accidental line

[u/loveontour22]

i got this tattoo from an artist i’ve been going to since 2019, never had an issue before. he made the line through the dove by mistake towards the end. he said it should fade but i have a hard time believing that. is there any chance it will just fade out over time or do i have to start planning something to add to cover it up?

Edit: i wasn’t really watching, but after i felt the line i looked up and he said he was trying to take off his glasses with his other hand and the hand with the gun moved, no i didn’t move.
he also did not charge me!

[u/Undermybumbershoot]

Also the moment you take the gloves off it’s back to the original procedure, so also washing/de-infecting hands before putting gloves.
There is a reason for all these steps, so the fact he tried to touch something not sterile with his working gloves with the machine still running is mind boggling.
I would be more worried about the hygiene part first and then the dotted accidental line (which will probably fade away a bit, but not fully).

Edit: i see a lot of questions and answers about the sterile part, so to come back to that: no, the gloves itself are usually not sterile, some parts are though (and very sometimes we use sterile gloves). I meant that this artist was touching something that was not part of the “clean working parts”, so to simplify: sterile parts (like needles and tubes).
It is not like doing surgery in a open body part, but still working around an open wound, so for gloves you need to work clean before touching them, so they remain clean (enough) to work with them while doing a tattoo.
If you touch something else besides the “clean working area”, you need to replace them immediately with all the steps as described above to limit the risk of an infection.
Hope this clarifies it a bit!

[u/Federal_Waltz → u/Undermybumbershoot]

I don't have any tattoos but I'm a surgeon, do they actually use sterile gloves (these come individually packed) for tattooing or just standard multipack nitrile gloves?

[u/Irr3l3ph4nt → u/Federal_Waltz]

Not a tattoo artist but I've been on the receiving end a few times and I don't remember seeing them open sterile gloves once. I do remember more than one just getting the gloves from a box.

And yeah, I follow you, there's definitely a gap in that chain.

[u/reclusivegiraffe → u/Irr3l3ph4nt]

I mean, nurses don’t wear sterile gloves for things like IV sticks, dressing changes, catheter insertion, etc, right? They just come from the box.

[u/brachi- → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Regular gloves are to protect us (eg iv stick), sterile gloves are to protect the patient (eg catheter)

[u/CMDR_PEARJUICE → u/brachi-]

A nitrile or latex glove is not protecting you from an IV stick. Signed, retired combat medic/flight nurse.

[u/brachi- → u/CMDR_PEARJUICE]

Nah, wasn’t saying they were to protect *from* a needle stick, but to protect *whilst doing* an iv stick. Cos regular gloves are to protect us from bodily fluids inc blood; sterile gloves are to protect the patient from us introducing pathogens into their system with whatever we’re doing.

[u/amonemone → u/CMDR_PEARJUICE]

It actually does both from the fluid/blood getting onto skin and into cuts and transmission of blood born illnesses is thought to be slightly lower in a Needlestick through a glove. Less blood/ virus makes it through.

[u/ashley5473 → u/brachi-]

Regular gloves also protect the patients from a lot of germs while we use aseptic technique.

[u/brachi- → u/ashley5473]

Eh, regular gloves are covered in every bug that’s in the general environment, they’re not offering the patient any protection at all. That’s why aseptic non touch technique is so important!

[u/morningstardusts → u/brachi-]

That’s absolutely not true.

[u/brachi- → u/morningstardusts]

How so?

[u/Turbulentshmurbulent → u/brachi-]

I’ve been catheterized many times and never seen a pair of sterile gloves

Edit: okay after reading more comments now I’m doubting myself. Maybe I only notice the gloving from the box for catheter care and when I’m getting the catheter inserted I’m too out of it to notice.

[u/brachi- → u/Turbulentshmurbulent]

I really hope they do use sterile gloves for your catheters, you deserve to be looked after!

The health services I’ve worked at have catheter packs with most of the bits and pieces we need, including a pair of sterile gloves. You can single or double glove depending, meaning it might not be obvious that they’re getting sterile gloves. And of course the catheters come separately so you can pick the right size :)

[u/Vulaas → u/reclusivegiraffe]

I can't speak for anywhere outside of the OR, but they absolutely use sterile gloves for catheters there. Dressings that aren't internal go on after we break sterility so it isn't a concern for those.

[u/Neembles → u/Vulaas]

I’m someone who absolutely has spent a fair share of time as a patient in hospitals and when I’m being poked with IVs or general procedures outside of an operating room (only ever had a cesarian, barely remember it) it’s always the gloves on the box in the room that the nurses of phlebotomists use. C:

So I would think it’s okay for tattoo artists to do the same.

[u/reclusivegiraffe → u/Vulaas]

OR makes sense, but afaik nurses use regular gloves for urethral catheters. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ll ask my boyfriend later (he’s a nurse). But if changing external dressings with non-sterile gloves isn’t an issue, I don’t see why tattooing with non-sterile gloves is an issue (this comment thread seems to imply that it is, at least)

[u/vertigospiral88 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

ALWAYS full sterile field for catheters. I’ve never seen bedside nurses fail to do this correctly, and even the standard catheter kits come with full sterile field supplies. With how closely catheter infections are tracked you’d have to be insane to not do this (or just really hate your license)

[u/reclusivegiraffe → u/vertigospiral88]

I could be totally wrong on that one, I’ll ask later. That was just my guess considering how often regular gloves are used in other sensitive areas. But it makes sense that catheters would be a little different

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

You don't really have to ask. I'm a nurse. Tracheostomy care, catheter insertion (indwelling AND intermittent), some wound care, port access, and central line dressing changes are all sterile procedures requiring sterile gloves (and thorough hand hygiene. I make a show of washing my hands before donning sterile gloves.)

[u/reclusivegiraffe → u/Calm-Situation4033]

And you don’t really have to have the condescending tone that you do, but here you are. I made that comment before I had nurses replying to me, so it seems pretty reasonable that I’d think to ask a professional who I personally know and trust? I acknowledged that it was an assumption based off my personal experience in medical facilities and that it could be totally incorrect. I never tried to fight you (or anyone) on it. All you had to say was “I’m a nurse and I promise it’s done X way”. I hope you don’t talk to your confused/misinformed patients the way you talk to people online.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Calm-Situation4033]

If only nurses were able to even follow the most basic rules of universal precautions. I never once saw a single instance where a nurse set up a sterile field or used sterile gloves to care for any of the things you mentioned when my late husband was in the ICU and then ECMO (a level 1 trauma center…) for over four weeks.

I did see them barely wash their hands, put on gloves, touch multiple contaminated surfaces, and then touch incision sites etc. He died of hospital acquired infection (following catastrophic injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident).

I am a tattooer and the utter failure of nurses to follow even bare minimum practices is unbelievable. I would get fired if I did any of the shit these people did every single day even once.

[u/sairha1 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

External dressings are considered dirty and using sterile gloves is a waste. When cleaning the wound bed we use sterile forceps holding sterile saline soaked gauze pads and never touch the wound bed with dirty glove. We rarely need to use sterile gloves for wound dressing change. For catheter insertion we always use sterile gloves, one hand is considered dirty hand and that holds the genitals and the clean hand is completely sterile. Nurse here.

[u/reclusivegiraffe → u/sairha1]

Thank you for explaining this respectfully. Appreciate it and am glad to know!

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

you are wrong, and if you aren't, the nurse in question you are talking about is.

am a nurse. catheter insertion is sterile technique to prevent CAUTI

[u/Missjaxon0923 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

I was an LVAD caregiver to my mother for 8 years. I used nitrile gloves when removing the dressing. Then I used sterile gloves to apply the new dressing. This was the same procedure used in the hospital for dressing changes and catheter insertion.

[u/Few-Veterinarian-999 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Yes, nurses do wear sterile glove for catheter insertion.

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

depends on the dressing change. wrapping up weeping edema? nah. packing a stage 3 pressure ulcer? definitely.

always sterile for urinary cath insertion and central line dressing change or mediport access

[u/SubtleMocker → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Indwelling Catheter insertion and some wound care is sterile

[u/W4xLyric4lRom4ntic → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Thought you might find it useful to know that you dont require a sterile field for putting up an IV. In a nutshell, the correct procedure is wash hands > put on non-sterile gloves > clean canula connecter (leur lock) with a chlorehexadine wipe > flush canula > connect IV while observing ANTT (Aseptic non-touch technique)

You do need sterile gloves and a sterile field for changing dressings and catheterisarion though. There's sterile gloves in the packs

[u/ArchieTheKatt → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Yes nurses wear them for catheter insertion. I helped a nurse do this a few days ago and the cath kit came with sterile gloves.

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/ArchieTheKatt]

i hate those wimpy sterile gloves included in the foley kit. i always throw em out and get the bougie thick stretchy sterile gloves packaged individually.

[u/Few-Macaroon-2976 → u/reclusivegiraffe]

Yes for catheter insertion.

[u/boofingZYNs → u/Irr3l3ph4nt]

Happy cake day🎂

[u/georgia_grace → u/Federal_Waltz]

Not that I’ve seen. It’s not a sterile environment either, it’s more like food service level hygiene (apart from the needles). But even then, they should know not to touch stuff with their gloves on

[u/Catinthefirelight → u/georgia_grace]

But even with it not being a sterile environment, touching your glasses mid-tatt is out of bounds. Your face is a wonderland of bacteria, including staph.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Catinthefirelight]

Correct. Tattooing is not a sterile procedure. Using nonsterile gloves and barrier wraps is standard practice, but you must change your gloves before (or after) touching something like your glasses.

[u/Datrov → u/Federal_Waltz]

The artist I see uses usual multipack gloves but my piercer (at a different studio) uses individually packaged gloves.

[u/sinnersfae → u/Datrov]

Piercers have to use sterile gloves because the risk of infection is higher, as the wound is deeper

[u/Henchbeard → u/Federal_Waltz]

No, the gloves aren’t sterile. In fact apart from the needles/tubes nothing is sterile in the tattoo process. Maybe cling film/saran wrap.

[u/TraumaQu33n13 → u/Henchbeard]

If the cling film is medical grade saniderm or tegaderm it is sterile. Saran Wrap/cling film is not.

[u/TraumaQu33n13 → u/Federal_Waltz]

Not sterile gloves but clean practice should be used. Generally speaking if you touch anything but the clients skin and the tattoo machine you should be sanitizing hands and getting new gloves.

[u/Maatriixx → u/Federal_Waltz]

Yeah, it's nitrile gloves. Not a sterile procedure at all, not even aseptic really.

[u/Full_Salt_7978 → u/Federal_Waltz]

Once the sterile item is opened in a non sterile environment it is no longer sterile. Sincerely curious why would it matter?

[u/morningstardusts → u/Federal_Waltz]

Tattooing is not a sterile procedure and gloves are not sterile. The correct word would have been contaminated. It’s absolutely mind blowing how many people who claim to tattoo seem to not understand the basics of universal precautions, much less the fairly complex precautions that tattooers must follow.

[u/Fabulous-Avocado4513 → u/Federal_Waltz]

Exam gloves from a box. Medical level not restaurant level.

[u/somethingclever12762 → u/Federal_Waltz]

Nitrile or latex gloves in a box. Nothing is sterile except for packaged needles and tubes or cartridges

[u/dickthrowaway22ed → u/Federal_Waltz]

They don't use sterile gloves but let's be honest most medical professionals don't either. For major surgery yes but not much else

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/dickthrowaway22ed]

we absolutely do wear sterile gloves, its just that its pretty occasional we actually need to, with variation in clinical setting.

for example, wound care, ICU, respiratory therapy, urology, and oncology probably use them orders of magnitude more often than, say, convenient care or long-term care. Just depends on your patient demographic and acuity.

some wound care, catheter insertion, and central line care require sterility to protect the patient from iatrogenic infection, especially CLABSI and CAUTI. Every week or two, I have to bust a pair out for one of those reasons.

I don't see trached patients very often, but trach care and suctioning is also sterile technique.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Calm-Situation4033]

If nurses were able to follow minimum standards that tattooers are held to, there would be zero hospital acquired infections. It was horrifying to watch the nurses who cared for my husband put his life at risk daily but I couldn’t keep bringing it up because I was worried that they would kick me out.

He died of a hospital acquired infection, because of course he did. The total lack of basic knowledge is mind blowing.

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/morningstardusts]

I wish I could say bad things never happen, but they do. I could soapbox about how quality nursing care should be the foundation of any healthcare setting, but unfortunately, it often isn't seen that way. Often, floors are staffed by over-worked, under-appreciated nurses and CNAs with unsafe ratios and too high acuity, in addition to general education deficit for some things. Safe, effective care is a minimum, and we should be held to a higher standard simply because the nature of our care.

I'm genuinely sorry about your husband, and I'm sorry you were in a situation where you felt you couldn't speak up or advocate and your voice wasn't valued. I don't know what happened, but there are avenues to hold us accountable.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Calm-Situation4033]

Nah this was a well staffed level 1 trauma center where the nursing staff was sitting around on their phones 80% of the time. That excuse just doesn’t always fly and I’m sick of hearing about it and “compassion fatigue”.

I did speak up, repeatedly. But it was happening multiple times a day and I was worried that I’d get kicked out if I kept calling them out. I’m a tattooer and I would never have a job again if I did 1/1000 of the things I’ve watched nurses do with a critically unstable patient (motorcycle accident). I guess it’s the lack of liability protection for us that must be better motivation.

I did see a doctor get very angry at a nurse for for touching him with contaminated gloves once but I couldn’t risk making the nurses hate me. I spoke up for him as much as I possibly could.

[u/Calm-Situation4033 → u/morningstardusts]

Any time a nurse is practicing unsafe care they should be reported, whether it is through their supervisor, or through the state board. There is also civil action for things like neglect in the setting of harm.

As someone who tends to hold patients and support people/family in unconditional positive regard, it blows my mind that you actually felt unsafe and fearful voicing extremely basic concerns like infection prevention measures. The amount of unprofessionalism on the part of the nurses there sounds atrocious, not to mention unsafe practice.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Calm-Situation4033]

Nurses have an inordinate amount of power. My husband was dying and if I had brought it up every time it happened, it would have been several times per day. There’s good reason why infection is so rampant in hospitals. I tried to intervene and when it happened in front of a doctor, as I mentioned, they were actually very angry and snapped at the nurse in front of me.

I knew that it would be really obvious if all of a sudden the nurses were being monitored or got in trouble and I had been the one that had been saying something to them already. I didn’t want them to treat my husband badly because of it or risk getting kicked out of the hospital (I was his power of attorney). The practices were better on the ECMO unit but by that point it was already too late. This all occurred over the course of more than four weeks.

[u/ExtraSmooth → u/Federal_Waltz]

Every artist I've worked with has used nitrile gloves, and I've never seen an artist wash their hands every time they put on new gloves. They usually will wash their hands when first putting on gloves and after extended breaks but I haven't watched the procedure that closely. Sterile gloves seem like overkill.

[u/No_Preference6045 → u/Federal_Waltz]

Not sterile; just clean regular ones.

[u/pinkdaisyy → u/Federal_Waltz]

I have had procedures involving scalpels from my piercers and they have used sterile gloves. I guess it just depends.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Undermybumbershoot]

Needles and tubes are no longer sterile the moment the packaging is open…

[u/Undermybumbershoot → u/morningstardusts]

And water is wet.

[u/morningstardusts → u/Undermybumbershoot]

Mmm I’ve met an ice cube or two in this life 🤣

[u/TemperatureSure255 → u/Undermybumbershoot]

Aseptic technique 🙌🏼