Sanitation is the number one rule that can never be bent or broken in the tattoo industry on the Gold Coast. While tattoo procedures vary with the different Gold Coast tattoo shops, the huge component is still sanitation.
It is, therefore, imperative to look out for telltale signs of unclean Gold Coast tattoo shops before you get inked. The safe and clean practice of tattooing is an issue that the industry has worked hard to establish.
Here are the warning signs that should tell you to get out of the tattoo shop, fast.
Absence of autoclave
Modern tattoo shops nowadays use a rotary machine for disposable cartridges, eliminating the need to sterilise their instruments. However, the use of an autoclave to sterilise the metal tubes holding the needles and other pieces of equipment is still around with many tattoo shops. The absence of an autoclave in a tattoo shop is a definite red flag. The best way to determine if the tattoo shop has an on-site autoclave is to ask the artists that you see using metal tubes.
Absence of a sharps box
A sharps box is a piece of equipment used by hospitals and clinics to dispose of needles after every procedure. Tattoo shops should have this on-site as well for the safe disposal of disposable cartridges and needles. A trash box is not, under any circumstances, the safest and most sanitary way of disposing of needles. It’s a definite warning sign if you see an overflowing of used needles in the sharps box of a tattoo shop.
Unwrapped Green soap bottles and tattoo machines
Green soap bottles and tattoo machines should always be wrapped in clear plastic to ensure sanitation. The constant reuse of these items needs them to be wrapped in either saran wrap or special bags. And the wrapping has to be changed after every tattoo procedure.
A tattoo shop showing unwrapped tattoo machines and green soap bottles or not changing the plastic covers after each procedure should be considered a warning sign.
The artist doesn’t use any approved industrial cleaning products to disinfect
It is standard practice for tattoo artists to break down and clean their stations after a procedure. Cleaning up the chairs, massage bed, arm rests, and the rest of the station should use approved industrial cleaning products. Using wipes as the means to clean the entire station is a red flag sign that sanitation is not practiced by the tattoo shop.
Distilled water is not used
It is considered a standard safety procedure for a tattoo shop to use a rinse cup filled with distilled water. Doing this prevents the spread of bacteria. It’s time to leave a tattoo shop that uses the sink to fill up their rinse cups.
Accumulation of trash all over the shop
Seeing trash strewn over the entire shop is an obvious sign that all is not well with their sanitation. For instance, open food cartons or containers on the station of an artist while he/she is doing a procedure are big no-nos.
There are a thousand and one things to observe to determine the cleanliness of a tattoo shop. A tattoo procedure is an invasive process that can readily spread bacteria and pathogens, compromising your health. It’s why sanitation should always be the top priority when it comes to the choice of a tattoo shop. Get your tattoo from Black Market Tattoo Gold Coast because they always think about safety and sanitation for their clients.