Needle Membranes
Jul 25, 2022
Have you heard of a needle membrane? If your needles don’t have them you may be exposing your clients to cross contamination.
I had an urge to write this podcast recently after speaking with some new students on the best machines to buy any why it’s important to invest your money in quality equipment.
When you first start out, it is important to do your research about where you can invest your money that will give you biggest “bang for buck”. So my best advice is to look for a machine that will take a universal cartridge (more on this in a second).
First I want you to take a look at the machine below. It’s pretty, looks lightweight and appears to be battery powered, so why wouldn’t you want to purchase this machine?
The first clue should be the price. This machine can be purchased for $80-$170. The minimum I would spend on a machine that will last the distance for any new artists is $350 - $800.
The second clue should be the needles that the machines use. The ones you need in your machine need to contain a membrane (important to ask your wholesaler if you can’t find the relevant information).
So what is a membrane?
A membrane is a thin rubber barrier at the base of the needle stem that stops any liquid or ‘backflow’ as we call it from entering the motor of your machine when performing a treatment.
To test for a needle membrane, the easiest way is the open a needle, fill the cartridge with water and push on the stem to test if any water comes out.
The video below will show you exactly how to do this (I recommend doing this test every time you try a new brand of needles):
My final word of advice is this.
Don’t buy a machine that has ‘Unique’ needles. This stops you from shopping around for a better price and often these needles are REALLY expensive (I’m talking $25-$35 a needle).
When purchasing a machine, look for one that takes a universal cartridge. These machines can use a variety of different brands making it more cost effective.
My recommendation for a good machine when starting out is a dragonhawk mast tour wireless. Like the name suggests, it’s cordless, super lightweight, it comes in pink or black (who doesn’t love pink) and it takes universal cartidges.
Just make sure you do your research when getting a new machine or before using any new needle types on your clients. Remember our biggest risk we try and manage is cross contamination and the safety of our clients.
Much Love,
Beck
Never stop learning 💕
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