PROVO — A spike in infections in Utah County is being attributed to a rise in the number of unlicensed body art shops that are run out of homes. County health officials encourage people to make sure any body art facility they frequent is licensed and inspected regularly.
Jason Garrett, who tracks infectious diseases for the Utah County Health Department, said home body-art shops can have serious sanitary problems. He said the concerns arise from tattoos, piercings and permanent cosmetic treatments that all involve penetrating the skin.
"A lot of these are done on their couch in their living room, on a bed, something that's completely unsanitary, along with no sterilization of equipment that they're using," Garrett said.
He said the department is currently treating some stubborn cases of staph infection that are taking months to heal, but they're also worried about even more dangerous infections.
"With MRSA (staph infection) and hepatitis, those are the big ones we are concerned about as far as diseases transmitted through body art. They can be life threatening," said Garrett.
A local IFA County Store also called the health department when it noticed home body artists showing up to buy supplies.
"People coming in and buying unsterilized needles to doctor cattle or livestock, and they'll buy them as piercing needles," said Garrett. "It's a huge concern."
Garrett said the licensed tattoo and body art shops that are regulated and go through safety training are complaining about the home shops that cut into their business and gives the industry a bad reputation when people get sick.
Parents have also called the department after discovering their children got a tattoo or other body artwork done without parental permission by going to a "home shop."
"We've had an influx of underage tattooing and piercings in our county," said Garrett.
The health department is asking anyone looking to get body art to make sure the facility they're going to is licensed and is regularly inspected. That can be done on its website, health.utah.gov/.
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