Every day thousands of people get new tattoos without any problems. But getting a tattoo carries certain health risks unless your tattoo artist maintains strict hygiene standards.
Apart from the risk of AIDS or hepatitis, there are many other nasty diseases and illnesses such as tuberculosis that you could catch due to poor tattoo hygiene. And then there's a wide range of bacterial and fungal infections that could attack your new tattoo causing pain and leaving scaring.
So with that in mind, here's how to make sure that your chosen tattoo studio does everything to safeguard your health.
Tattoo Hygiene
Once you have a tattoo artist in mind, the first step is to visit their studio and take a good look at his/her working practices.
The health regulations for tattoo studios vary all around the world. Some areas have stringent hygiene regulations, while other areas have virtually no hygiene requirements, so please check.
In the US, many states and local authorities issue their own tattoo studio hygiene requirements based on EPA guidelines. It's also a good idea to check whether your state operates a system of professional licensing for tattoo artists.
1) Ask Questions
Ask them about the universal hygiene procedure that they use for every client to prevent the transmission of diseases and infections.
Do they wear disposable exam gloves when they're working?
Are they changed between every client?
Do they use new needles for every client?
Do they use disinfectant on all surfaces and tools after clearing away all the disposable items from the previous client?
What items do they throw away after every client?
How do they sterilize non-disposable equipment?
It's also important to ask any other questions that occur to you.
And don't feel bad or awkward about asking these questions. It's your health that's at stake. Always remember that the health regulations that apply to tattoo studios vary greatly around the world from stingent to non-existent, so it's your responsibility to make sure.
2) Watch Your Chosen Tattoo Artist At Work
The next stage is to watch the tattoo artist while they work. In most cases they will be happy to allow you to observe them at work.
Start by thinking about the work area in general. Is it tidy, well lit and well organized? You can tell a lot about a tattoo artist just by looking at their work area. Keep a close look out for anything that just doesn't seem right. And if you have any doubts, make your excuses and leave. Someone who works in a mess is more likely to be a messy worker.
Next, move on to consider the process of their work. Does he/she change their gloves and wash their hands between clients? Does he/she touch any unnecessary surfaces such as light switches, the telephone, computer, radio etc while wearing dirty gloves? This raises the potential for cross contamination from surfaces that may not be cleaned after every client.
Is the studio equipped with items such as plastic barriers on the various machines and power supply switches? This shows a general commitment to hygiene, reduces the risk of cross contamination and makes it much easier to clean up between treatments. An artist who employs stringent hygiene procedures is more likely to take care of your tattoo and your health.
3) The Big Day
When it comes to the day of your tattoo, make sure that you tell your artist if you have any allergies, because in rare cases it is possible to suffer an allergic reaction to the pigment in the ink.
And before your tattoo artists begins, make sure that you ask them to break open the new needles in front of you, so that you can see that they're using new needles.
If you keep these basic precautions in mind you'll eventually find an artist who can provide you with a beautiful new tattoo and keep you safe from the risks of a tattoo related infection at the same time.