Tattoo Machine Hygiene: Ensuring Safe and Sterile Practices

Tattooing does not just demand a strict protocol where an artist will follow the strict guidelines of maintaining decorum and doing the tattoo carefully. It is also about keeping the right equipment, which is necessary for doing tattoos.

An artist must always maintain a proper safety and hygiene standard, which will ensure that the tattoos are done by adhering to the safety and hygiene policy of the customer. Artists once followed the sterile procedure of cleaning needles and other equipment, but maintaining the tattoo machine is also an important practice that a person must follow.

In this blog, we will look at the hygiene standards for tattoo machines and will observe on how to keep a machine safe and sterile.

1. Understanding the Risks

A person buys a tattoo machine then uses that for making tattoos, and thinking that they are changing the needles and, washing their hands, and putting on gloves before attending any clients, which means they are adhering to the safety standards of the tattoo industry.

However, this line of thinking is completely wrong; as we put importance on the needles and other equipment, it’s also equally important to clean the tattoo machine quite often. Sometimes, a person might get infected through a bacterial infection or from a bloodborne pathogen. Hence, cleaning the equipment is a necessary task to which an artist must adhere.

2. Cleaning Procedures

The cleaning procedures of the tattoo machine are quite intricate and need clear attention. Before starting any tattoo session, one needs to dismantle the machine, dispose of those elements that are disposable, and put on the new items.

One needs to properly discard the tubes, needles, and grips and use the new ones before starting the tattooing procedure. In the case of non-disposable items, it’s necessary to clean them by rinsing them properly and using a sterile liquid, which can put the bacteria and other pathogens in the dormant stage.

After that, in the metal parts, one needs to scrub the components with the help of a bristled brush or a sponge and clean those areas that are hard to reach. One must avoid using abrasive materials to avoid scratches on the surfaces.

3. Sterilization Techniques

The sterilization methods are quite unique for tattoo machines as they require advanced autoclave and chemical sterilization techniques. One must properly sterilize the machine components so that there are no chances of disinfectants spreading to the new customer.

For example, when a person buys a tattoo gun in Australia or from other places, they must check whether or not the machine can be dismantled step-by-step, as it’s one of the important aspects of customer hygiene.

4. Regular Maintenance Procedures

Now, investing in a tattoo tool is a thoughtful decision, and one will use it for several years. For that, they must clean and maintain it regularly to keep the material functioning without any major problems.

Finally, it’s important to check the safety compliance of the tool so that it can be relied upon while going through a tattoo session.