At one point, when people saw a tattoo on a stranger, it made them apprehensive. In today’s society, tattoos have become much more mainstream, and chances are you know someone who has a tattoo. Or perhaps, you are interested in getting one yourself. How do you know if a tattoo artist is following proper safety procedures to ensure you do not get an infection from the tattooing process?

First of all, if you walk into a tattoo studio and it does not look and smell clean, chances are it isn’t. Walk right back out of the shop immediately. Every tattoo artist should start out with sterile supplies and surfaces. Surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized before and after EVERY procedure. Last, but not least, the client’s skin should also be kept clean to prevent infection, and in rare cases where it is required, the artist should be protected from transmittable diseases.