Tattoo Hygiene Practices
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When it comes to tattoo, the most important thing that one should consider is Tattoo Hygiene. Of course, a tattoo is not just about a design and getting inked.
It is in fact more than that and everyone who goes for a tattoo should understand this very simple but very important point. And that’s the reason we always recommend to go to a tattoo parlor that has skilled artists, is known in the area, and the ones who practice proper hygiene as well.
Believe it or not, tattoo hygiene is a critical factor. Therefore, while selecting a tattoo studio, it is very important that you make sure that the tattoo studio follows strict standards to maintain hygiene.
Basically, it is not wise to see the cheapest place for at least your tattoo. It can really be dangerous if you do so. Because in case of tattoo it is not about the money it is about your health predominantly. Just to save few dollars putting your health and safety on stake is not at all wise.
Tattoo Hygiene Practices Followed by Tattoo Artists:
1. First things first, make sure you get your tattoo from a professional tattoo artist only. And he/she provides you sterile and safe environment and ensures safe practices to maintain high standards of hygiene.
2. See that the premises or the tattoo studio is kept in a clean and hygienic condition at all time.
3. When you will step in to the tattoo studio where you want to get your tattoo from, your tattoo artist will first clean and shave the area where you are willing to get your tattoo. Make sure the area to be tattooed is cleaned with a skin antiseptic.
4. The razor that your tattoo artist will use to shave the area should be thrown away immediately and should not be used again.
5. A tattoo artist should mandatorily wear gloves while tattooing the artwork on your body. Wearing gloves in important because there will be some bleeding during the tattoo process, while wearing gloves will provide safety to both the client and tattoo artist.
6. More often than not, professional tattoo artists use disposable needles. Using disposable needles ensures reduction in the spread of disease. Make sure that your tattoo artists opens sterile packaging just prior to starting the tattooing.
7. Reusing ink can really be dangerous, make sure your tattoo artist disposes off any additional ink that was not used on the specific client and not putting it back into the tube.
There should be no double dipping. In order to prevent cross contamination, all liquids, inks, creams, and pigments must be decanted into single use containers.
Make sure your tattoo artists use a single use applicator for each person undergoing the procedure.
8. Make sure the treatment areas such as benches are cleaned between each client or a clean covering is placed over the treatment surface.
9. A tattoo artist should not handle the sterile parts of the equipment, as it will penetrate the skin. And if handling sterile equipment is required, then a sterile insertion tube, a sterile dry swab, a pre-packed sterile alcohol swab, or sterile single use gloves should be used in place of that.
10. Make sure that all tools, needles, and accessories are kept in sterilization pouches and are opened only in front of each customer. After using needles, they should be disposed of in a sharps bin.
Tattoo Artist’s Personal Hygiene:
Besides tattoo hygiene, personal hygiene of the tattoo artists is equally important.
1. A tattoo artist must always wear a clean gown or apron along with the single use gloves during a skin penetration procedure.
2. He/she should wash his/her hands before and after attending each client, before and after the penetration procedure, after exposure to a body substance, after touching a client’s surroundings and after removing his/her gloves.
3. He/she must cover his/her cuts or wounds with a sealed waterproof bandage.
Also See: 15 Best Tattoo Artists In Delhi India
Other Requirements:
1. Your tattooist or body art practitioners must be registered with the local council.
2. The construction of the tattoo studio should meet with local council requirements.
3. Besides, the floor of the tattoo studio should be made of material that can be easily cleaned.
4. Tattoo studio must have adequate lighting and good ventilation.
5. Tattoo studio must be equipped with: a hand wash basin with a supply of clean, warm, potable water, a separate sink with a supply of clean, warm water for cleaning equipment, liquid soap or an alcohol based hand cleaner, single-use towels or an automatic hand dryer, disposable gloves, clean linen and aprons or gowns and a waste disposal bin.
6. More often than not, it is important for tattoo studios to maintain Sterilization records for 12 months that shows the time and date when each article was sterilized.
Also, it shows the length of time that the article was sterilized along with the temperature and pressure levels of the bench-top sterilizer.
Maintenance of Equipment:
1. See that the equipment used at the tattoo studio are in good working order.
2. It is important that all equipment are cleaned and dried after use and be kept in a clean and dry condition.
3. If reusable articles are sterilized on site, then it is essential that they are sterilized using a bench-top sterilizer.
4. All the equipment used in the process must be cleaned thoroughly either via scrubbing, or with the help of an instrument washer, or with ultra-sonic cleaner before processing through a bench-top sterilizer.
5. It is essential that all instruments are wrapped and packaged prior to processing through a bench-top sterilizer, so as to maintain sterility and also it permits aseptic removal of the contents of the pack at the time of use.
6. Any equipment that is difficult to clean and sterilize, must be used only once and then thrown away.
7. Needles must be single use and disposed into an appropriate sharps container.
8. Equipment that are used in a skin penetration procedure but are not used to penetrate the skin must be cleaned thoroughly and kept in a clean condition.
9. Clean towels or other types of linen must be used for covering or protection during the procedure. Towels and linen should be washed in detergent and hot water.
To pan out……
Therefore, it is always recommended to find out what type of hygiene standard a specific tattoo studio uses, before you step in the studio. Always make sure that the tattoo studio where you decide to get your tattoo design from practices the highest level of hygiene.
Getting your tattoo done by some random artists other than a professional tattoo artist is a big NO-NO. As, it can be highly unsafe for you. It is indispensable to have your tattoo done in a professional tattoo studio only, where there are sterile conditions, equipment, and professional tattoo artists who follow safe tattooing practice. Getting a tattoo from someone unprofessional can really dangerous practice that can even lead to infection.
Be safe…. Get your tattoo from a safe place only!!
Happy Tattooing!!
