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What you need to know about the health risks of tattoos.

1. Cross Contamination – Cross contamination is the spreading of germs, bacteria and/or disease by carrying them from an infected surface to a non-infected surface.  Cross contamination can happen in the tattoo parlour if a tattoo artist was to place their tools on a counter that isn't disinfected. Failing to sterilise the instruments before the next procedure leaves both the customer and the artist themselves vulnerable to cross-contamination. Tattooing chairs and counters in tattoo studios should be disinfected between each customer and artists should also wear the appropriate gloves and clean reusable equipment between procedures.
2. Tattoo Equipment Waste – It is a tattoo artist’s responsibility to safely dispose of used tattooing needles in the appropriate bin or container which should be emptied regularly to ensure that it does not overflow and risk somebody getting scratched by a used needle.
3. Tattoo Allergy – As with any foreign substance that enters the body, tattoo ink can potentially cause an allergic reaction. Tattoo allergies can result in irritation, a rash, swelling or skin abnormalities at or around the site of the tattoo. Some colours of tattoo ink contain substances that can react badly with some people, such as iron oxide, mercury sulphide, ferric hydrate, and manganese. Red ink is known to be the most common for causing irritation. Obviously you aren’t able to predict if you are going to react badly to tattoo ink, but if you do think you may have had an allergic reaction, you should see your doctor and get a diagnosis as soon as possible to determine how serious your reaction is and what the best course of treatment will be.