Tattoo Studio

Tattoo Studio

Look for the following items. If you don’t see them, ask the artist about them. If the artist tells you they are unnecessary or “overkill,” leave immediately and go look for another studio. Your health is more important than the risk of using a tattoo artist that is less than totally dedicated to the safest practices in his or her studio.

1. Autoclave - an autoclave is used in hospitals to sterilize equipment. It uses heat, steam, and pressure to kill every organism on the equipment. It usually takes about an hour for an autoclave to run a cycle from a cold start to effectively kill all organisms. You can even ask to see the autoclave and sterilization certificate. The tattoo artist should first clean the equipment and then place it in a special pouch before placing it in the autoclave. There is a strip on the outside of the pouch that indicates when the equipment is sterile. The needle bar and tube are reusable pieces of equipment that must be sterilized before each use.

2. Single Use Items

Single use items should be used only once so that the chances of cross contamination are eliminated. The single use items include:

Most of these items are purchased in sterile packaging that should be opened in front of you just before the artist begins work.

Tattoo Studio

3. Sharps/Biohazard Container

Used needles and objects that have come into contact with blood or bodily fluids should be disposed of in a sharps/biohazard container.

4. A universal container for any ointment, ink, water, etc. should not be used especially if any of these items have been removed from the container to be used on a client.

5. Some studios are required by law to have a sink in the work area supplied with both hot and cold water. Even if it isn’t required by law in your area, it only makes sense to have one for the cleanliness of the studio.