10-144 C.M.R. ch. 209, § 4 - BODY PIERCING PROCEDURES

A. No body piercing shall be practiced on the person of any individual who is obviously under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or chemical substances. No intoxicating beverages or chemical substances shall be consumed on the body piercing premises. This rule includes, but is not limited to, the body piercer. (Critical)

B. No body piercing shall be practiced on the person of any one who is less than 18 years of age, as verified by a driver's license, liquor ID card, military ID card, or other adequate record without the lawful consent of the minor's parents or guardians. In the event a body piercing practitioner proposes to perform services upon a person under 18 years of age, the practitioner shall be required to obtain from the person's parent(s) or guardian(s) proper identification and the same shall be noted on the record. (Critical)

C. The operator shall be 18 years of age or older. (Critical)

D. Neither the operator nor the person being pierced shall use tobacco in any form while body piercing procedure is being performed. (Critical)

E. Body Piercers shall perform only those professional services for which they are licensed.

F. The operator shall wash his or her hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap and water and hands shall be dried with individual single use towels before starting to pierce. (Critical)

G. The operator shall use single service impervious gloves on both hands before and during the piercing. (Critical)

H. The operator shall cleanse the client's skin, excluding the areas surrounding the eyes, by washing with an antiseptic solution applied with a clean single-use paper product before and after piercing the client's skin. (Critical)

I. All substances shall be dispensed from containers in a manner to prevent contamination of the unused portion. Single use tubes or containers and applicators shall be cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning method and discarded following the piercing service. (Critical)

J. Used needles shall be disposed of in a sharps container. Each establishment must register with the Department of Environmental Protection Biomedical Waste Management Rules, C.M.R. Ch. 900. (Critical)

K. The use of styptic pencils, alum blocks, or other solid or liquid styptics to check the flow of blood is prohibited. (Critical)

L. A medical history of the client shall be obtained. All clients shall be advised of possible complications from being body pierced. Anyone with a history of diabetes or severe skin infections shall be advised of possible additional complications from being body pierced. All clients shall be questioned about any history of latex allergy. (Critical)

M. Aftercare shall be administered to each client following service. Aftercare shall consist of both verbal and written instructions concerning proper care of the pierced area. Instructions shall specify:

1. Care following service

2. Possible side effects

3. Restrictions

4. Name of body piercer

5. Name of establishment

6. Contact number

(Critical)

N. All containers shall be labeled clearly of their contents. (Critical)

O. Jewelry inserted into a new piercing shall be composed of:

1. Gold (Solid 14K or 18K)

2. Surgical stainless steel (minimum of 316L or 316LVM)or

3. Platinum

4. Titanium (minimum of 6A14V), or

5. Multi Flex Plastic (MFP)

P. Jewelry shall be single-customer only, and must be individually packaged and sterilized prior to use. (Critical)

Q. Before a tool is used, each part shall be examined for burrs using a magnifier or eye loop. (Critical)

R. A new, single-use sterile needle shall be used for each customer. (Critical)

Notes

10-144 C.M.R. ch. 209, § 4