image of hard working and a symbol of good. The phrase "busy bee" comes from the image of bees gathering honey and working individually in their hives for the colony's greatergood. Killing bees is considered bad luck. 

Bee tattoos represent a "taking care of business" attitude, toughness and industrialism.

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It is likely you know multiple people with tattoos, as there are millions of people all over the world sporting incredible tattoo art. Whether your inked friend is a stock clerk at your local grocery store, a waitress at the bar or a co-worker in your office, the popularity of tattoos is undeniable. In fact, those who get one tattoo often get the tattoo bug and continue to get inked throughout their entire lifetime. Popularity of the world wide tattoo culture has spread tattooing from taboo to pop culture. While tattoos were once reserved for those in the military or those who owned Harleys, today tattoos adorn soccer moms and everyone in between. Spring breakers come back with their first tattoo on their hip every year and mother surprise their children by getting daisies tattooed on their ankle for their fortieth birthday.

While tattoos are hip and trendy today, this was not always the case. In fact, tattoos were once seen as an affiliation with bikers and or gangs only. It is true the majority of bikers (those people who live a lifestyle of driving motorcycles for sport, fun and socialization) do in fact have tattoos. In fact, there are few bikers who dont have at least onebiker tattoo. In fact, they have tattoos for a purpose. When asked, many people will find many of these pieces of art on the skin have symbolism or personal meaning. Eachtattoo is placed on the skin to tell a story. Much like someone may commemorate a birthday milestone with a tattoo, bikers can do the same. A biker tattoo design can be a way to mark ones self in a way which states their affiliation with a local bike chapter. A tattoo of a name, a number and possibly the letters MC would show the specific person belongs to a motorcycle club.

Not all bikers have club affiliation tattoos. Other bikers will tattoo their loved ones names or a photo of a loved one on themselves, as a memento or way to honor the person. These portrait tattoos and memorial tattoos are considered to be art of the highest honor. Another way to memorialize someone can be with tattooed pictures or scenic tattoos which can easily represent a lost loved one. For instance, there was a female biker who had a ship which was sinking into the sea. Aboard the ship was a man playing cards, gambling and drinking with death. Her tattoo was in memory of her son who had lost his life to drugs. Other biker tattoos often include Harley Davidson tattoos showing the HD emblem and an eagle or wings. Another popular tattoo design in biker culture is the Born to Ride tattoos or Live to Ride, Ride to Live tattoos. These tattoos show the love for the freedom of being on the road and sharing this sensation with a brotherhood or sisterhood of bikers. After all, bikers say there is nothing better than being one with the road, feeling the air in your face.

Similar to biker tattoos are gang tattoos. They should not be confused however. The two are different because gangs are often affiliated with crime organizations, whereas not all bikers are in bike gang seeking out trouble. Gangs often tattoo teardrop tattoos on their faces for murder victims or fallen comrades. Other gang related tattoos often include tattooed names on knuckles or spider web tattoos on the elbow. In addition, many tattoos are done between the webs of the fingers, as well as gang names or symbols tattooed on visible areas of the body. Bikers and gangs have been associated with tattoos for many years. However, with the growth of tattoo popularity in todays society you can not judge a person who has a tattoo and try to put them in the category of gangs or bikers. In fact, most of those who get biker tattoos are not affiliated in any way with crime organizations. Instead, they are simply people who enjoy motorcycles and riding in groups with their friends. Biker tattoos and all other types of tattoos are ways to artistically express yourself, honor someone, or simply have some fun celebrating your eighteenth birthday. Next time you see someone who has full sleeves of tattoos, or a name tattooed across their neck, think about why the person has embellished their body. Instead of the tattoo being a pointless act of rebellion, there is likely a story behind the ink.

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