Now those looking to get a tattoo or body piercing in Boulder County have another resource. Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) has launched a new web page to help residents and industry professionals make informed decisions about body art facilities in the county that provide tattoos and piercings. The web site provides important information about body art procedures and risks; it also features public access to body art inspections of facilities in Boulder County.

"Body art is a growing industry, especially due to popular shows, such as Miami Ink, said Melissa Ellis, BCPH environmental health specialist. "But most people may not consider the health risks involved."

Body art procedures have the potential to spread diseases such as hepatitis B and HIV, and they can cause dangerous skin infections, such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). It is estimated that 30% of people under the age of 30 have some type of body art.

"Getting tattoos and piercings in unlicensed homes and not by professionals (which is called scratching) is especially dangerous," said Ellis. "Not only is it against the law, but because unlicensed facilities and practices are not monitored, the risk of contracting a skin infection like MRSA is greatly increased."

The BCPH web site provides information on past inspections for each facility, and it includes a list of questions that people should ask a body artist before getting any body art procedure.

"We want to encourage all residents who want a tattoo or piercing to visit our web site to help them choose a safe place to have their body art done, or to call us if they have specific questions. We really want to discourage people from having any of these procedures done by scratchers," said Ellis.

Currently, body art is not regulated in every county in Colorado. Boulder County Public Health is the first county in Colorado to provide body art facility inspection records on-line for public access.

For more information and to view inspections, please go to www.BoulderCountyBodyArt.org or call the BCPH Environmental Health Division at 303-441-1564.