Public Health & Safety

I noticed a lot of articles online telling people how to tattoo them selfs at home and as a C.T.S. ( certified tattooing specialist ) I wanted to set some things straight.

The use of zinc oxide is not dangerous to human skin. It has been used as an effective skin protectant in many cases and can also aid in the healing of wounded or damaged skin.

Staphylococcus is everywhere including your skin. Staph infections are common and can be very serious, even deadly. Prevention is important! Don't take the body's largest organ for granted, take...

Need to remove a tick? The Centers for Disease Control recommends grasping it with tweezers and pulling from the skin in a straight-back motion. Others have suggested that putting liquid soap on a...

TB (Tuberculosis) is an infectious lung disease that spreads from person to person through the air by coughing or sneezing. A skin test for TB is needed for diagnosis. During a skin test, a small...

A splinter is a piece of wood, glass, metal, plastic or other foreign object that has become embedded under the skin. While there are times that a splinter has embedded itself so deeply that a...

While the sun is a part of our everyday life, prolonged exposure without protection can lead to harmful effects on your body. There are, however, several arguments both for and against exposure to...

Before conducting an ultrasound scan your doctor will apply a clear, water-based gel to your skin. This helps provide accurate images for several reasons.

Staph, or staphylococcus, is a common bacteria that often lives on the skin around the nose, mouth and genitals. Usually, staph doesn't cause illness on the surface of the skin, but if the...

There are over 70,000 identified species of fungus, including various types of mushrooms, molds, truffles, rusts and yeasts; some estimates of total species count (including unidentified...

Sun safety and skin safety go hand in hand. The skin is the one organ that is most exposed to the sun and receives the most damage from it over the course of a person's lifetime. For this reason,...

A viral email that contained pictures of children with burned skin was circulated in 2006 that claimed the burns were made with a Magic Eraser. This is untrue. While there were injuries associated...

It's hard to resist the golden rays of sunshine on a warm, summer day, but sunspots, wrinkles and cancer can follow your suntan in later years.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, chances are you may be no stranger to common outdoor ailments like poison ivy. While it can be overwhelming dealing with the rashes and blisters that come...

Accidents happen, and perhaps you have had the misfortune of receiving the extreme burning effects of pepper spray if it has ever misfired, or traveled along a breeze back in your direction. This...

MRSA, also known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of staph infection that usually occurs in hospitals, nursing homes or other health care settings. It generally causes...

Chemical burns can occur anywhere where substances that cause burning to the skin. According to Environmental Health and Safety Center at Oklahoma State University, chemical burns can be caused by...

Cedarwood oil is a hazardous chemical with potential to cause damage to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. When working with cedarwood oil, you should wear protective...

When treating a skin flap or abrasion, it's important to be sure the area is clean before applying any antibiotics to prevent infection. Help heal minor wounds with advice from a paramedic in this...

Exam gloves, whether latex or vinyl, serve as a second layer of skin when dealing with hazardous biological and/or chemical substances. The gloves prevent penetration of body fluids or chemicals...

Many of us may know how to treat a burn—but what about the blister that so often follows a burn? Because it’s important to treat the burn before the blister, this article will show you how to...

Fentanyl is a patch medication that is placed on the arm or upper back to supply the patient with a continual stream of pain alleviation. The medication is absorbed through the skin. Fentanyl is...

Mineral oil is an ingredient commonly found in items like baby oil, lipsticks, baby lotions, petroleum jelly and other cosmetic products. Not every ingredient found in these products is safe for...

Fentanyl patches are prescribed medication provided on a patch for moderate to severe pain. Fentanyl is a strong opioid medication that can cause overdose situations. The patch is attached to the...

The kitchen is full of ways to burn yourself. Touch a hot stove, drop the coffee pot, or stand too close to a saucepan about to boil over, and you could get a serious burn. Some kitchen burns are...

Lipids are easily absorbed into the intracellular matrix of the skin and assist in fixing the matrix and barrier of the skin. Lipids have moisture-binding properties, which reduce moisture loss...

Borax is a mild abrasive and buffering agent used in household laundry disinfection and in some cosmetics and soaps. Borax, a mineral, is mined either from deep in the earth or from surface...

Ionic water is produced from tap water through water ionization process. It is the most simplest and convenient way of adding minerals to your diets. Proper hydration is also necessary for...

Sodium laureth sulfate is a chemical with the molecular formula C12H25NaO4S. It is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate, which is the sulfate of lauryl alcohol. It is an organic sulfate salt.

Boric acid, also known as boracic acid, is a water-soluble chemical compound. It has been used as a mild acid since the 1700s. Boric acid is harmful to humans and other animals.

When treating minor burns on the skin, use ice, cool water or a cold pack to cool down the affected area. Understand the different burn degrees of severity with helpful information from a public...

Ciplox, also known as Ciprofloxacin and Cipro, is a prescription drug used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It may also be used to prevent or slow anthrax after exposure, according to...

Mineral oil is very common in household products. It is consumed every day in ointments, medicines and even our food. However, recent research by health professionals has raised questions...

Natural sunlight contains two types of ultraviolet light: UVA and UVB. Tanning beds contain both as well, but the UVA radiation in a tanning bed emits 93 percent to 99 percent more of it than...

People often visit a solarium, or tanning bed, to get a quicker tan, especially those in less sunny regions. A solarium emits the same ultraviolet (UV) light that causes tanning, but much more of...

Ultraviolet light, UV for short, is an often ignored part of the light spectrum, mostly because it is invisible to the naked eye. The short-term dangers of UV exposure are usually fairly minor and...

MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or drug-resistant bacterial staph infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MRSA is highly contagious and...

We are all exposed to sun rays, either natural or artificial, during our life. Both artificial and natural sun rays are comprised of either long-wave ultraviolet A or ultraviolet B rays. When it...

Benzethonium chloride is a manufactured chemical used in detergents, deodorants, astringents, topical antiseptics, cold sterilization techniques and spermicides. When handled carefully to avoid...

When a person smokes a cigarette, he is inhaling over 4,000 dangerous chemicals, reports the American Lung Association. These chemicals include acetone, ammonia, nicotine, formaldehyde, cyanide...

Sunburns, skin cancer and wrinkles are just some of the effects that result from overexposure to the sun. In order to avoid sun damage, you need to follow precautions that are mostly simple and...

Staphylococcus Aureus (S. aureus) is a common microbe found on the human body. It is usually spread by skin-to-skin contact, and most commonly causes skin eruptions such as boils and styes that...

Learning to properly take care of your body is one of the most important skills you will ever learn. Certain parts of the body require special attention or techniques to keep them healthy and...

Gangrene is discoloration and death of the body's tissue as a result of a lack of blood being supplied to it. Gangrene can be caused by a bacterial infection or a sudden stop of blood flow caused...

Pulmonary tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection of the lungs that can spread to other areas of the body. Although most cases of TB can be treated with antibiotics, early diagnosis is...

It's really no secret that smoking is bad for your lungs, but did you know it can wreak havoc on just about every other part of your body? Your skin and teeth can suffer greatly from the effects...

Glycerin is a clear natural syrup-like liquid present in plants, animals and humans. The liquid is also called glycerol; it is used as a solvent and to attract moisture in many household, personal...

Burns may be caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, sunlight or electricity, and the damage done by these burns is classified into three categories. First-, second- and third-degree burns all...

Levulan, sold under the full brand name Levulan Kerastick, is a drug used to treat unwanted lesions of the skin or warty overgrowths. It is used in combination with light treatment. Use of this...

Suntan lotion is designed to protect our skin from the sun's harmful UV rays. However, many people don't realize the dangers associated with this common household skin product. Risks include...