The number of tattoo studios and tattooists is growing rapidly in the UK, with new shops popping up on the highstreet every week. For you, this sadly means more competition. For the customer, however, this means there are much more establishments to choose from, which is why it’s important that you stand out above the rest. One of the ways you can do this is by distancing yourself from certain parlours or scratchers who don’t properly sterilise their equipment. Here’s how you can go about that:

 

Why should you sterilise your equipment?

We’re constantly surrounded by millions of microorganisms – some good, some bad, but all of them affecting our health. When we come into contact with bad germs, our skin, immune system, and other clever bodily functions help to fight them off.

When you administer a tattoo, or piercing, however – the equipment used to do so is piercing straight through your skin’s defence and coming directly into contact with your blood stream. If the equipment used to do this isn’t sterile, you could be putting your customers in harm’s way, with the needle acting like a trojan horse to the body’s defence systems.

 

What should you sterilise?

Just because it might just be the tattoo or piercing needle that actually pierces the customer, doesn’t mean that’s all you should sterilise, or clean regularly.

In short, you should sterilise anything that comes into contact with the customer. This includes:

 

  • Wiping down the chairs/beds
  • Putting your tattooing equipment in an autoclave
  • Wearing clean, fresh gloves
  • Regardless of the gloves, ensure that your hands and arms are clean
  • Ensuring nothing can fall out of your hair such as sweat, stray hairs or dirt and dandruff
  • Any surfaces that you might place your equipment down on, mid-session.

 

Tattoo-needles

 

How often should you sterilise your tattoo equipment?

You should sterilise your equipment before and after every procedure you carry out. This way you’re eliminating any germs that your equipment may have picked up from being stored or led around before it comes into contact with a customer, and you’re eliminating any germs that will have been picked up whilst tattooing the customer.

Of course, when it comes to needles, you shouldn’t be sterilising them – you should be throwing them away after use, and opening a brand new packet for every new customer.

 

How should you sterilise?

We would always recommend using an autoclave to clean and sterilise your equipment. There is a big difference between sterilising and sanitising, which is what a lot of alcohol wipes or cleaning products will do. In order to completely sterilise your equipment, the most effective way is to use an autoclave, which uses pressurised steam and heat to destroy microorganisms.

 

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