Advice from a tattoo artist on what to look for when choosing where to have your tattoo done:
● It’s best to choose a tattoo artist that has a specific room set aside for tattoos rather than someone that uses a common area, where there is a much higher risk of cross contamination.
● If the tattoo artist puts his or her gloves on straight away when you walk in it’s a pretty good sign that he or she is used to being clean and sterile.
● Look around you and see if the room is clean and dust free. Check for damp smells which could mean mold. Also check to see if there are any herbicides and disinfectants around in plain view. If there are, it’s likely they’re used regularly – this is a good sign.
● Insist the needles are opened from a sealed package in front of you and only when the artist is about to start work, otherwise it’s very possible the needles aren’t sterile. In addition to this it’s a good idea to check for a sharps container (red bin with bio-hazard sticker on it) that used needles should be disposed off in to avoid the risk of disease spreading.
● Check to see if the artist wraps his or her tattoo gun as these are notoriously hard to clean and a good tattoo artist will try to make sure no blood gets on the motor.
● Check the seat you will be sitting in while getting your tattoo. Leather and pleather (synthetic leather) are good as they are easy to clean. Fabric chairs and couches are a breading ground for bacteria and should therefore be wrapped in plastic.
● Vaseline is used as a barrier between the stencil and the tattoo gun and helps to keep the stencil in place when the area is being wiped down with a cloth. A good tattoo artist will use a tongue depressor to scoop out the Vaseline he will need instead of continuously dipping his finger, which could be contaminated, into the jar.
● It’s important to note that cross contamination should be avoided at all costs. Blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV are easily transmitted in non-sterile environments. With this in mind it’s always a good idea to ask your tattoo artist if he’s had his Hepatitis B vaccination.
