As the owner of a professional tattoo website, I believe that no one wants to be in any danger when getting a tattoo. Many people worldwide can now open a tattoo shop and offer operations without formal training in tattooing or hygiene control. Because studios are often only examined after registration, a tattooist who may have worked under excellent rules 20 or 30 years ago may now be unwittingly out of date and engaging in harmful procedures. So, if you want to know what is safe, keep reading.

The primary idea here is to keep an eye out for cross-contamination. This is when blood and plasma from one individual may come into touch with blood and plasma from another. This is critical in tattooing because not only will this blood or plasma touch your tattoo (an open wound), but it may also be hammered into that open wound with the tattoo needle.

But don’t worry, cross-contamination is easy to detect and avoid. When connecting with a tattoo artist, there are a few simple things you can look out for as a client.

1. How do tattoo artists clean their hands?

While your tattooist is tattooing you, they should not touch anything that is not disposable or covered with a disposable film. This means no coffee cups, ink bottles, phones, or iPads without a disposable plastic cover. If they are doing this with you, they have most likely done it with the previous client, which means that your open tattoo may come into contact with blood or plasma left on that mobile phone of the prior client – and, of course, all their clients before that!

Your tattoo artist and anybody else assisting with cleaning and setting up the station should use fresh disposable gloves and avoid contaminating them by touching obscene materials while working. For example, if your artist goes to the toilet, takes out the garbage, or does something else while working on you, they should remove their gloves and replace them when they return.

The artist should wear gloves and use a disposable instrument to take the vaseline out of the container and apply it to the body before getting tattooed. 

2. Is the tattoo machine wrapped after disinfection?

Tattoo machines cannot sterilize or clean themselves, so your only option to prevent cross-contamination is to cover them with disposable bags or covers. And it can be changed for each customer. This is important because all tattoo artists touch their equipment while tattooing, which means you may be exposed to other people’s blood and plasma. The same goes for the wire that connects the machine to the power pack; it should be protected too, and so should the power pack!

3. Did the tattoo artist wear a leather apron?

Isn’t a leather apron stylish? Even better, the tattoo artists’ monikers are printed on the front. Unfortunately, any apron that is not disposable or washed at high temperatures risks cross-contamination between customers. Of course, not wearing an apron is a concern, but the tattoo artist is at greater risk than you – excellent 5-star hygiene necessitates disposable aprons that are replaced with each client.

4.Disposables and autoclaves

The tattoo shop you pick should ensure that all its instruments are clean and sanitary. But how can we keep this standard? Many establishments these days employ disposable medical-grade replicas of everything from customer to client. Individually wrapped and sterilized medical-grade needles and tubing are used. Ink caps (the small cups used by tattoo artists to hold ink) should also be disposable rather than reusable.

Autoclaves are also often used to disinfect non-disposable equipment in tattoo parlors. They do this by exposing the gadget to high enough heat to destroy any spores or germs. Some tattoo parlors may employ improvised autoclaves, such as pressure cookers and ovens. This is undesirable since only an autoclave can achieve and maintain the required sterilizing conditions. Any other temporary device poses a significant risk.

Autoclaves should also be tested regularly to ensure they are clean and working properly. Be aware that your artist or artist’s assistant is using fresh disposable or sterilized equipment when setting up the site.

5. Request a tour of the workplace.

Your tattoo artist should be delighted to show you around their studio and answer any questions you have regarding the equipment (unless they are already working with someone). When you come in for your appointment, make sure to get a tour of the facility and ask all of the pertinent questions for your safety and comfort.

6. Disinfect and shave

Before getting a tattoo, have your tattoo artist shave and clean the area of the skin that will be tattooed. This is very important to ensure that the tattoo does not become infected while it heals.

7. Neat

The workspace of a tattoo artist should be maintained clean and neat. Unneeded objects on their desks just contribute to pollution. The only objects on the work surface should be tattoo-related. These should be disinfected before being wrapped and taped in a bag.

8. Safe Needle Disposal

Sharps containers should be prominently labeled in all tattoo parlors for the safe disposal of used needles.

Conclusion

Finally. Cleaning station employees should use a medical-grade disinfectant spray to spray and wipe clean all items in the work area. Snags and sacks adhered to spray bottles, for example, should be removed and discarded. Single-use goods should be discarded, and used needles should be disposed of in a sharps receptacle. These are some of the things you should look for while cleaning up after a customer.

This is by no means a complete post, but it is a good starting point for ensuring the finest cleaning standards at the businesses you frequent.