Fourth and last in our series on special procedures and infection control, Dr Matt Lodder, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at the University of Essex and a historian of body piercing and tattooing, discusses the need for regulation in the industry in this vlog. 

Dr Lodder stresses that most tattoo artists and body piercers are, and have always been, using best practice infection prevention but acknowledges the need for regulation to bring all practitioners up to the same standard.

Touching upon the history of body modification, Dr Lodder talks about how to bridge the gap between subcultural practice and the industry. 

The RSPH report Skins and Needles investigates the infection control risks of special procedures and highlights the need for additional procedures, such as dermal fillers, to be added into legislation.