Tattoo Parties
Everybody loves a party! And tattoo parties are no different. Sun, fun, friends, drinking, drugs, sand, chlorine, swimming, hot tubs, yummy food and TATTOOS! YAY!
Or maybe NOT so …yay?
Why are tattoo parties a very bad idea???
As cool as tattoos are they can also be extremely dangerous if they are not done correctly and in a sanitary environment using sterile equipment and sterile single use needles.
Tattoo parties are illegal for a reason! In a legal shop there are standards that must be met. There cannot be rugs or even any furniture in the room the tattoo is doing done in that is porous. Everything must be a hard surface so it can be bleached or cleaned with hospital strength sanitizers. This is absolutely impossible in almost any home or party situation.
Some people think that doing it in the kitchen meets those requirements; wrong! The kitchen is one of the most germ infested places in anyone’s house, even ones that appear spotless! Especially if you cook meat in your kitchen! Raw meat germs and fresh tattoos don’t mix!!!
At a tattoo party people are often drinking, maybe indulging in some recreational drugs. It can be loud, people can get pushy and all kinds of accidents can occur. And worse, is the tattoo artists indulging in the “festivities”? OH NO!
About the tattoo artists:
Assuming you’re in a state where tattoos are legal, since it’s legal pretty much everywhere. Why would a tattoo artist be doing tattoo parties? After all they are illegal. If they get caught they can get a hefty fine and lose their license to work in that state forever. Well the truth is that the artist doing parties usually do not work in a shop because they’re either not a good enough artist for a shop or because they have other problems such as lack or responsibility or problems with drugs or alcohol preventing them from working in a legit shop. Is that really who you want to get your tattoo from?
Safety:
Does this “Party” tattoo artist have a hospital autoclave to sterilize everything? They are thousands of dollars, so…probably NOT! They usually either use sub standard methods of sterilizing such as boiling or using a pressure cooker. Neither of these methods are legal or acceptable in a shop. The only acceptable method is an autoclave that is spore tested at least once a month. In a shop spore test results are displayed next to the autoclave.
Some buy their needles already sterilized from a mail order company and can happily show you that they are opening the needle just for you. This can be very deceiving! What it really means is they have sterile needles but they are probably putting them into a contaminated tattoo machine (gun)! Because they don’t have an autoclave to sterilize everything else!
Price
Some people are under the illusion that they will get a better deal. What happens if you pay a cheap price but the tattoo sucks? Then you have to pay twice as much to have a shop fix it or cover it up. And if it’s really bad it can be thousands for laser removal.
What if it comes out good but you need a touch up? That’s free at a shop. You probably won’t be able to track down this wandering tattoo artist so that leaves you paying a shop to touch it up or worse no one will do it and you’re stuck.
And worse yet, if you do get an infection, allergic reaction, hepatitis, etc you’ll pay much more in medical bills!
If the artist is any good he/she is going to charge you the same price you would pay at a shop. If the price is cheap there’s a reason!!!!
Tattoos are meant to last for life. They are a big decision, something to be planned and thought about and done at a shop with an excellent reputation.
In Massachusetts tattoos were illegal for many years making it impossible to go to a shop. That left artists and customers with no choice. But it was legalized in 1999! There is no longer a need or excuse to risk your health or possibly life and waste your money getting a tattoo at a party.
Go to a shop where it’s clean, safe, there are good artists, you’ll get a fair price and can go back if needed.
BE SAFE and get Tattooed at a licensed shop!