Create a Safe and compliant Permanent Makeup Studio: Your Ultimate Setup Guide
⏱ 4 Min Read
Hello, aspiring permanent makeup master! Are you ready to establish a studio that's all about health and safety? Let's walk through some tangible steps that'll help you set up a workspace that's all about professional finesse and well-being.
But first, what defines a workspace?
A treatment area includes any workbenches, sinks and other structural items necessary to carry out the skin penetration procedure. A suitable working environment should be maintained, and no aspects of the business should affect the health of the clients or those employed at the premises.
Step 1: THE BARE ESSENTIALS
The workspace should be thoughtfully designed, incorporating separate work and waiting areas for customers. Adequate ventilation and lighting are imperative throughout the studio. Within the treatment area, meticulous attention should be paid to the choice of materials for all surfaces, including floors, walls, ceilings, and furnishings. These should be constructed with materials suitable for the procedures, easy to clean, and impermeable.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Separate work/waiting areas for customers.
✔️ Maintain proper ventilation
✔️ Install adequate lighting.
✔️ Use washable surfaces in the treatment area.
Step 2: Optimising the Physical Environment
In your workspace, certain practices and precautions must be taken into account. A dedicated handwashing sink near the procedure area fitted with hands-free operation is crucial for maintaining hygiene. A clean and functional toilet with a separate utility sink is essential. The utility cupboard must include a well-stocked and easily accessible first aid kit clearly labelled. Flooring should be chosen for easy identification and removal of sharps if accidentally dropped. It's advisable to avoid carpeted areas, but if present, using a protective mat is acceptable.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Provide a dedicated handwashing sink.
✔️ Use hands-free hygiene taps at hand basins.
✔️ Ensure cold and hot water availability.
✔️ Studio with clean toilet and separate utility sink.
✔️ Maintain a visible first aid kit
✔️ Choose flooring for easy identification of and removal of sharps.
Step 3: Practical Considerations
Each artist must have their own individual work tables, chairs, and cabinets for tools, dyes, and instruments. Artists must remove all jewellery and hair tied back before beginning any procedure. In addition to PPE, enclosed shoes should be worn. Additionally, smoking and eating should be prohibited within the workspace, including clients.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Equip artists with individual workstations.
✔️ Remove jewellery before tattooing and hair tied back.
✔️ Enclosed shoes
✔️ No smoking or eating in the studio.
✔️ Keep water bottles out of the procedure area.
Step 4: Hygiene and Equipment Management
Hygiene is paramount, with routine cleaning of surfaces to prevent the transmission of infections. After each client, any surfaces with skin contact should be thoroughly washed with a hospital-grade disinfectant. Employing single-use equipment whenever possible is recommended, and such items must be discarded immediately after use. Reusable equipment must be covered with a barrier when possible to maintain sterility.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Regular cleaning of studio facilities.
✔️ Opt for single-use equipment when possible.
✔️ Barrier-cover reusable equipment for sterility.
✔️ Wear gloves when handling sterilised equipment.
✔️ Discard single-use items immediately after use.
✔️ Promptly clean and reprocess reusable items after use.
✔️ Post-client, clean chairs, trollies, and benches with disinfectant.
✔️ All equipment, even unused, is assumed soiled after use.
Step 5: Hygiene Etiquette
Have your station set up and sterilised before the client enters the workspace and wash your hands in their presence. Handling sterilised equipment with gloves is crucial it is best practice to open sterilised equipment including needles in the presence of your client. Any opened equipment whether soiled or not must be discarded or reprocessed before use on another client after a procedure. Needles should never be tested for sharpness on the operator's skin before use.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Wash your hands in front of your client
✔️ Set up needed equipment before each client procedure.
✔️ Open needles from sterile packaging in the client's presence.
✔️ Do not test needle sharpness on the operator's skin.
Step 6: Maintaining Product Integrity
Products used during procedures, such as creams, oils, pigments, and lotions, should be dispensed into disposable containers for each client. Avoid returning leftover products to the original stock supply to prevent contamination. Use disposable spatulas, cotton tips, and gauze. and consider using pump packs for storing stock materials whenever possible.
Your Checklist:
✔️ Use disposable containers.
✔️ Never return leftover products to it’s original stock.
✔️ Consider pump packs to avoid double-dipping.
In conclusion, a meticulously designed and maintained workspace is paramount for successful and safe skin penetration procedures. By adhering to these guidelines and prioritising cleanliness and safety, you ensure the well-being of both your clients and your team while upholding professional standards.
Disclaimer: if you are a PMU artist designing your premises, renovating, or moving into an existing salon space, it is important to seek guidance from your local council's environmental health section. They will be able to provide you with important information regarding regulations and guidelines that must be followed to ensure you meet additional local-specific guidelines. While we provide information and guidance in this course, it is not a substitute for professional advice from your local council's environmental health section. Laws and regulations may vary depending on your location, and it is important to adhere to these regulations to avoid potential legal and safety issues.
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