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Washes his or her hands with soap and water and then puts on glovesUses sterile water (usually in specially marked bottles), NOT tap water to rinse the equipment or the area to be tattooedWipes the area to be tattooed with alcohol or iodineUses disposable cups to hold the dyes for the tattooUses sterile needles (in individually wrapped packages that are opened in front of you)
What should I do after getting a tattoo or piercing? " The most important thing to do is to keep the area that was tattooed or pierced clean. Use soap and water to wash the area every day, but try not to touch it at other times until it heals.
If you got a piercing, do NOT use the special solutions that are sold in shopping malls and other places to clean piercings. These solutions are not good at getting rid of many bacteria, and they can even carry their own bacteria. Soap and water is a better choice.
Should I see a doctor or nurse? " See your doctor or nurse right away if the body part that was tattooed or pierced swells, turns red, feels hot, or starts to ooze pus or smell bad. You should also see a doctor or nurse if you get a fever.
What if I want to have my tattoo removed? " It is possible to have a tattoo removed with special lasers. But the process takes several visits, and it can cause problems of its own. It can cause the skin to change color or to get irritated or swollen. Plus it can be expensive " usually much more expensive than getting a tattoo in the first place.
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This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014.
Topic 87357 Version 5.0
Release: 22.8 - C22.206
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