Blogging about Tattoo Safety in Az.

Some things to watch for in the tattoo shop.

2010-08-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

There are a number of things that you should be aware of when your artist is setting up for your tattoo.

Your artist should take care of all paperwork before you start the tattoo. Release forms should be filled out, I D's checked and copied, money should be collected. either before the tattoo is started or after the tattoo is done. Never after he puts on gloves and starts setting up. Money is one of the dirtiest items that we handle on a regular basis. That is because it is handled be so many people all the time.

Once the artist puts on gloves, he should touch nothing that is not part of the tattoo or tattoo process.

When the artist is setting up for your tattoo, does he put on gloves to open the packages with your needles and tubes.

If the artist needs to pour more ink, is there a barrier on the ink bottle or does he change his gloves first.

If he needs to stop and answer the phone, is there a barrier on the phone or does he remove his gloves before picking it up.

If another customer comes in and he stops to go talk with them, does he remove his gloves first.

The answer to all the above questions should be YES and if it is not, then you need to be looking for another shop or artist.

These are just a couple of the questions that you should be asking yourselves and watching the artist for.

http://www.blue-dragon.com

Infection Control Barriers

2010-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

These barriers should be made of a NON porous material. For the desk top, dental bibs, plastic wrap or other such materials work well. These should be large enough that all the equipment and inks that the artist is using will fit on them and not overlap onto the desk itself.

Does your artist cover his tattoo machines and clip cord with a NON porous product. How about the spray bottle or anything else that he will be using during the course of the tattoo.

Anything and everything that you or your artist may touch during the tattoo should be covered or made of a NON porous material. Chair covers should be covered with plastic and not cloth. If the chairs being used by either you or your artist have cloth covers, then they should be covered with a NON porous material. Plastic garbage bags, small and large make great barriers. Sandwich bags make great covers for rinse bottles and other small equipment.

Every tattoo supplier now carries tattoo machine covers, clip cord covers, barriers to cover the phone or other things that the artist may touch during the course of the tattoo.

Everything that your artist uses or may touch during the tattoo that will not be disposed of at the end of the tattoo should be covered with a NON porous material.

http://www.blue-dragon.com

Caring for the new tattoo

2010-07-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

When your tattoo is finished, your tattoo artist will put a bandage on it. Make sure it is a real bandage and not saran wrap or some other type of covering.

Leave the bandage on for 3 to 4 hours. The bandage is there to protect the tattoo from dirt, dust and other contaminants until the pores close.

When you remove the bandage, wash the tattoo of with warm water and a mild soap, using your fingertips and not a face cloth. Make sure that you get any dried blood or body fluids removed.

Pat the tattoo dry, do not rub it.

DO NOT RE-BANDAGE THE TATTOO.

Use a very small amount of NON scented lotion such as Curel, or Lubriderm. Most times, a couple of drops will be enough to use. Rub it into the tattoo until nothing is left on the surface. This is done 3 or 4 times a day until the tattoo is fully healed. Healing times will vary from person to person, but it is usually an average of 2 to 3 weeks.

Do Not wear tight or restrictive clothing while the new tattoo is healing.

No tanning either in the sun or tanning beds until the new tattoo is fully healed and then only with a good sun block. Something with a 40 rating or higher. The sun is a bleach and will ruin the color in the new tattoo.

No swimming or baths while the tattoo is healing. Water of any kind will suck out the color and pools have chlorine in them. Submerging it in water will pull out the color but showers are fine.

Do not use vaseline or Neosporin or any other petroleum based product.

Your tattoo ratios should not only explain these directions to you, but should also be able to give you a written copy. The bottom line is listen to your tattoo artist and DO NOT LISTEN TO FRIENDS.

Where should I put my first tattoo

2010-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another very frequently asked question is "Where should I put my first tattoo."

Where to out your new tattoo is a very personal choice. You need to decide just how visible you want it to be.

do you want everyone to see it all the time, or only certain people that you wish to know that you have a tattoo or somewhere in between.

Most lawyers and teachers like to keep their tattoos personal, some place them where they won't show during the normal day at work. This means that they usually get their tattoos on the shoulder, the back or other places that clothing will cover 90% of the time

Other people like to have their tattoos showing all or most of the time. This usually means that the tattoos are on the arms, legs or feet. Places that you don't usually cover.

Talk to your tattoo artist and he should be able to help you pick the spot on your body that will work best for you. Keep in mind that you also want to pick a place that will make the tattoo look good and is also appropriate for that area of the body

The most popular places to get a tattoo are on the arm, back of the neck, the shoulder, lower back (a tramp stamp, LOL), Calf, Ankle and feet.

This should give you a start to pointing you in the right direction.

Finding the right tattoo studio. Part 3

2010-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

When you walk into the tattoo studio, do you get a warm and friendly greeting from the artists.

How is their appearance, do they look clean and neat or do they look like they are homeless and living in a box somewhere. If the artist has a case of body odor or bad breath, you may want to rethink getting a tattoo in that studio. After all, anyone that is not very concerned about their own appearance, cleanliness, health and safety, probably will be even less concerned about yours.

When most people go for a tattoo, especially women and especially their very first one, they like to bring a friend or two along. This should be no problem for either the shop or the artist. For women getting a tattoo, especially a private tattoo, ask if you can have a friend sit with you. If the artist seems reluctant, uncomfortable or tells you no, no matter what he gives for a reason, you may want to rethink getting the tattoo in that shop.

I've also heard of tattoo artists that have asked women to either partially or fully disrobe with the reason being " that clothes inhibit the blood flow and the tattoo won't take"

THAT IS ABSOLUTE BS.

Most shops will allow at least one friend to come into the tattoo area to sit with you while you get your tattoo. More than one person may be a distraction and they may not allow more than one at a time.

A lot of people like to have pictures taken while they are getting tattooed. This to should be know problem, just make sure that the flash is off so as not to startle the artist. The flash going off suddenly could startle the artist and there is the possibility of his making a mistake.

you should only need to rearrange your clothes enough to bare the area being tattooed and no more.

Finding the right tattoo studio, part 2

2010-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

In part 1 we covered general appearance of the tattoo studio. Part 2 will cover sterilizers and sterilization.

There are 2 types of sterilizers that are approved for tattoo studios. There is the Chemclave, that sterilizes with chemicals and there is the Autoclave, that sterilizes with heat and pressure.

DO NOT let them tell you that toaster ovens, alcohol, clorox or anything else will do the job.

IT WILL NOT.

Both types should be tested no less than once a month and the test should be done by an independent 3rd party. This is known as a Spore Test. It is a small packet that is provided by the 3rd party lab that is doing the testing and is run through the sterilizer, just as if they where sterilizing their equipment. Then the packet is mailed to the 3rd party lab and they test to make sure that the sterilizer has killed everything in the packet.

The lab will mail the results back to the shop and they should be NEGATIVE. If they come back positive, then the sterilizer is not working properly and needs to be repaired. After it has been repaired, everything that was run through the sterilizer after the last negative results needs to be re-sterilized.

When you go into a studio, especially for the first time, don't be afraid to ask them about the way they sterilize. You should ask to see their sterilizer and you should ask to see the results of their last couple of Spore Tests.

If they are hesitant or unwilling to show you the sterilizer or the Spore Test results, RUN, as fast and as far as you can.

All equipment to be sterilized should be put into pouches that are made just for sterilizing. They will have an indicator, sometimes an arrow, sometimes lettering, that will change color when the pouch is run through the sterilize showing that it was properly sterilized. You can even ask to see the pouches that they use to sterilize with. Compare both the before and after pouch to see if the indicator has changed color.

If it has not changed color, then the sterilizer is not working properly.

Blue Dragon Tattoo Studio spore tests it's sterilizer once a month and we keep the results on file for at least 3 years.

Blue Dragon Tattoo

Finding the right tattoo studio, part 1

2010-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Whether you are looking to get your first tattoo or you have a couple and are looking for a new tattoo shop, There are some very important things to be considered.

What is your first impression when you walk into the studio.

When you first walk through the door, what is your first impression of the shop. Does it look clean and neat, does it smell clean or does it look and smell like it hasn't been cleaned, swept or washed in a while. Over the years, I've visited a lot of shops and on occasion, the very first thing was the smell of pot as I opened the door. This should automatically be a red flag.

How about the artists. Do they have a clean and neat appearance. Do they greet you with a smile and a hello or do they give the impression that you are interrupting whatever they are doing.

Look at the artists work area. Is it clean and neat or does it still have the contaminated waste still left from the last tattoo that was done.

If the artists are working, are they using barriers to keep from contaminating their work area their equipment and those areas around them. Just wearing gloves is not enough.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about health and experience issues, such as sterilization, blood born pathogens, how long they have been in business, how many years the artists have been tattooing, portfolios or any other concerns. They should be willing and happy to answer any and all of your questions. If they are hesitant or evasive, this too should also be a red flag.

More blogs will follow on these subjects soon.

Just remember, if your gut feeling is YUCK, then you need to be looking for a different shop.

Blue Dragon Tattoo

How much does a tattoo cost

2010-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Another very frequently asked question is "How much is a tattoo."

This is like asking a car dealer "How much is a blue car."

The cost of a tattoo will depend on a number of different factors. What is the shops minimum rate, what is the tattoo shops hourly rate and how long the tattoo is going to take to complete.

Now lets take these one at a time

The Shops Minimum Rate;
This is the cheapest rate that the tattoo shop will do a small tattoo for. Usually,
all the cost for the needles, inks, ointment, electricity and all the other supplies to do
the tattoo have been figured into this price. The shops minimum is not really meant to make a profit, only so the shop won't lose money.

Blue Dragon Minimum is $60.00. This just means that we will do nothing for less than that amount.

The shops hourly rate;
As it says, this is the rate that the shop charges hourly and what determines the
final price of the tattoo. On a tattoo that will take about 4 hours or less, most experienced artists can give you a price based on the hourly rate and be accurate to within about 10 or 15 minutes. On pieces that are going to take over 4 hours or are going to be multi session pieces, we charge by the hours we are going to work for each session. Multi session pieces would include sleeves, back pieces etc. etc.

The Blue Dragon hourly rate is $120.00 per hr.

Just remember that price is important, but should not be the deciding factor in what or where you get your tattoo.

Good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are not good.

You get what you pay for.

Blue Dragon Tattoo

How badly does a tattoo hurt.

2010-06-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

My name is Dick Goldman and I own Blue Dragon Tattoo in Glendale Az. At one point I had 3 Tattoo Studios. One in Phoenix, one in Glendale and one in Flagstaff. I have been tattooing since Feb. 1979 and have done tattoo conventions all over the U.S.A. and in Europe. I have had pictures of tattoos that I have done published in every major tattoo magazine in the U.S. and a couple of magazines in Europe as well. I have won awards for tattoos at some of the top tattoo conventions.

I have been a member of the National Tattoo Assoc. (NTA) since 1995 and a member of The Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT) since 1994. I also spent 6 years on the board of directors for APT.

Over the years of tattooing, I have found that there are a lot of questions that people ask about tattooing. I will be trying to answer them here as well as giving advice on what to look for in a quality tattoo shop and some of the ways to take care of a tattoo.

One of the most common questions that I have gotten from people getting their first tattoo is "How bad will it hurt."

Granted, there is a little pain involved, what part of sticking needles into your body would you think didn't hurt. But all kidding aside, it's really not that bad.

While the tattoo is being done, it feels like a burning sting. It has been compared to a continuous cat scratch, a bee sting or occasionally to getting a minor burn. It only feels this way while the tattoo is actually being done and as soon as the tattoo machine is taken away from the skin, it stops hurting. Then it feels like a sunburn and this feeling usually goes away within a couple of hours after the tattoo is finished.

I will say that it doesn't hurt to badly, as most people not only finish the tattoo without any problems, but they come back for their 2nd , 3rd and many times, even more and larger tattoos.

So for those of you getting your first tattoo and are worried about the pain. Don't worry, get your tattoo and enjoy that first experience.