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| Will
I get HIV or Aids? |
| According
to the centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, there has never
been a case of HIV transmission from tattooing in the United
States. This is due in part to the fact that HIV does not
survive long outside of the body. Nor is it spread through
general contact. The structure of tattoo needles does not
lend itself to HIV Transmission.
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| What
About Hepatitis? |
| This is
the disease to consider when getting a tattoo, it is a very
hardy virus that can survive long periods of time outside the
body and can be transmitted by just a scratch with an infected
needle. This virus is the one to think about when youre standing
in that little dirty tattoo shop fixing to get that cheap $20.00
tattoo, or when youre sitting in someone's home fixing to be
tattooed by a scratcher. To rationalize this you need to calculate
how much its going to cost you in med's for the rest of your
life if you do get this virus from that dirty tattoo shop, or
that home that is not regulated by the health department then
decide if its better to go ahead and be out the extra money
now to be tattooed in a clean, disease free tattoo shop. This
disease is one of the reasons why Hellbent Tattoos goes above
and beyond the regulations of the Texas Health Department( we
didnt come to work with this or any other virus and we sure
don't want to go home with one). To combat this and other blood
borne pathogens we use the M7 Autoclave to sterilize all of
our equipment, all of our needles are used once and disposed
of in sharps container, we use barrier protection on all equipment
used during the tattoo (tattoo guns, clip cord covers, chair
covers and nalagen bottle covers), and we dispose of all unused
ink, and lubricants after each tattoo. Then each station is
cleaned with Opticide (EPA Registered Virucidals) after every
tattoo. We treat everyone (including ourselves) like they are
infectious and by practicing these principals everyone is protected
and the potential for infection is reduced to next to nothing.
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| What
is single service equipment? |
| Needles,
ink caps, ink, ointments, gloves, stencils and razors. The artist
should open a fresh set of needles and tubes in front of you
(this means that they should be individually packaged, dated,
sealed and autoclaved). Any ointments, inks, ink caps, needles,
gloves, and razors used in apply your new tattoo should be disposed
of in front of you when your tattoo is finished. Then the artist
should disinfect the work area with opticide (EPA approved virucidal)
that will kill any surface bacteria or viruses.
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| What
is an autoclave? |
| An autoclave
is the only acceptable means of equipment sterilization in the
tattoo shop. Its a machine that uses a combination of heat,
steam and pressure to kill all pathogenic microorganisms known
to man. Shops should keep a log of their autoclave use and have
the autoclave spore tested monthly (we use Biological Monitoring
Service, for our monthly spore testing). If a shop does not
use an autoclave dont walk out of there, run as fast as you
can! My advice is don't just ask if they use one; ask to see
their autoclave and log.
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| Why
should artist wear gloves? |
| Protection
for you and the artist from blood borne pathogens is why artist
should be wearing gloves anytime they are touching broken skin,
and they should change their gloves anytime that the tattoo
procedure is interrupted.
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| How
should I choose a shop? |
| Make sure
that the shop is clean. What you see in the front room is a
pretty good indication of what you'll see elsewhere in the shop,
(when you walk in if it looks or smells dirty its not the shop
for you). Ask questions about the shop's safety procedures,
any professional shop will gladly answer them for you (after
all it is your health at stake here).
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| How
to pick an artist? |
| First of
all you need to find an artist at a clean shop, this way there
will be no concerns on if they will work on you safely, ask
the artist if they have certificates in blood borne pathogens,
ask if they are Certified Tattoo Specialist, (this is not a
requirement from the state) but if they do have these certificates
then you can rest assured you will be getting a tattoo in the
safest, healthiest manor possible. Secondly look at his portfolio
(pictures of his work) often these pictures are taken right
after the work was completed, so redness and swelling are common.
Things to look for are: Are the lines clean and smooth or are
they broken and jagged? Do the lines meet up? Do you like the
artist style? Taking a few minutes to check out the artist portfolio
can ensure that you will be happy with your new tattoo.
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| Picking
a design? |
| Choose
what you like it will be there the rest of your life. There
are so many ways to choose your design you can browse the internet,
you can choose one from the flash (art designs) at the shop,
or you can bring in your ideas and have it custom drawn for
you. But don't ever tell the artist to do what he wants (chances
are you won't like the same things they do, and youre the one
wearing it for the rest of your life).
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| Location
of your new tattoo? |
| The location
is always a major factor (from real estate to tattoos). So give
the location of your tattoo considerable thought. It is there
forever; don't just think for today think for the rest of your
life. I personally think tattoos should be placed somewhere
that can be covered and that way you never have to wonder if
that tattoo is what kept you from getting that job you just
interviewed for.
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| How
much should it cost? |
| Absolutely
don't ever shop around for "the best price". This is a trade
in which you should see examples of the artist work and the
cleanliness of the shop and question their knowledge. The rule
of thumb is Cheap tattoos are not good and good tattoos are
not cheap.
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| This
is my first Tattoo what should I expect? |
| Getting
your first tattoo is a very exciting experience and being prepared
for what to expect can keep it fun. First you should be well
rested and well fed. If youre tired or your blood sugar level
is low, you may experience a higher level of discomfort than
you normally would. There will be blood the amount varies from
person to person, but usually it is about what you would expect
from a scraped knee or rug burn. If you start to feel faint
or a little "green" tell your artist right away instead of toughing
it out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break.
Your artist will understand and is prepared for this sort of
thing and knows how to handle it (we would rather you take a
break, then pick you up off the floor).If you need to take a
change positions, stretch, sneeze, wiggle or go to the bathroom
let your artist know before you do it. After how the way your
tattoo turns out depends on how still you are.
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| Can
I get a Tattoo when I am drunk? |
| No, not
only is it against the law to tattoo someone that is drunk,
but it will cause you to become dehydrated, you will bleed more
and consequently have a negative effect on your tattoo.
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| How
old do I have to be to get a tattoo? |
| In the
state of Texas you have to be 18 years of age to get tattooed,
the only exception to this law is if a minor already has an
existing tattoo that is gang related or the parents find to
be distasteful. If it is not a cover up then it's totally illegal
in Texas to get a tattoo before 18.
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| What
do I need to do to be prepared for my tattoo? |
| Pick
a day when you have plenty of time, never rush your artist.
Eat before you come Practice proper hygiene Pick your
artist and be confident with their abilities Bring along a
friend if you need to Bring reading material or music for
a distraction Focus on something relaxing, like your next
vacation Suck on hard candies to keep your blood-sugar level
up Take slow, deep breaths to calm your nerves Let your
artist know if you need a break Ask questions if you have
any concerns If it's painful, try not to watch Most importantly
be as still as possible while in the chair
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| Does
it Hurt? |
| To be
honest, of course there will be certain amount of discomfort,
but the discomfort level depends on the person. If you have
a high tolerance to discomfort then I would say it's going
to feel like a cat is scratching you and won't stop. My personal
opinion is that most of the pain comes from not knowing what
to expect. Most first timers are extremely nervous which tends
to make your body tense, if your body is tense you will become
more sensitive. Once the person starts to relax their tattoo
tends to hurt less and less. If you want a tattoo, and take
the time to find the right shop and artist I promise you that
you will not run out the door screaming about the pain. You
will walk out of the shop with a smile on your face, not only
because of how great your new tattoo looks but also for the
fact that you overcame your obstacle of fear.
You can use the below chart to gauge
the amount of discomfort you might expect. |
| Rollover
the Images to see the back. |
|
 |
Yellow
is least amount of discomfort.
Orange
is some discomfort.
Red
is most discomfort.
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| What
can I compare it to? |
| Everyone
has a different threshold for pain. What one finds devastating
another might consider not painful at all. Some people describe
it has annoying, while others compare it to a cat scratch and
others find it to be a stress reliever. The majority of first
timers will say it was not nearly as bad as they feared.
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| Will
I faint or cry? |
| I am sure
that you have heard horror stories of people passing out or
crying because of the pain. People pass out because either their
blood sugar drops from not eating (thats why we recommend being
well fed, and hard candies) or they get to worked up that their
own fear knocks them out. Pain is not the cause of why people
pass out during their tattoo. Now crying on the other hand there
are some that find the pain too much to bear and do cry, but
keep in mind these are few and far between.
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| Can
I get a Tattoo if I have a fear of needles? |
| If you
have a fear of needles getting a tattoo isn't going to be easy.
However the thing to remember is that the only time you will
ever see the needles is when the artist is setting up his equipment.
Tattoo needles do not enter the skin as deep as some may think
(it goes in about 1/16 of an inch). If you have a fear of needles
I would recommend getting your first tattoo in a location that
you will not be able to watch (this helps overcome the apprehension,
by not actually seeing the needle).
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| Can
I get a quote over the phone? |
| No, this
would be like calling the automotive garage and telling them
your car is broke how much to fix it. An artist needs to look
at the design for detail, size and location before quoting you
a price. If you don't have time to go into the shop and get
a price on your tattoo you should not be getting a tattoo. Once
again this brings us to price shopping (something you should
not be doing) ask yourself, Can I tell if the shop is clean?
Can I see the artist work? The answer is no not over the phone
you sure can't.
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| Do
you guarantee your tattoos? |
| Yes, with
the exception of tattoos on the hands or feet. The fact is that
hands and feet take more abuse from normal everyday life, this
makes maintaining the quality of the tattoo very difficult.
All other tattoos are guaranteed with a free touch up as long
as you following your aftercare instructions and come back into
the shop within 30 days for a checkup. Remember the way your
tattoo heals up depends on how well you take care of it!
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| How
do I take care of my new tattoo? |
| After your
tattoo is finished the artist will bandage you up, leave this
bandage on for 1 to 3 Hours. Remove the bandage and wash your
tattoo gently with antibacterial soap. For the first 3 days
after your tattoo you should wash your tattoo using your hands
and antibacterial soap with no scents added (Dial, etc...),
blot tattoo off with towel (do not run the towel across your
tattoo) apply a thin layer of A&D ointment. Repeat this process
three times a day. On day 4 discontinue the use of A&D ointment,
continue the washings and start apply a lotion like Lubriderm
apply this lotion 5 to 6 times a day(when tattoo feels dry apply
lotion),.Come back in about 3 to 4 weeks for the artist to have
a look at your tattoo.
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| What
things should I not to do after getting a tattoo? |
| Do not
go swimming for at least 2 weeks, do not scratch or pick at
your tattoo, do not shave your tattoo and no tanning until your
tattoo is healed.
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| When
can I shave again? |
| Do not
shave the area where your tattoo is until it is completely healed
(if you do, you might as well take a weed whacker to it).The
best way to know if its time to shave is come back in and let
the artist take a look at it, if not close your eyes and run
your finger over the area where your tattoo is, if you can tell
you have a tattoo there do not shave it. My personal opinion
is to plan on not shaving the area around your tattoo for about
4 weeks.
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