Very high requirements are placed on the arrangement of a workplace for tattoo and permanent makeup artists. One of the key requirements is sanitary and hygienic safety, which protects both the artist and clients from the risk of infection.
Disposable gloves are an essential attribute without which it is simply impossible to meet these requirements. They create a reliable barrier between the skin of the artist’s hands and the client’s biological materials, ensuring microbiological safety for the specialist. Replacing a used pair with a new one protects each next client from infections that may have been present in the previous one.
All of this is basic information known to every professional in the tattoo industry. However, the history of such gloves and the details of choosing them correctly may be interesting even to the most experienced specialists.
The history of using gloves in medicine
Gloves as an element of clothing — in one form or another — have existed for as long as human civilization itself. However, as a protective medical accessory, they were first mentioned in chronicles from the second half of the 18th century. They were used exclusively in obstetric practice and were made from very finely processed sheepskin.
All such gloves could do was protect the doctor’s hands from abrasions and cuts, but they had no real sanitary or hygienic value. Porous leather would eventually absorb biological fluids, and microorganisms contained in them could freely “travel” from one woman in labor to another.
Time passed, and by the end of the 19th century, the medical community was already actively discussing the importance of asepsis and antisepsis. Microbiology was not yet developed enough to convince doctors of the presence of bacteria on their hands. But empirical evidence had already shown that even ordinary handwashing significantly reduced the frequency of postoperative complications. And when hands and instruments were treated with disinfectant solutions, such complications became extremely rare.
At this point, the famous Cherchez la femme — “Look for the woman” — appears on the scene. A nurse at Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore complained to her direct supervisor, surgeon William Halsted, that mercury chloride and carbolic acid caused inflammation and cracking of the skin on her hands. Halsted, being a strong supporter of the advanced concept of asepsis and antisepsis, did not consider this a reason to stop washing hands in these aggressive solutions. However, he still helped the nurse — he ordered her a pair of thin rubber gloves. This “new item” turned out to be so comfortable and protected the hands so well that within a few months Halsted ordered the same gloves for the entire hospital staff.
They were not yet disposable — producing one pair was too expensive. But they already fulfilled their purpose: they prevented fluids, and infections as well, from coming into contact with the skin of doctors’ and medical staff’s hands. Truly disposable latex gloves appeared on the market in 1964, when industrial rubber production began and the Australian company Ansell Ltd launched the production of affordable gloves and condoms. The further evolution of gloves was not as impressive and mainly came down to improving existing models. For example, powdering with starch, talc, or lycopodium proved to have negative effects, as these substances became a breeding ground for bacteria or interfered with wound healing when they got into wounds. This led to the development of powder-free gloves.
The universal size also began to be produced less often and was replaced by gloves that could be selected precisely according to one’s hand size. The latest “technical” innovation was the use of latex alternatives — nitrile, neoprene, vinyl, and others. These materials are not allergens and can be used by specialists with latex allergies and/or when working with clients or patients who are sensitive to this substance.
Modern disposable gloves and their use
Today, disposable medical gloves are used in almost all areas of medicine and far beyond it. It is impossible to imagine the work of a cosmetologist, tattoo artist, permanent makeup artist, nail technician, and many other beauty specialists without them. Modern products have come a long way from their predecessors and are distinguished by high elasticity combined with durability: properly selected gloves do not restrict movement and are almost not felt on the hand.
At the same time, they effectively protect both specialists and clients from possible infection. Combined with other barrier protection products and disinfectants, they make a permanent makeup studio, manicure room, cosmetology office, and similar spaces among the cleanest places in terms of microbiological safety.
Choosing gloves: what to pay attention to
The advantages of disposable gloves are obvious, but in order for these accessories to fully demonstrate them, it is important to make the right choice.
Material composition of gloves
The choice is quite wide — vinyl, nitrile, neoprene, latex, and their combinations. All of them have approximately similar physical characteristics, but there are some features worth considering in advance.
- Vinyl. Gloves made from this material are the most budget-friendly, but they are not particularly resistant to mechanical damage — punctures, tears, and so on. Vinyl gloves are recommended as protective gloves mainly when working with mineral or synthetic substances, such as disinfectants, pigments, oils, and similar products, outside the actual permanent makeup procedure. This is because vinyl is permeable to proteins, including blood proteins, and many pathogens. Therefore, it can provide chemical protection for the skin of the hands, but not microbiological protection.
- Natural latex. Such gloves are very elastic, resistant to damage, and fit the hands comfortably. However, they contain highly allergenic proteins, so before starting work, it is necessary to clarify whether the client is allergic to latex. Another option is to choose natural latex gloves made using modern technologies. They contain less than 50 μg/g of proteins, while gloves produced with the latest technologies can be completely purified from proteins.
- Nitrile latex. Nitrile latex gloves are hypoallergenic and impermeable to most substances used by a permanent makeup artist — biological materials, microorganisms, alcohol, disinfectants, and others. However, their high level of impermeability can cause dermatitis during long-term continuous wear, as skin ventilation is disrupted.
The most expensive gloves are double-layered ones, in which the outer and inner layers are made of different materials. However, their use in permanent makeup, depilation, and similar procedures is hardly justified, since ordinary disposable nitrile or latex gloves fully perform their protective functions without excessively increasing the cost of the procedure.
Shape
Today, the most popular option is the universal shape of disposable gloves, where there is no difference between the glove for the left and right hand. This is truly convenient and practical: the specialist does not have to choose every time which glove is for which hand. During a procedure, it is possible to remove a damaged glove, take any new glove from a package of 100 disposable gloves without looking, and simply put it on knowing that it will fit either hand.
Cuff and glove length
The total length of the glove varies mainly due to the cuff length, because the fingers and palm area are close to standard sizes and differ only slightly. For a nail technician, permanent makeup artist, cosmetologist, and similar specialists, a length of 220-260 mm is sufficient. Choosing a shorter length is undesirable because the cuff may constantly roll back toward the base of the palm and interfere with work. Longer gloves are simply unnecessary, as beauty industry procedures do not require additional forearm protection.
Tactile sensitivity
This is a very important criterion that can directly affect the result of permanent makeup. Latex and nitrile have the highest indicators in this regard — their thin and elastic surface perfectly “transmits” both tactile and kinesthetic sensations. The thickness of the material is very important. The optimal parameters are 0.08-0.15 mm in the finger area. With such thickness, high sensitivity of skin receptors is preserved and, accordingly, the artist’s movements remain highly precise.
AQL — quality level
To understand the importance of this unclear abbreviation, it is worth starting with the features of glove production. Today, gloves are manufactured using conveyor methods and in such huge quantities that it is impossible to control the quality of every single pair.
That is why the AQL standard was introduced — Acceptable Quality Level, meaning the percentage of defective products in one batch. In other words, if the packaging indicates AQL 2.5, this means that in a specific batch the number of defective gloves does not exceed 2.5% of the total quantity.
The European standard is quite strict: the optimal AQL should be 1.5 or lower. This applies only to examination gloves, not surgical gloves — for the latter, the standards are much higher.
Presence of powder
Since a permanent makeup artist does not work with open wounds in the same way a surgeon does, the presence of powder is not of such great importance. However, it is worth remembering that this coating is nothing more than a feature of glove production technology — and a rather outdated one — where talc, starch, and other substances prevent the inner surfaces from sticking together during production and storage. Modern technologies have made it possible to completely eliminate this stage, and under proper storage conditions, powder-free gloves do not stick together.
Many specialists prefer powdered models, claiming that they feel more pleasant to the touch and are easier to put on even with damp hands. However, when using such gloves, it is necessary to pay close attention to hygiene. This is because powder can accumulate dead skin cells, bacterial colonies, pathogenic fungi, and other contaminants.
Relief and texture
A completely smooth glove surface is not always an advantage. This is especially true during long procedures and when working with liquid substances, such as antiseptics or sugaring compounds, when hand grip becomes weaker. In such situations, textured gloves are the optimal choice. Depending on the model, they may have a relief surface on the fingertips and/or palm area. This does not reduce tactile sensitivity but significantly increases the precision of all manipulations performed by the specialist.
Size
Today, the standard size range for examination gloves is XS — Extra Small, S — Small, M — Medium, L — Large, XL — Extra Large. Before choosing a size, determine your own. It is measured by the circumference of the palm at its widest part:
- less than 17 cm — XS;
- 17-19 cm — S;
- 19-22 cm — M;
- 22-25 cm — L;
- more than 25 cm — XL.
Buying disposable gloves in a smaller size for a tighter fit or larger ones in the hope of more comfortable work is a bad idea. When the size is chosen correctly, the gloves will fit the hand closely enough, will not restrict movement, and will not slip.
Manufacturer
Disposable gloves are medical consumables, and their purpose is extremely simple: to protect nurses, doctors, cosmetologists, permanent makeup artists, and other specialists from infections as reliably as possible.
That is why gloves are subject to strict quality standards, including tensile strength, permeability to various substances, ability or inability to accumulate static electricity, and many other criteria. Well-known brands such as Medtouch, AMPRI, and others strictly follow key requirements, so you can be confident in your safety and the client’s safety when working with such gloves.
The same cannot be said about short-lived companies or unknown brands. Externally, such gloves may look no different from high-quality ones, but they may fail to provide chemical or microbiological protection. Therefore, it is important to focus on the manufacturer’s reputation and choose truly high-quality and proven consumables.
Glove color
The choice of this parameter is entirely up to you. For some specialists, it is important that everything in the salon or studio looks as professional and strict as possible — classic white, black, or blue models will suit them. Others, on the contrary, want to “brighten up” the workspace and add color to it — for them, manufacturers offer a huge selection of bright, colorful gloves. All of them are produced according to quality standards, so there is no need to worry that “less serious” raspberry or yellow gloves will be of lower quality than “solid” black ones.
Let color become another factor that increases comfort in your art of permanent makeup — even if it is only visual comfort. For its part, the a4pmu online store wishes you comfortable and safe work and makes every effort to ensure that you can always order and buy the tools or consumables you need.