As you probably well know, anything and everything that involves needles should be undertaken with the utmost safety, and tattoos are certainly not exempt from this rule. As such, you’ll want to ensure that the tattoo shop you end up at practices the highest standards of safety, and to do so, you need to be aware of what to look out for.

Here are a few things that you should pay careful attention to:

1. Check that the tattoo artists wear gloves

Just about everywhere has rules and regulations that govern tattoo artists and tattoo parlors. Some areas have age requirements, other areas require physician supervision. So to say that it’s important that a tattoo artists wears gloves, is just the tip of the iceberg of what you should be looking for in health and safety of tattoo parlor care. You want a tattoo artist that over-delivers in these areas. As you can’t be too cautious when around needles and skin.

2. Are there autoclave sterilizers with certification?

Most tattoo shops use these machines to sterilize some of the tattoo equipment. Be sure to keep an eye out for these, and also be sure to check the certification of the tattoo artist and to make sure that these certificates are still valid. Certification that has expired is not necessarily a good sign. What else is not in order? Could that be a sign that the sterilizers aren’t working properly? Get the picture? You want to definitely be on top of this.

3. New sterile needles must always be used

Keep an eye out especially for this. If a tattoo shop isn’t using new sterile needs … where you can see them remove these fresh needles directly from an autoclave bag …  then you should get out of there really, really fast. And never look back.

So long as you pay attention to these three telltale signs of tattoo shop safety, you should find that you’re able to spot what you need to and avoid the more dodgy tattoo shops.

There is one area worth mentioning… and that’s the at-home tattoo parlor. With the economy still in the tanker, many people are figuring out ways to add to their income or finding new ways to make an income. And if they have an interest in tattoos… or feel somewhat of an artist, the tattoo industry, with it’s ever growing popularity, may be a field they venture into.

Now that’s o.k. with me. But always make sure that people are properly licensed, or certified, and that they hold the highest level of respect for sanitary conditions.  Tattoo kits are not all same. And we’ve proudly pulled together the biggest online selection available anywhere. Just click here … or click the link “Best Buys” at the top of the page … and check out the biggest selection of tattoo equipment and supplies available anywhere. And if there’s something you’re looking for and can’t find here, let us know.

Ciao Bella!