Getting a tattoo is certainly a big decision (after all, this piece of art will be on your body for the rest of your life) but it is also an exciting one. A tattoo is truly a piece of art, and tattoos have become more normalized and popular in the United States, with nearly 50 million Americans sporting at least one tattoo, if not more. There are also now over 20,000 tattoo parlors in the United States alone, meaning that there’s a lot of choice in what tattoo artist actually gives you your first (or second or third or tenth) tattoo.

There are some important things to consider when choosing a tattoo parlor and a tattoo artist. First, that they have openings in the near future. Popular artists and parlors often book up quickly, so it’s important to secure a spot as soon as you’ve made your decision. Second, it’s important to choose an artist whose work you admire. Many artists have public social media accounts where you can easily peruse their work, but all will half examples of prior work done if you go to see them in person. Looking over an artist’s portfolio is key to deciding if they’d be a good match for your tattoo. You also want to make sure that what they charge is in your price range (though getting a tattoo is definitely not something to skimp on. Very low prices can often mean low quality).

But maybe the most important part of getting a tattoo is the cleanliness of the process. From an autoclave statim sterilizer to basic hygiene, it’s important that the tattoo studio that you choose be as clean and sterile as possible. While cleaning – which typically includes wiping down materials – in order to properly remove bacteria and sterilize equipment, a statim sterilizer (a type of tattoo autoclave sterilizer) is a good way to make sure that the tools are ready for the next customer. Bloodborne pathogens – or, diseases transmitted by blood – have been found to be able to live outside of the body for up to seven days, a full week. Because of this, using a statim sterilizer to sterilize tattoo equipment is essential between each and every customer.

It is also crucial that a statim sterilizer or autoclave be regularly given maintenance. Autoclave repair and sterilizer repair are sometimes necessary, and should be done as quickly as possible. In fact, aside from user error, improper maintenance is one of leading causes for a sterilizer or autoclave to fail. In order to prevent this from happening as much as possible, a statim sterilizer should be given a spore test at least weekly on the advice given by the CDC.

Getting a tattoo is an exciting and important moment, but it’s important to do your research thoroughly before ever getting inked. From artist choice to a sterile environment, there are many factors that play in to getting a tattoo, be it your first tattoo or your thirtieth.

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