Talisman

The anti-tattoo brigade’s main argument…

In 2001, Pamela Anderson made a huge mistake: while getting a tattoo, she shared a needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee.

Well, it was actually the 2^nd mistake she’d made (we all know about the stolen video tapes, so let’s not harp on about that ) but it cost her dearly because she allegedly got Hepatitis C from it.

And more relevant for us tattoo-lovers, the anti-tattoo brigade used the incident as a means of publicizing the danger of infection from tattoos.

Now, whether or not Tommy Lee really gave Pamela Hep C is irrelevant. What’s important is to acknowledge that you can get infections from tattoos.

But equally important is to realize that with a few simple precautions you can sidestep all the drama and get a safe, attractive tattoo.

Why is there a risk of infection when tattooing?

Human skin consists of an outer epidermis and an inner dermis. A tattoo machine’s needles rapidly puncture the epidermis, injecting insoluble ink into the upper layers of the dermis.

So a tattoo is actually ink below the outer surface of the skin. And since the needle goes only just below the surface, it doesn’t hurt anywhere as much as an injection does.

However, as tiny as the punctures are, they are punctures nonetheless; and so you have to treat your tattoo as an open wound and guard against the risk of infection.

What kind of infections can unhygienic tattoos result in?

The main infections you can get from unhygienic tattoos are:

1. Skin infections: These result from the tiny puncture wounds getting infected.
2. Blood borne diseases (such as Hepatitis and Tetanus): Miniscule quantities of blood emerge from each prick made by the tattoo machine and if this blood is allowed to spread to others, it can carry disease.

So what makes tattooing safe?

Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene.

If your artist takes proper precautions, the risk of infection and disease is almost completely eliminated.

What are these precautions?

1. Keeping a clean workspace: Good tattoo artists will make sure all the surfaces they use for tattooing are cleaned with disinfectant.
2. Disposing of needles and leftover material: They will use disposable needles, taking them out of their casing right in front of you. They will also dispose of materials such as ink, ink cups, gloves, razors, etc. after a single use. Leftover ink should not be mixed with fresh stock.
3. Washing hands and wearing gloves: They will wash their hands thoroughly with a powerful soap and wear gloves while tattooing. They will pay special attention to the gloves, changing them after every exposure to non-sterilized material (e.g. they will change gloves if they answer the phone while tattooing you).
4. Using autoclaves to sterilize equipment: They will use an autoclave (a steam/pressure/heat unit used in hospitals) to sterilize all non-disposable equipment
5. Providing an aftercare sheet: They will tell you how to care for your tattoo and give you an aftercare sheet with important points to remember. To see some of these points, take a look at our aftercare sheet here.

So the next time you go in for a tattoo, make sure your artist takes all these precautions. Don’t be fooled by a fancy exterior; remember that expensive does not necessarily mean clean.

Insist on strict tattoo hygiene and you’ll stay safe as well as improve the public perception of tattoos.

As for all the drama … let’s leave it to Ms. Anderson, shall we?

Tags: Celebrity, clean, health, Hepatitis C, hygiene, Pamela Anderson, safe, tattoo