Before you get a tattoo or piercing you should know what to expect from the shop and the staff.
Getting a tattoo or piercing usually is a significant life changing cosmetic medical procedure that shouldn't be taken lightly.
That said, it is important that you educate yourself before you decide to get a tattoo or piercing,
otherwise there is a good chance you will regret your decision for the rest of your life.
Below you will find a list you can use to evaluate any shop or artist and walk away confident that you made a well educated decision.
Feel free to print this list out and take it with you to assist in the decision making process.
Tattoo and Piercing Check List
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The business should be located in a safe and secure environment.
· The business exterior and interior should be clean, well maintained, and well lit.
· The lobby should be separate from the actual work area.
· The work area floor should be non porous so that it may be sanitized regularly.
· The work areas should be clean, well maintained, and free of debris or clutter.
· The piercing work area must have a sink with both hot and cold running water.
· The immediate work area and equipment should be covered with barrier protection when necessary.
· Proper licenses and permits should be publicly displayed.
· The shop should have a separate sanitation and sterilization clean area or room.
· The shop should have a working autoclave and proof that the equipment has passed a recent spore test.
· The staff should have a clean professional appearance and display a polite friendly attitude at all times.
· Make sure that all inks, needles, paper products, piercing products and other topical products are single use only and properly disposed of in a biomedical waste container after use.
· All equipment to be used during procedure should be examined and sterile status should be verified prior to starting procedure.
· The shop should have a wide variety of body piercing jewelry and should be able to order custom jewelry to your specifications.
· The artists should be able to tattoo any design (the smaller the image, the less detail). Bring your own design or let the artist design your custom tattoo to your specification (some ideas don't translate well to skin or tattoo).
· Make sure you examine the artists and piercers portfolios. Closely examine their work and the quality of it. The tattoos should be consistent in quality, with clearly defined lines, and bright solid colors. Piercings should be well placed and aligned evenly on the body with quality jewelry and little to no bleeding.
· Feel free to talk to the staff and ask questions. Ask to see their work, ask to see their drawings. Talk to their customers and ask about their experience. Read shop reviews.
· Talk to the staff about potential personal health and safety concerns. If you have any health conditions, make sure that you discuss them with the staff prior to even considering a tattoo or piercing.
· Make sure the staff is knowledgeable about health and safety issues.
· Make sure the staff has been properly trained in the handling of biomedical waste and blood borne pathogens.
· Remember price isn't everything, but the prices should be fair. In life, you get what you pay for. Cheap prices usually mean poor quality.
Expensive prices won't necessarily guarantee you a quality tattoo or piercing either. By combining our sites knowledge and recognizing a fair price, you can be assured that you will receive a piercing or tattoo that you can be proud of forever.
· Take into account your tattoo or piercer's knowledge and advice on your particular tattoo design or placement, or piercing selection or placement (everybody is different, just because your friend has their belly pierced doesn't make it the right choice for you).
· Last, but not least, ALWAYS trust your instinct. If you feel you just aren't sure, wait and come back another day. Remember, the decision to get a tattoo is a decision that lasts a lifetime.
