Furnishing, equipping and stocking your salon can be challenging, especially if you’re a new artist just starting out. First, it’s not a small investment, and second, you have to pay attention that your salon is up to all the safety regulations.
So, you want to shop smart and make sure you stock up on everything that’s necessary for your day-to-day.
To help you get the hang of it, here’s a list of salon disposables – hygiene products you need so you can meet all the protocols, ensure your client’s safety, and keep your salon mess-free.
A Note Before We Start the List
If you’re reading this list, you’re probably already a PMU artist or about to become one, so you’re probably familiar with your local health and safety regulations. If you’re not, it’s time to look them up.
There are strict regulations that prescribe what your salon setup has to be like, what it must and mustn’t contain, and there are strict hygiene protocols that you have to follow in order to practice your craft safely and legally.
These differ from one jurisdiction to the next, but it’s vital you know those that apply to your location by heart and never deter from them. For once, you’ll need them to pass your health inspection.
You can find the most basic and universal guidelines on what standards your salon has to fulfill in order to pass health inspection here, but make sure to check with your local authority.
Now that’s covered, let’s get shopping!
Salon Disposables Checklist
To help you keep track of all the salon disposables you need, we’ve compiled a list, along with specific product recommendations:
Sharps Container (and a Disposal Agreement)
Not a disposable per se, but something you need to dispose of your hazardous waste safely and legally. It’s something you absolutely have to have.
You can get a sharps container online, in pharmacies, or find a subscription service in your area that will provide you with the container and come to pick it up when you fill it up.
There are also other methods of disposing of it – hospitals or similar institutions in your area might accept them.
Look up your local regulations regarding sharps container disposal.
Paper Covering for Your Workstation
Before each client, you need to cover the bed and your tray(s) with disposable paper covering, and throw it away when you’re done.
In some jurisdictions, it’s enough to just cover the part of the bed/chair where the client’s head lies; in others, you need to cover the whole bed. You need a large-sized paper covering for that.
But you also need the smaller, dental-bib-sized ones for covering your tray, and it’s a good idea to cover the client’s neck and chest with it, as accidents can happen when you’re working with pigments.
Aprons
Although there are authorities who do not prescribe what type of clothing the artist has to wear when performing a treatment, it’s also possible your jurisdiction prescribes a disposable paper apron you have to change after each client.
Gloves
An absolute must, as you’re working with blood. You should never touch your client without gloves, not even at consults.
Try to get latex-free gloves, as many people are allergic to it – you don’t want to irritate your own skin, nor your clients’.
If you wear scrubs or a sort of uniform, it’s a nice touch to match the color of your gloves to it.
Face Masks
Protective face masks protect you and your client from bouncing germs back and forth. You should never get close to a client without wearing a protective mask.
You can go with basic paper ones, or those plastic upside-down visor things, just make sure you prevent air-borne cross-contamination.
Disinfectant for Surfaces
You need a strong disinfectant to clean all the surfaces around your workstation after you’re done with each client. Make sure you wipe down anything your client may have touched before, during, or after the treatment.
Get something reliable. Tattoo artists recommend Metrex Cavicide Spray.
Alcohol Wipes
Alcohol pads are another thing you always need to have on hand, for disinfecting and cleaning anything from your clients’ skin to surfaces around your workstation mid-treatment.
Be smart about it and buy in bulk – you’ll go through them quicker than you think.
Barrier Film for Your Machine + Grip Tape
If you do machine work, your machine has to be covered with barrier film throughout every treatment. There are several ways you can go about this, but you need plastic tube films in any case.
Wrap your machine (and the cord, if there’s one) with the film. Then, you can use a heat gun to shrink the film so it fits your machine. Or, you can just tie up the loose end.
But either way, you’ll probably also need grip film to fix the plastic covering in place and give you a better, well, grip on your machine.
In Need of Supplies for the Actual Treatments?
Now that we’ve covered the universal hygienic salon disposables you need to have regardless of which PMU treatment you do, you might be wondering what products you’ll need to perform the actual treatment.
Check out this article to assemble your microblading kit, or browse the PMUHub Shop!
