SOURCE: My boyfriends body.
SUBMITTER’S COMMENT: So, all of my boyfriends tattoos were done in a home. With “unsanitary” equipment, by a “scratcher”.
Those are in quotations because I think you guys need new things to say.
I agree, most of the tattoos submitted here aren’t terrific, but there have been a few that are above par, yet their shoved in the ground because someone did them out of their home.
I am a licensed body modification artist. & let me tell you something: unless someones home is filthy, then a tattoo shop is no better. People are constantly walking in & out, touching things, leaning on counters, checking out material, going places theyre not allowed (it happens more regularly then you think) etc.
I worked at a tattoo parlor for two years before I quit & began doing them out of my home. I make more money doing it this way & my name gets out more (nothing bad either). Ive never once had a complaint about my work.
I also have a few licensed friends who work out of their homes as well.
I see nothing wrong with home tattooing if you are working in a clean environment , because half the time when you say the place is ‘unsanitary’, the tattooer is wearing gloves/face mask, has a clean machine, new needles, & has their ink in clean caps.
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MODERATOR’S COMMENT:
Wow. Erm. I didn’t even notice until just now that this wasn’t a normal bad tattoo submission. The picture really threw me off.
I’m not sure what kind of tattoo shop you worked in, but the one where I work is nothing like that. We clean the place from top to bottom every single day. We use medical disinfectant (bactericidal/fungicidal/tuberculocidal/virucidal) on all surfaces, constantly. We follow all of the laws and standards to make sure everything is clean and done with aseptic technique. And no customer EVER goes where they aren’t supposed to be or touches anything they aren’t supposed to touch. Period.
Just because the tattoo artist is using new materials doesn’t negate the fact that it’s done in an environment that isn’t clean. It also perpetuates the idea to non-professionals that getting tattooed in a house is okay. Just because you make more money tattooing out of your home (only because you don’t have to pay shop overhead, duh) doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. You’re taking away from professionals that are actually willing to pay to provide a safe, clean environment for their clients to get tattooed in, and that’s disgusting. You obviously care so much about the people you’re tattooing.
Where I live, and where many others live, it is illegal to tattoo out of any home, “licensed” or not. Just because you sat through a class to get your piece of paper doesn’t mean you evolved into a magically perfect, all-knowing, sterile-fingered being.
But yeah, you sure showed us. You’re a badass tattoo artist with your TWO YEARS of professional experience, forgoing the cost of maintaining a professional, sanitary environment (rent, electricity, insurance, health department fees, autoclave servicing, inspection fees, supplies, etc.) so you can make some extra bucks off people who don’t know any better.
- Hayley
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Wow. Damn, Hayley. I’ve been leaving this sitting in our queue to deal with later and forgot about it. You left probably a more articulate response than I could ever come up with and I thank you for that.
If anyone wants to check out what a joke a lot of tattoo licences are, you should go check out the artists certified by the APT. Last time I looked through there, some of the artists in my area had the shittiest portfolios and were tattooing in what looked like, at most, a poorly lit room without even anything looking vaguely clean.
Frankly, what shows a good tattoo artist is someone currently licensed in at least bloodbourne pathogens, aseptic technique, and general first aid. AT LEAST THAT. And also a shop that does everything Hayley just described. An artist who won’t cut corners health wise just to make a few extra bucks. And also has an amazing portfolio.
-Kat
