Something that is paramount in the tattoo industry is sanitation. Blood borne pathogens are a serious concern for both tattooer and the recipient. When I became licensed as a tattoo artist in the state of Tennessee, it was required that I attend a class on how blood borne pathogens can be transmitted. I already had some knowledge of this coming from a career as an aesthetician. Sometimes people bleed when you engage with their skin (via waxing, extractions or tattooing) and it’s very important to know how to manage that and avoid cross contamination. Beyond viruses like HIV there’s also Hepatitis (B + C) which are extremely serious and the possible exposure must be carefully managed by the tattooist.

Recently I’ve been asked more frequently about the kind of tattoo ink I use. Is it vegan? Organic? All natural? These are very reasonable questions as the ink will be placed within the skin and stay there for a really long time (as long as the recipient is alive unless they choose to utilize laser removal). I didn’t think to ask these questions when I first started to receive tattoos over 25 years ago. I just assumed that there were regulations in place and didn’t think much more beyond that. Allow me to do some clarifying on the matter!