Tattoo artists and piercers say they’re pleased with the new provincial regulations on body art that are set to roll out in 2019.
Tattoo artists will now have to have a permit and meet standards for infection prevention as well as records management.
Tuesday Addams, a tattoo artist at Bridgewater’s N&M Tattoo and Piercing, says he’s been hoping for government oversight since he started tattooing five years ago.
He had already been voluntarily following his own safety practices, largely based on existing regulations in Ontario.
Addams also attends an annual seminar on bloodborne pathogens and infection prevention for people in the body art industry.
“If you’re working in any kind of blood related area, Hepatitis is always a terrifying thing and not even so much for clients but also for us.”
And every time Addams attended the seminar in Halifax, he says everyone asked why the industry didn’t have proper oversight.
“Every year the discussion was ‘Why don’t we have regulations?’” says Addams. “Every single tattoo artist, you’d have a room with 30 to 50 tattoo artists and all of them are confused as to why it hasn’t happened yet.”
Addams hopes the new rules will encourage newcomers to the business learn before before picking up a tattoo machine – it’s not uncommon to see clients come into the shop with botched tattoos.
“If you’re doing it at your dinner table with dogs and cats running around … that’s not necessarily appropriate.”
Mary Frank, co-owner of N&M agrees.
“I hope they crack down on scratchers … people who are just doing it wherever.”
“You can have a beautiful in-home studio, be properly trained, and have an in home studio, that’s different,” says Addams.
And for those looking to get into the trade, even with the new regulations, Addams has some advice.
“Step one: take the bloodborne pathogens course,” he says. “And from there, look at getting an apprenticeship.”
“Then you’re learning the proper basics before going ham on a bunch of people.”