What do you do if a person wants you to paint a child who is obviously sick/infectious?

I just did a festival this weekend and a mom brought her two kids to me for glitter tattoos. One child obviously had a very bad cold or flu complete with a very runny nose. I offered the mom some Kleenex and discreetly wiped the child's hands with a liberal amount of alcohol. After they left I swapped out all of my towels and brushes and thoroughly washed my hands .
Has anyone ever had this experience? Was there a better way to handle this without embarrassing the child or allowing my products to be possibly contaminated.

Face painting is different than glitter tattoos (in my opinion). I think glitter tattoos are a good alternative to face painting if a kid has a runny nose. I use individually wrapped alcohol wipes. It's probably a little more expensive, and I have more "mess" to clean as I open them and discard the little square wrapping, but it keeps it sanitary. The area of the skin has now been completely sanitized. Then, I poof on my glitter, brush the glitter in and kabuki brush off the excess. Don't really see a concern for germs there or any reason to switch out tools. you wiped the childs' hands with alcohol? Why is that? Were you putting the tattoo on the top of their hand?

Yes- I was applying the tattoo to the back of their hand and the child was obviously wiping their nose with their hands and sleeves.

I use those little squares too. I don't poof, I apply glitter with brushes. That's why I swapped the set out. I thought better safe than sorry regarding flu virus.

I did tattoos on Monday for a school event. I also use the alcohol wipes, to wipe the area where the tattoo is going; but I also dip my brushes in alcohol between each child. It's just a sanitary thing that I like to do, and the parents were happy that I did it. You can try that next time with the brushes so you don't have to take the time the swap the brushes, especially if you have a long line.

Also do you have a disclaimer on your table stating that you(the artist) has the right to turn the child away if they show any signs of illness?

Glitter tattoos are different to me. I use a pump bottle, but I toss the cotton after it touches the skin, I toss the stencil, I poof the glittler. I use hand sanatizer like crazy. The only issue I can think of would be the glue, and I have my refill glue, I can pore a little glue out and use a qtip to put the glue on the skin and toss that too.

I won't paint sick kids, my kit is worth too much and I care about the next kid in line. I do everything I can to keep it clean, and one think I know I can do is to make sure my hands are clean, and every face is clean (every kid gets a wipe down first) and every kid (as best as I can tell) is well. I know a lot of painters don't do that, but it makes me comfortable, so I do.

At Kidvention this weekend, a lot of people saw my brushes and commented about how clean they were...don't get me wrong, I am no neat freak, but I am kind of fussy about keeping my brushes and kit clean. What I can't see bothers me, but if I can see something on my kit...then there HAS to be somethink I can't see too...just my thought.

You can always send a child to the rest room to wash if that is needed (if that is possible) I think that parents will understand, especially if you say that you just cannot afford to catch their cold, with all the children you touch day in and day out, just ask if they would they mind taking them to the rest room get their hands washed up first, then tell the child you will give them an extra special color on the tattoo when they are done.

What is with me and the K and g on the word thing (k)? Duh!

After working last winter in a ski town with lots of cold and flu I've actually just had a new sign printed up for the front of the stall that says I will not paint sick or infectious children or children with open cuts and sores. I have sent people away politely before - I had one poor child with open sore excsma on her face and a terrible cold and the poor thing looked miserable when i explained to her mum that I couldn't paint her, but sad or no but still I'm not painting her. I've just started doing glitter so Dunno about that - the alcohol would sterlilize skin etc although flu is viral so it needs something a bit stronger to kill it maybe? I guess but its more the airborne germs getting breathed into your face and floating around your stall...

I refuse to paint sick/infected/parasitic (such as having lice) kids and I have a sign that explains just that. If I have a really insistent parent I just point to the sign and say "It's a health issue." And I'll henerally ignore them if they try to give me anymore problems after that. Most parents really appreciate painters looking out for the health of their child.

Personally, I just don't paint them. At the park, some of us use one qrt of a sponge. Load it once only, apply paint, use an extra brush to do line work. Throw sponge away and sanitize the crap out if it.

Glitter tattoo on the back of the hand? Hmmm...I think I would use alcohol and hand sanitizer on us both prior to doing anything else. Then carry on while being sure he/she doesn't wipe his nose with the hand I'm working on again. Correct me "the newb" if I 'm wrong guys.

Mika, LOVE your new avitar! So cute!

Thank you all for your many good suggestions. It looks like a new sign is in my future. By the way I do clean my small glitter brushes with alcohol after every use. I use inexpensive ones I get at Michael's for $1.99 for 12. I have about 24 and I just rotate them. One or two I'm using, the few I just used in the alcohol and the ones I just removed from the alcohol that I let dry out before use again.
I found it quickest to use these little camel hair brushes and rotate them than to have to keep cleaning them. That way when I have a break I can clean up the ones that have been sitting in the alcohol.

a face painting mom wrote:Mika, LOVE your new avitar! So cute!

Awww! Thank you soo much!

I have a good excuse for not painting infectious kids. I have RA and it compromises my immune system. If the painter gets sick nobody gets painted. "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of one." To quote Mr. Spock.

HillbillyDiva1 wrote:I have a good excuse for not painting infectious kids. I have RA and it compromises my immune system. If the painter gets sick nobody gets painted. "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of one." To quote Mr. Spock.

That is very logical.

I ♥ Star Trek.