Here’s a little somethin’ that we have been doing in the community!! With the efforts of the APP and my studio, Anomaly, we have started a seminar course called SafeMods for our local colleges. This course is directed mostly at the student body, and it is about safety and education in the body modification industry. We touch on all elements of the industry from employee demeanor and sterilization techniques, to proper metal grades and threading patterns. This course is mostly for the student body as a whole, however, we now realize that it is also especially helpful to the Nursing, Esthetician, and Cosmetology students as well. These particular students are going through specialized programs that deal with the skin, health, and possible cross-contamination. This seminar has helped these students a great deal in areas that I never thought would be useful in their particular areas of study. With directing our seminar toward these programs, I have received fantastic feedback. I have used it regarding other places we can go to educate further. We have just started SafeMods within the last two months and already we have given the seminar to Citrus College Cosmetology and Esthetician programs and to the student body. Our second SafeMods presentation was given to the Pasadena City College Student Health Services Nursing students! Our next date is slated in February 2005, at Azusa Pacific University in Glendora, CA. We hope to take our seminar to colleges around Los Angeles as well!! We are in the process of making a brochure for the local dermatology, dental, and medical offices around our studio to distribute regarding our seminar and proper jewelry removal techniques. We are also going to try and get into the next health fair that will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center in the near future. — Sque3z, Anomaly Body Piercing Studio 1039 E. Green St. Pasadena, CA 91106
This week we attended a Skin Conference that was organized by Vaasa Vocational Institute and the Vaasa Allergy and Asthma Association. There was a lecture about skin allergies and contact dermatitis presented by the Dermatological Unit of Vaasa Central Hospital. After that Sanna and I spoke about jewelry materials, aftercare products and tattoo inks. The dermatologist initially had a very negative attitude towards piercings and tattoos, but we probably managed to change her mind about the industry, because she came by our info booth afterwards to pick up flyers and we talked for a long time. Also the participants were interested so I think we got a lot of information out! — Katja Nurminen, Valhalla Tattoo & Piercing Pitkäkatu 51 65100 Vaasa, Finland
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