NM Permanent Cosmetic Tattooer flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Spaulding classification

Three-tier scheme: critical items such as needles and needle bars enter tissue and need sterilization; semicritical items contact intact skin and need high-level disinfection; noncritical items need low-level disinfection.

Bloodborne pathogens standard

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires a written exposure control plan reviewed annually, free hepatitis B vaccine within 10 working days, PPE at no cost, training at assignment and yearly, and post-exposure follow-up.

Geobacillus stearothermophilus

Thermophilic spore used as the biological indicator for steam and chemical vapor sterilizers; a failed weekly spore test quarantines every load back to the last passing test.

Sharps container fill limit

Puncture-resistant, leak-proof, labeled sharps containers are replaced when three-quarters full; needles are single use and are never recapped by hand.

Hand hygiene before gloving

Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before donning gloves and after removing them; alcohol rub is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.

High-level disinfection

Destroys all microorganisms except high numbers of bacterial spores; used for semicritical items such as trays and skin-contact tools, achieved with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant at the label contact time.

Autoclave 121 °C cycle

Gravity-displacement steam sterilization runs 121 °C (250 °F) at 15 psi for 30 minutes; prevacuum cycles at 132–134 °C run 3–4 minutes wrapped or about 15 minutes unwrapped.

Exposure incident reporting

Flush splashes with water, wash needlesticks with soap and water, report immediately for confidential medical evaluation, and record the device type and circumstances in the sharps injury log.

Papillary dermis target

Loose connective tissue just below the epidermis containing capillaries; pigment implanted here at roughly 0.5–1.0 mm stays crisp, while reticular dermis placement blurs and migrates.

Epidermal turnover time

Keratinocytes migrate from the stratum basale to the stratum corneum in about 28 days; visible flaking after permanent makeup usually appears between days 3 and 7.

Inflammation phase

Days 1–3 after injury: vasodilation, neutrophils then macrophages, and plasma and lymphatic fluid at the site; excessive trauma prolongs this phase and increases pigment loss.

Lips lack skin appendages

Vermilion has no hair follicles, sweat glands, or sebaceous glands, a thin stratum corneum, and rich vasculature, so it bleeds and swells more but re-epithelializes faster than eyebrow skin.

Isotretinoin deferral

Defer permanent makeup for at least 6 months after the last isotretinoin dose because the drug thins skin, impairs healing, and raises scarring risk.

Absolute contraindications

Keloid formation at the site, documented pigment, lidocaine, or latex allergy, active infection or herpes outbreak at the site, impaired decision capacity, and elective deferral during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Informed consent elements

Documented discussion of the procedure, alternatives, risks such as infection, allergy, scarring, migration, and asymmetry, no guaranteed result, aftercare duties, photography use, fees, and the right to stop.

Patch test timing

Pigment and topical anesthetic applied 24–48 hours before the appointment; a negative result lowers but does not eliminate the risk of delayed hypersensitivity.

Mole in treatment area

Never tattoo over an undiagnosed or changing mole; refer for dermatologic evaluation because implanted pigment can obscure melanoma and the ABCDE warning signs.

Complementary color correction

Red cancels green, orange cancels blue, and yellow cancels purple; a corrector is added in a small ratio before the target color to neutralize an unwanted undertone.

Iron oxide laser darkening

Iron oxide pigment can turn paradoxically darker or black under Q-switched laser because the oxide reduces; disclose this risk before any laser removal session.

Healed color shift

Freshly implanted pigment looks 30–50% darker and sharper than the healed result; final color is judged 4–8 weeks later, after flaking and epidermal repair are complete.

Warm modifier on dark skin

On Fitzpatrick IV–VI, cool pigments can heal ashy or grey against higher melanin; adding a warm modifier helps the healed color read true.

Fitzpatrick IV–VI pigment risk

Higher melanocyte activity raises post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and keloid risk; use conservative passes, warmer pigment bases, and longer healing intervals between sessions.

Needle taper and configuration

Configuration such as 1RL, 3RL, 5RL, 3F, or magnum sets line width and pigment delivery; taper sets penetration and sharpness. Round liners suit strokes, flats and magnums suit shading.

Brow mapping landmarks

Brow starts above the alar crease, the arch aligns with the lateral limbus, and the tail ends on the alar-to-outer-canthus line; confirm symmetry with the client seated and eyes open.

No stretch, no line

Skin must be taut with a two-finger stretch before needle contact; unstretched skin deflects the needle, causing uneven depth, double lines, and unnecessary trauma.

Eyeliner safety margin

With the eye closed, pigment goes at the base of the lashes, staying 1–2 mm from the ocular mucosa and avoiding the inner canthus and any waterline placement prohibited by state rule.

Touch-up interval

Schedule touch-ups after full epidermal healing: brows 4–8 weeks, lips 4–6 weeks, eyeliner 6–8 weeks; earlier rework over-works tissue and increases scarring.

Aftercare first 7 days

Wash twice daily with fragrance-free cleanser, apply a thin ointment layer for 3–5 days, never pick flaking, and avoid makeup, swimming, sauna, and direct sun for 7–14 days.

Sharps injury log retention

OSHA requires the sharps injury log to be kept 5 years and bloodborne pathogen training records 3 years after the training date.

Exposure medical record retention

Employee medical records under the bloodborne pathogens standard are kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years, confidential and stored separately from personnel files.

Client record contents

Consent, health history, contraindication screen, pigment brand and lot, needle lot, mapping, before and after photographs, procedure notes, aftercare given, and touch-up documentation.

Hepatitis B vaccine offer

Employers must offer hepatitis B vaccination free within 10 working days of initial assignment and keep a signed declination form if the employee refuses.