When it is necessary to shave the area to be tattooed, a new disposable
razor for each patron shall be used. The common use of shaving mugs
and brushes is prohibited.
After shaving the area to be tattooed, or if the area does not need
to be shaved, the site of the tattoo shall be cleaned with soap and
hot water, rinsed with clean water and germicidal solution applied
in a sanitary manner before the design is placed on the skin. Only
sterile, individual towels and gauze shall be used in preparing the
site to be tattooed. These dressings shall be properly disposed of
after use with each patron.
If Vaseline or other jellies are applied, it shall be done with a
sterile swab or sterile spatula for the use of each patron. Unused
portions of jellies remaining from service on a patron shall be discarded.
Alum or any material used to stop the flow of blood must be used
only in the form of a powder or liquid and applied only with sterile
gauze or sterile absorbent cotton.
The stencil for transferring the tattoo shall be used for a
single tattooing procedure only.
A sterile set of individual, single use needles shall be used for
each patron. The open end of the needle tube of the tattooing machine
shall be cleaned and sterilized after each use. The use of disinfectants
does not constitute an approved sterilization method.
Single service or individual containers of dye or ink shall be used
for each patron and any remaining ink or dye in the container following
the procedure shall be discarded. Nontoxic, FDA approved dyes and
inks shall be used in all tattoo procedures.
Excess dye applied to the skin shall be removed with individual gauze
pads or sterile cotton only. The area tattooed shall then be allowed
to dry and the entire site covered with a piece of sterile gauze only,
which may then be covered with a piece of dressing and fastened with
adhesive. Only approved surgical dressings and tapes shall be used
on patrons. The use of paper napkins, other materials and mastic tape
for dressings is prohibited.
No skin area shall be penetrated, abraded or treated with chemicals
for the purpose of removing, camouflaging or altering any blemish,
birthmark, scar or previous tattoo.
Medical history records obtained earlier shall be checked and updated,
and anyone giving a history of jaundice, hepatitis, HIV infection
or other infectious or communicable diseases shall not be tattooed.
After each customer is tattooed, the needle bars, grips and tubes
must be disengaged, with the tubes, from the machine and placed in
an autoclavable dish. The needle bars must be cleaned ultrasonically,
then resterilized. Ultrasonic treatment alone is not effective. All
used needles shall be disinfected before discarding. Used needles
must be placed in a fresh solution of hypochlorite for 30 minutes
before disposal.
Written instructions, approved by the Health Officer, shall be given
to each patron or customer on the care of the tattooed site to prevent
infection after each tattooing. A copy of these instructions shall
also be posted in a conspicuous place in the tattoo establishment,
clearly visible to the person being tattooed.
All infections resulting from the practice of tattooing which become
known to the operator(s), owner(s) and/or artist(s) shall be reported
to the Health Officer by the owner of the tattoo establishment.
All tattooists are strongly advised to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine
which would provide them with immunity from contracting the disease
from a patron and protect the patrons from contracting the disease
from a nonsymptomatic tattooist.