Tattoo Shop
While tattoo’s may be popular, deciding you want a tattoo is a hard decision. Getting a tattoo is a lifelong commitment that is not easily reversed. Once you have set your mind to getting a tattoo it is extremely important that you get it from the right location. While you hear of people getting tattooed by their friends, this is extremely risky and even illegal in some states. There are many risks involved with getting a tattoo and you want to be sure you eliminate as many of those risks as possible. Many risks are eliminated by getting your tattoo done at a tattoo shop. They are the safest place to receive a tattoo of most shops will only hire the most qualified tattoo artists. All shops, by law, require that all tattoo artists must be licensed and follow certain healthy and safety rules, this will ensure your safety while getting a tattoo.
However, not all shops are held to the same standards. As with any business , each tattoo shop has different rules and regulations that they apply to their employees. This means that, while by law all shops have a standard of cleanliness they must follow, there are some shops that are cleaner than others. When you are dealing with so many risks you should always choose the safest option. Cleaner shops will be able to provide you with a risk free environment and they will take extreme precautions to keep their shop clean. Often times you cannot just walk into a shop to observe how high their standards of cleanliness are. Any shop can keep their floors and counters clean with ease, the cleanliness you are inquiring about is that of the tattoo process.
The best way to find out what standards a tattoo shop has for cleanliness is simply to ask. Ask the owner how often they sanitize equipment. A clean shop will sanitize everything after each tattoo, anything less is not acceptable. Ask how they sanitize equipment. They should have a machine that sanitizes and packages parts of the tattoo machine individually as well as any other necessary equipment. In sanitizing chairs and countertops, disinfecting spray and a wipe down is sufficient. While it may sound odd, you need to ask if they re-use needles. Re-using needles is not only illegal, but it is extremely dangerous. All shop owners will reply no, however it is done so proceed with caution.
If you need more help deciding if the tattoo shop is the right shop for you, you always have the right to ask to observe a sitting with another client. Most, if not all, shops should have no problem with allowing you to observe a tattoo as long as the other client agrees. While observing you should pay attention to the techniques of the artist. Did they clearly open a new needle in front of the client before tattooing? Were all pieces of equipment opened from a sealed sanitized packaging? Did the artist wear gloves at all time? Did they take precautions with plastic wrap over the pieces of equipment that may come in contact with blood? Did they make the client feel comfortable? If you cannot answer yes to all of those questions, then that is not the shop for you.
Once you have established a good tattoo shop to do your tattoo, you must establish an artist within the shop. This can sometimes be difficult because all artists have different strong points and weaknesses. You should look at each artists portfolio for a better understanding of their style. You should choose the artist whose style is closest to the style of the tattoo you have chosen. This will assure that your tattoo turns out precisely the way you want it. You should also talk to the artists. Make sure they understand what you want, and have input if you have any questions. The right artist should accommodate all of your needs and provide you with an astonishing piece of artwork.