Insist on safety steps

To make sure your tattoo is done safely, ask these questions:

• Who does the tattooing? Go to a tattooing studio that has properly trained employees. Tattooing rules and licensing vary from state to state. Check with your city, county or state health department for information on local licensing and regulations. Do not allow anyone who hasn't been trained in tattooing to tattoo your skin. Do not use a do-it-yourself tattoo kit.
• Does the tattoo artist wear gloves? Tattoo artists should wash their hands and wear a fresh pair of disposable gloves each time they create a tattoo.
• Does the tattoo artist use sanitary equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist takes the needle and tubes from sealed packages before your procedure. All ink also should be placed in new disposable single-use cups. Trays, containers and other equipment should be new or thoroughly sterilized or disinfected.
• Does the tattoo artist sterilize equipment that must be reused? Make sure that the tattoo studio has a heat-sterilization machine, called an autoclave. After each procedure, the machine should be used to sterilize any equipment that has to be reused. Instruments and supplies that can't be sterilized with an autoclave should be thoroughly disinfected after each customer. That includes drawer handles, tables and sinks.