In light of getting a new tattoo on Tuesday I decided to make a post on whether or not tattoos are a health risk. I'm sure most of you have heard rumors about how tattoo shops are dirty, unsanitary, and just plain gross. However, from my experience going in and out of tattoo parlors over the last 5 years now, I can tell you this accusation is far from the truth. Don't believe me? See for yourself... most parlors look like this or like this. Most of the time the front of shop looks like a retro style living room while the tattoo work station in the back resembles something that looks more like a surgical room at a hospital. Typically the tattoo artists work station will have a stainless steel counter top or a marble counter top to reduce the risk of germs harboring on the surface.
Now that we know tattoo shops aren't a slum bucket like most people think, we can move on to the health risks. It sounds like a broken record when I hear my mother comment about how I'm going to contract Hepatitis from getting tattoos. But did you know that you run less of a chance of getting Hepatitis from a tattoo shop than you do going to the dentist? The Center for Disease Control reports that you are actually more than 300% likely to contract Hepatitis from a dentist office than you are from a tattoo parlor! 300% more likely!!! Even more shocking than that, since tattoos started to be track in 1985, not one case of HIV has been linked to tattoos but 7 cases of HIV contraction have been associated with dentist offices. These numbers make me question whether or not I want to go back for my 6 month cleaning.
Tattoos and individuals who bear tattoos are constantly under the microscope in society today however they are slowly becoming more accepted. What ever the matter I can safely say that yes there are health risks that come with tattoos (i.e. infection and Hepatitis) but I they do not pose a threat for horrible diseases like HIV that they are believed to cause.
http://www.tattooartist.com/health.html
I agree with you, i have several tattoos myself. The first time i ever got a tattoo i was pretty worried about what i was getting myself into with all the hype of dirty needles and such, but if you go to a good tattoo parlor they will open all new, sterilized needles in front of you. It also helps that i work in and operating room so i understand the concepts of sterile technique. My advice to anyone is that if you ask them to let you watch them set up and they won't let you, chances are they arn't using new needles, leave.. don't get your tattoo from them,
ReplyDeleteAgreeed. I've spent a good amount of hours in a tattoo place for my ink and those places smell like the inside of an alcohol bottle. they are about as sterile as any hospital you've been in. And there are so many laws that they must abide by that keep anyone from getting anything. The only time someone gets anything is through their own negligence of not keeping there tat clean like they were told too.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't have any tattoos, but when I went with my best friend last year to get hers, we did a good amount of research for clean and reputable parlors in Connecticut. She made sure to meet with the tattoo artist before hand to make sure 1. the place was clean and 2. that the knew what he was doing. The place was, like Erik said, as clean as can be and the artist made sure that we were comfortable with the setting before he even began. Although I have heard horror stories about sketchy parlors, we had a good experience!
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about getting a tattoo and one thing holding me back are the disease risks. My mother has scared me to death that she would kill me if I got one because of Hepatitis. Maybe we can start looking into it together and she will change her mind. Now i just have to be sure of what I want so I don't ruin the rest of my life!
ReplyDeleteI find this surprising. I work in a dentist office and the tools, chairs, cabinets, EVERYTHING is always so clean. We sanitize and change everything in between patients. So I guess your right, tattoo parlors are clean. The ones I've been in always look very clean. That doesn't change my mind about not getting one though, not a tattoo fan!
ReplyDeleteTattoos definitely put you at risk for certain diseases IF you go to an unsanity parlor. However, every tattoo parlor I have stepped in looks to follow the necessary procedures to provide a healthy environment. Using fresh needles every time is the first step. Also sanatizing the area being tattooed is another way artists fight infection.
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