In the world of tattoos, ignorance is NOT bliss. Get Educated! Yes, it hurts. Anything that involves sticking needles into the skin is going to hurt a little, depending somewhat on where the tattoo is placed, the experience and technique of the particular 'artist', etc. But that should be only part of your worries.
It is a little known fact, to anyone outside the tattoo business, that in this area, there are no regulations on Tattooing (or Body Piercing) So please, do not assume, just because someone is doing Tattoos (or Body Piercing), that they are "qualified", competent, or measured against any health standard whatsoever. The sad fact is, you would need to be more "qualified" to cut someone's hair, than to permanently mark someone with a tattoo. Legally you need more of a license to own a dog, than you do to give anyone a tattoo.
It is up to you,. the consumer, to decide which is the safest studio for you to be in. Do Your Homework! Check things out personally (not just over the phone), check the place for general cleanliness, see photos of actual work, ask intelligent questions and see if the 'artist' seem to care about what they do or are mainly concerned with rushing you into the chair to make their money off you with as little involvement as possible.
See the work of the 'artist', before you choose to let him or her mark you for life. More often than not, most studios display pretty, colorful pictures called "flash". You, as an average Joe, can buy the same pictures. Simply having the flash doesn't mean they can artfully put the same thing into someone's skin. Incidently, anyone with a sharp eye would notice that alot of the commercial 'flash' available isn't always accurate as to detail, proportioning,etc.,it's designed and sold to make money, period. While YOU may not notice those errors when you pick the design , you can surely bet SOMEONE will after it's done.
The next best thing for you to do is get references.
If you see good tattoo work, even on a stranger, ask them where they got it done.
If the same name keeps coming up in association with good work, chances are the artist is
good. Most of Doctor John's clients come to him by reference, in fact, over 80% of Doctor John's business is from referals and repeat clients.
Ask Questions...
What kind of cleaning/sterilization processes do they
use?
Doctor John uses an Autoclave system, the needles and tubes are changed with each client, every piece of equipment is carefully wiped down after each client and we adhere faithfully to the Universal Precautions set up by the Centers for Disease Control.
Can your 'artist' draw as opposed to trace?
Doctor John has plenty of his own artwork on display
We proudly display lots of actual photos
Doctor John has over 40 years in the art, over 25 of those as an Artist Member in the National Tattoo Association. 2006 reciever of National Tattoo Association's Bob Shaw Golden Age Award.
There is actually a tattoo chain in this area with 7 known cases of
Hepatitis And yes, they are still open for business! Doctor John has done over 25,000 tattoos to date and has NEVER had any health related problems
Buyer Beware!!!
Can they show you photos of their work? How much time do they have invested in their tattoo
career? Research the history of the studio. For
example; Do they have any documented cases of Hepatitis?
