How is an Autoclave Used for Sterilizing in Piercing

A pair of forceps and hemostats before bagging in a sterile pouch.

If you want to get a body piercing, you will need a clean environment that provides and promotes safety during the procedure. A professional piercer with an educational background in anatomy and certification from a blood borne pathogens course understands the need for aseptic techniques. The safest way to receive a body piercing is to research the piercing shop and piercer before you sign paperwork and take a tour of the shop.

Types

The two types of autoclaves used in body piercing shops are front loading and cassette loading for sterilizing tools, needles and supplies. The cassette loading style is more expensive than the front loading and finishes a cycle in nine minutes or less. The front loading cycles consist of 45 minutes and require sterile pouches for the content of the load.

Function

An autoclave sterilizes needles, disposables such as gauze, and instruments for piercing shops. Autoclaves use a combination of steam, heat and pressure to eradicate spores from instruments and supplies. Body piercers sterilize supplies in the autoclave before any of the items come into contact with a client. If performing a piercing immediately after the cycle, a cassette loading autoclave is the most convenient option for a piercer. The piercer loads the instruments and moves the sterilized instruments directly to their set up. A front loading autoclave provides sterilized instruments that allow for storage for future use. Front loading autoclaves are best for piercers in a high volume shop because this allows the piercer to sterilize supplies in bulk and ahead of time, decreasing the wait time for clients.

Disposables

Piercers dispose of most of the equipment and supplies used during a piercing procedure. Disposables, such as gauze and needles, are sterilized in an autoclave prior to the procedure and then discarded into a container specifically for biohazard materials, or in the case of needles, in a sharps container. When needles or other disposables are shipped, the sterility of the object can be compromised if the packages are broken or the object is handled by uncovered hands. A piercing shop sterilizes the supplies in the autoclave upon receiving the package.

Tools

Forceps, hemostats and receiving tubes are examples of equipment that must be sterilized for repeated use. After a piercing procedure, these instruments are scrubbed at a bio sink, run in an ultrasonic and then dried. Before being placed in an autoclave for sterilization, the equipment is packaged in sterile pouches. Even if the equipment is brand new, it is still sterilized in the piercing shop's autoclave before use. The jewelry for the piercing is sterilized before the procedure and leaves with the client in the piercing.

Misconceptions

A misconception about autoclaves is that any instrument run through the autoclave is rendered sterile. If a sterile pouch is handled without gloved hands while being removed from the autoclave, the oils and bacteria from dirty hands will compromise the pouch. If the autoclave is not spore tested on a weekly or monthly basis, it is possible the autoclave is not functioning properly and the cycles are not sterilizing instruments.

Resources

• Global Autoclave: Autoclave FAQ
• Sterilizers: Technical Troubleshooting Forum
• Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Piercing Information