All About Tattoo Safety and Hygiene In Bangkok.

A tattoo machine works by making a puncture wound in your skin, and when it does so it injects a drop of ink into that wound. This is why tattoo safety is so important.

Any wound has the potential to become infected, or to transmit diseases, so any good tattoo studio will take the safety of their clients and artists very seriously.

After all, their reputation and good name are at stake with every tattoo they do.

If you’re thinking about getting some ink, you want to concentrate on getting the best design and artist you can find to do it, not worry about whether tattoo safety is a priority at the studio you visit.

Standard practices for tattoo safety in Bangkok?

Short answer?

There aren’t any.

As much as we’d love to say that every tattoo studio and artist stick to the generally accepted rules of hygiene and safety, that isn’t always the case.

Even one of the absolute core principles – using a new needle for every customer – isn’t universally applied.

In most studios who use machines it is, however a lot of hand poked (commonly known as bamboo tattoos, because in the distant past that’s what was used), especially those done at temples, use the same stick that is just washed between uses.

Would you really want to risk it? We know we wouldn’t! 

That isn’t to say that every studio is bad.

We’ve seen great standards and terrible standards. Good knowledge and no knowledge at all.

So it’s really up to you to make sure that the studio and artist you visit takes tattoo safety seriously.

How we ensure tattoo safety for every customer.

At ALL DAY Tattoo, we want you to be confident that everything is as safe as possible.

First of all, Thailand does have a very rigorous process to obtain a license to operate a tattoo studio legally.

This involves a huge amount of paperwork; checking of all supplies for safety and sources, all safety procedures, health of artists, hygiene procedures, staff knowledge and more…

We are one of the only studios in downtown Bangkok that has taken the time, effort and expense to ensure we conform with every single requirement for the license and have a current one issued at all times.

Safety of Equipment Used for Tattoos

Keeping both the client and artist safe is our top priority, so for everything that is possible to buy as “single use” and packed in sealed packaging in a sterile environment, we do. 

This includes things like: needles, tubes, ink cups, gloves, razors, machines bags and clip cord sleeves all of which are disposed of carefully once used.

All surfaces around the tattoo stations are covered with disposable film/barriers and disinfected thoroughly with alcohol and/or Dettol before and after every use. 

You’ll see us opening things just before we use them for the tattoo, and you’re always welcome to ask and discuss anything that might concern you. 

Your artist will open our high quality needles (yes, needles have different qualities!) right in front of you, just so you have no doubt at all that they’re new and sealed. 

You can even ask to inspect the packaging and open it yourself, we won’t be offended!

Some parts of the tattoo process, such as the metal tubes used on tattoo machines, are not disposable and as such need to be cleaned.

Many tattoo studios just wipe them clean or at best, boil them in water.

We have a hospital grade autoclave, the same machine used to sterilise surgical equipment, that is used to clean all of our reusable items.

Quality of Inks

Inks vary in quality and safety A LOT.

No matter how good the artist of the equipment used, the quality of the ink is going to greatly affect the quality of the final tattoo.

We use highly tested and branded inks imported from the USA.

All are rigorously tested for safety, vegan and of very high quality to make sure your tattoo is safe and looks amazing for years to come.

What to look out for to make sure tattoo safety is in place.

Some things that you should look out for when considering any studio where you might get a tattoo:

• Are they using new, sealed needles for every tattoo?
• Does the studio have a license? If not, why not?
• Are the needles high quality, packed with expiry dates and imported from a reputable country for safety standards (i.e. not China!)?
• Does the place look and smell clean? Is garbage in bins that can be opened without being touched?
• Are the artists using gloves?
• Are the artists using clip cord sleeves and machine bags?
• Are they using all disposable items and if not, is an autoclave available?
• Are the workstations/lamps/machines wrapped with some form of disposable barrier?
• Can someone at the studio talk to you about how they prevent contamination?
• Can your artist answer questions about the hygiene of the studio?

If these things aren’t in place, get out of there! It isn’t worth the risk.

You should keep in mind that getting a tattoo is more than just finding a good artist. 

You should do everything you can to make sure you’re only walking away with a beautiful new tattoo, not something extra that will be with you for just as long. 

Once you’ve found the right place, just relax and enjoy the process!

If you follow these rules and insist on tattoo safety and hygiene before your artist starts up their machine, you’ll be fine.