We're all familiar with the terms 'washing hands' and 'cleaning' and 'disinfecting'. These are terms that PMU specialists deal with on a daily basis and are sometimes used interchangeably. But in which situations do you need to clean, sanitize, or disinfect during the mapping process, and how do you prevent cross-contamination?
During a PMU treatment, small abrasions are created in the skin. In a healthy person, this triggers a natural immune response from the body and causes bodily fluids to be released in the form of wound exudate and blood. A small wound or skin defect can also occur during eyebrow shaping and hair removal. This can happen with an epilator blade, but reusable eyebrow scissors and tweezers can also cause wounds and skin defects. If the tweezers or scissors are not properly disinfected and they create a wound, the client runs the risk of contracting a bacterial infection, among other things. Maintaining good hygiene in the studio is therefore very important to prevent these situations, and it actually starts with practicing hand hygiene.
Wash or sanitize your hands?
Hand hygiene is simply a general term for washing hands with soap and water or sanitizing them with hand sanitizer (e.g., Sterillium). The ultimate goal is to inactivate or remove transmissible microorganisms on the hands, regardless of natural skin bacteria.
A few tips
- Wash your hands with soap and water before and after seeing a client or performing a treatment, after eating, after using the restroom, after touching animals, after cleaning, after coughing, after sneezing, or after blowing your nose (even when using tissues).
- Disinfect your hands in between with a hand sanitizer (such as Sterillium) is permitted as long as your hands are visibly clean and do not feel sticky.
- Wear gloves when performing activities where you may come into contact with blood and wound fluid. This includes when preparing the treatment area where you use sharp objects.
- Wear No artificial nails, nail polish, or hand and wrist jewelry (including watches) during a PMU treatment.
- Do you use reusable materials, such as scissors and tweezers? Make sure they are properly cleaned and then disinfected before using them on the disinfected treatment area.
Pro tip:
Read more details and requirements from the RIVM regarding hand hygiene here, and see an illustration of how to apply hand hygiene in practice here.
Cleaning and disinfecting the treatment area during the mapping process
Preparing the skin for a PMU treatment involves cleaning and disinfecting, and where necessary, shaving the skin prior to tattooing (RIVM, 2022).
As a PMU specialist, you can clean the skin with a ready-to-use green soap solution or diluted green soap concentrate that is suitable for use on open skin. In practice, some PMU specialists use the product Sterillium to disinfect the eyebrows or lips. Due to its liquid composition, Sterillium is only suitable for disinfecting hands
To disinfect the skin, you can use, for example, Dettol Wound Spray. It is important to allow the liquid to sit for the recommended time. This is usually indicated on the label. If not, wait until the skin is dry before continuing with the process.
A few tips
- Check the treatment area to ensure it is clean (e.g., free of makeup) and free of signs of infection, allergies, dermatitis, cuts, or rashes.
- Never touch the cleaned and disinfected treatment area with your bare hands.
Click here to check whether the products you use to clean and disinfect the skin are permitted and approved.
"By following these tips, you ensure a hygienic mapping process in the studio."
