Here's What You Need to Know Before Getting a Post-Lockdown Tattoo

Just like many other things, if Coronavirus pandemic played spoil-sport with your plans to get tattooed, you can finally heave a sigh of relief. As the country gradually ease the lockdown, many tattoo parlours are cautiously opening up for business.

BUT things are different now. On National Tattoo Day, we spoke to artist Vikas Malani of BodyCanvas Tattoos to know how exactly do you go about getting inked now. 

Many people have utilised the quarantine time to zero down on a design and now, are finally putting their plan in action. Vikas agrees, "Earlier, there would be around 20 customers at a time in our studio, but now the number is not more than 2 or 3. In fact, most of the clients who visit our studio are regular customers, who don’t find time in their regular schedules and can finally get inked now."

Hygiene before inking

So, if you want to get inked the key is to find a reputed artist, who strictly follows hygiene protocols. As Vikas puts it,"We ensure that all our staffs and artists wear a double mask and sanitize our studio every three hours. We also ask our staff to have 2 dress sets, one while commuting and another one to wear inside the studio. Furthermore, we recommend our customers to book an appointment before visiting the studio, so we can ensure that only one customer stays inside at a time.

 Due to the pandemic and decrease in the number of client visits, we function with minimal staff and artists at a time. People who work inside strictly follow all the safety measures recommended." 

Here is handy checklist to make sure you have a safe inking experience:

WATCH OUT for these safety measures in the tattoo studio 

To ensure your tattoo experience will be safe, check for the below points: 

1.    Do they wear gloves? Check if the tattoo artists sanitize their hands and wear a fresh pair of protective gloves for each client. 

2.    Does the body temperature of all the artists are checked? Enquire if all the body temperature of all the staff including the artists is being checked every day before they enter into the studio? 

3.    Does the studio use proper equipment? Ensure that the artist uses a fresh pair of needles. Also ensure that the furniture and workstation is properly sterilized

4.    Do they sterilize non-disposable equipment or use one time needles. Most used areas such as the drawer handles, sinks, and tables should be sanitized regularly.
 
Safety measures for YOU

•    Make sure that you approach a standard and reputed tattoo parlor that operates with experienced professionals because they follow the correct safety procedures for tattooing. 

•    Do all the consultation through phone calls and book an appointment before entering the studio. Then, make sure you arrive exactly at that time! It is also helpful to discuss design and tattoo positioning etc with the artist before arriving at the studio. 

•    It would be advisable to not take your friend/family along with you for moral support. It is also a good idea to carry the least amount of belongings with you...just a phone, sanitiser and your keys in a mini purse reduces the risk greatly. 

•    Be cautious about the common spots like doorknobs, chairs, tabletops, etc that are daily touched by several people. Ensure to sanitize your hands immediately after you touch any of these spots.