The U.S. has roughly 21,000 tattoo parlors. Getting a tattoo can be a nerve-racking experience for most adults due to the permanence of the image they choose and the fear of contaminated tools. While the burden of choice remains with the customer, it is the second aspect that the tattoo artist can control. Cleanliness is essential to avoid cross-contamination in the tattoo business, but true safety means the shop must go one step farther and use medical-grade sanitation methods on their tools.
The Importance of Sanitation in the Tattoo Business Is an Issue of Due Diligence.
Customers place an enormous amount of trust in their chosen tattoo artist. They trust that the artist will create the image exactly as agreed, and that the tools being used in the process are sanitized. The internet is abound with terrible stories of unclean tools infecting multiple customers, causing diseases such as staph infection. Perhaps the best way for a tattoo parlor to reassure their customers is to have a transparent cleanliness policy.
Do You Need the Scican Statim 5000 to Run a Shop Properly?
Keeping a shop’s tattoo needles and equipment clean is relatively simple: either the shop mandates the use of an autoclave tattoo sterilizer such as the Scican Statim 5000, or they use disposable tips. There is some debate about the true cost over time when either method is used. In fact, many shops have decided to use a mix of both methods to best meet the needs of each customer.
What Are the Uses of an Autoclave?
An autoclave is a machine that is used in medical settings to sterilize steel equipment such as needles. A Scican Statim 5000 is one such example, just as the Statim 2000 autoclave is another type used in different settings from hospitals to tattoo parlors to piercing shops. All autoclaves use steam at a temperature of 270 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 psi to destroy most contaminants. The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) insists that sterilization machines like the autoclave are regularly tested for effectiveness with a spore test completed weekly.
Any procedure that involves breaking a person’s skin can be dangerous, as the risk of infection is increased. If the tools used are contaminated with another person’s bacteria, then the likelihood of an infection is imminent. Tattoo parlors can avoid this relatively easily by implementing the proper protocols for a sterilized working environment.
