Stop illegal tattooing....

HIV and hepatitis warning over illegal tattooists

 

 

Unlicensed tattooists face a prison sentence of up to two years

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Illegal unlicensed tattoo parlours are putting customers at risk from HIV and hepatitis, council bosses in England and Wales have warned.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said such operators were more likely to use substandard equipment and conduct inadequate sterilisation techniques.
They were also less likely to check the person's age or medical history.
The LGA said unregulated tattooists were working in homes, garden sheds or pubs and clubs.
'Unscrupulous bid' The organisation said people were being lured away from reputable establishments by cheap deals - but there was an increased danger of contracting serious skin disorders, hepatitis or HIV.
Mehboob Khan, chairman of the LGA's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: "Unlicensed tattooists and parlours continue to operate across the country in an unscrupulous bid to cash in on the growing popularity of body art.
"People looking for a cheap tattoo by using them run the real danger of picking up a serious infection such as hepatitis or HIV or permanent scarring from botched procedures that are often delivered by these dangerous imposters."
Mr Khan said people who took the risk could end up with a "disfigurement or life-changing health condition".
He added: "Anyone who is thinking of having a tattoo should do their research and use a registered tattooist.
'Unrelenting crackdown' "We would also encourage anyone who has visited an unregistered tattooist to seek medical advice from their GP and report the parlour to their local authority.
"Councils and the police will continue their unrelenting crackdown on these illegal parlours to continue shutting them down and bringing the perpetrators to justice."
Tattoo artist Kevin Paul told the BBC that anyone with tattoo equipment should have register with their local council and follow health and safety guidelines.
He said: "Some of the stories we've had are really bad. Like this girl - she had something on her foot.
"She thought it was a professional person who'd done it. He went far too deep. It swelled up and went really sore.
"She went back to get their advice after a week. They told her that that was normal. That's not normal. Two weeks down the line, it got that bad she could hardly walk on it. She went to hospital. They told her that if she'd have left it any longer she'd have lost her foot."
The LGA said there were more than 1,500 licensed tattoo parlours in the UK, with almost three in 10 people aged between 25 and 34 having at least one piece of the body art.
Unlicensed tattooists face a prison sentence of up to two years and unlimited fines, and local authorities can seize their equipment under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Choosing a Reputable Tattoo Parlour or Shop

Seventy-five percent of the UK people who have tattoos end up wishing that they hadn't according to a study by the British Journal of Dermatology in 2003. Of course, many of these people might just have changed their mind afterwards, and there isn't much that anyone can do about indecisiveness.

If you are absolutely sure you want to have a tattoo, you're over 18, and you are looking for the place to do it for you, just keep the following guidelines in mind and you'll hopefully end up with a tat you can be proud of for years to come...

https://www.facebook.com/kinkyink.inkorporated 93 Battersea Rise, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1HW.

Make Sure They are Registered!

Check that the person you want to tattoo you is registered and has an up to date health and safety certificate. This should give you some peace of mind. By law (the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, to be precise) anyone who carries out tattooing, must be registered with their local authority, who should visit their premises on a regular basis to make sure they are complying with the law. Never go to an unlicensed tattooist, that's just asking for trouble. Also look at the work they have already done and does this appeal to your requirements? Just because a studio is registered has no bearing on the quality of work they produce.

Health Concerns

To put your mind at rest, and to avoid any problems with the tattoo, the tattooist should ask whether you if you have had any of the following:

• any allergic reactions to latex, anaesthetics or sticking plasters
• any condition that might compromise your immune system (such as MS)
• heart disease or a pacemaker
• impetigo
• seizures, epileptic or otherwise
• high blood pressure
• haemophilia.

If you have any of those conditions, or have had them in the past, you'll be asked to get written authorisation from your GP before you're tattooed. All this information also has to be recorded.

Check The Hygiene

Are they displaying a health and safety certificate? They should be, so ask to see one if it's not immediately obvious. Look around and see if the place is clean and tidy...it should be spotlessly clean. Look out for:

• Are they wearing gloves? Visit the parlour before you have your tattoo and see if the artist(s) are wearing gloves to tattoo other clients - this is basic health and safety practice so if there are no gloves, give them a miss. Tattooing punctures your skin and leaves you prone to infection even if it's done with spotless hands and instruments - don't risk compromising your health.
• Needle safety every single needle must be brand-new, not cleaned or disinfected. Watch the artist throw old needles away and take new ones out to use on you. Dirty needles are a serious health risk, and could leave you with a chance of contracting HIV, hepatitis or tetanus.

Get Recommended

Get a recommendation. If you have friends with tattoos, it makes sense to ask them where they were done, and if they were happy. Check the Internet to see if there are any testimonials online. Visit the parlour and ask to see examples of previous work.

Reputable by Association

Are they a member of the Association of Professional Tattoo Artists, or the Tattoo Club of Great Britain? The Tattoo Club has a list of registered tattoo artists which they are happy to divulge.

A tattoo is a lifelong investment - costly to put right if you're not happy with the results. A little time researching the best place for you will pay dividends in the long term.

https://www.facebook.com/kinkyink.inkorporated 93 Battersea Rise, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1HW.

Tattoo studios, the law and the truth....

 I have had meetings with environmental health and other council members in Wandsworth and due to legislation they cannot refuse anyone being granted a license and it seems that now councils around the UK are actually considering handing out mobile licenses.

Also, studio's who obtain a license on the grounds that they meet good hygiene standards along with health and safety, but these are not enough as the studio may be clean but it can still be operated by "artists" that have no education into tattooing, even without the ability to draw in some cases.

We run a very clean and professional environment and we chose artists based on artistic and technical ability so our customers are provided with the best possible tattoo and we feel that this should be standard practice. If you think of it in this way, you wouldn't go to a restaurant that has an amazingly clean kitchen but the chef is the worst chef in the world and he uses reduced produce from the bottom shelf at the supermarket.

The other sad point is that planning in London needs proprietors to apply for Sui generic planning applications. This means we fall under the same category as sex shops, massage parlour’s, tanning shops, laundrettes, etc.... But we should fall under a more professional category as we perform a very technical and demanding practice. 

The problem we are facing now because of the huge demand and popularity of tattoos and the spotlight the media has placed on them we get business owners who fall under the Sui generic category are adding tattooing to their existing business and hiring very inexperienced artists, often whom have left their apprenticeship early and are trying to accelerate their earning ability or artists who are just not good at all and producing the "illegal home tattooist" quality, but in a business environment. Also, they are buying poor quality equipment shipped in from China and there are several cases in the media where counterfeit inks have been contaminated and needles that are not sterile.

Due to shows on TV people see that tattooing is very popular, profitable and think that it is something you can just pick up and do, but in actual fact even if you can put pencil to paper and create the most breathtaking art then its a whole other skill to be able to use a needle and ink to transfer that skill into beautiful tattoos on skin.

Everybody, please help the nation become informed on proper practice and guide them in the right direction to get good quality work with no risks attached. 

Choosing a professional body piercer....

Body Piercing - Choosing a Body Piercing Professional

Choose https://www.facebook.com/mrwolfpiercing for over 10 years experience

Body piercing is fashionable at the moment, and piercing is available in specialist studios as well as some hairdressing salons and tattoo parlours. If you've decided to take the leap and have a piercing, there are things you should look out for to make your experience one that you won't remember for all the wrong reasons.

Ask Around

Ask friends and family with piercings who they would recommend. Find out if they used a reputable piercer - and ask them whether they were told how to look after their piercing properly, or how to remove the jewellery. Research online; ask for testimonials and pictures of happy clients. Any decent studio will be more than happy to show these off!

Some local councils keep a register of their approved piercers, premises which have passed strict hygiene and safety standards, and are regularly inspected by health and safety officers. It's a good idea to contact your local council to find out if they have any approved piercer lists or schemes.

There are also professional piercing associations such as the Association of Modern Professional Piercers.

http://www.synapsebodypiercing.co.uk/stand/ampp/

If a studio belongs to the association, they must display the AMPP Clients Charter in their salon...and follow it.

Check The Place Out

A few days before having you have the piercing, drop in to the shop and have a good look around.

• Do the premises look clean, and have wipe-clean surfaces (including the floor?) Ask to see results of spore tests - tests run to make sure that the sterilising equipment is working properly.
• Are they wearing surgical gloves, and can you see that they are changing them between customers?
• Do piercers look clean and tidy? Do they wash their hands regularly, and are any cuts on their hands covered?
• Are they using single-use needles and throwing them away after each client? Are they using a gun? Avoid anywhere using a piercing gun, as they can't be sterilised properly, and they use so much force to drive the stud through skin, they can cause tissue damage.
• Are other instruments left in the autoclave (steriliser) while not in use?
• Ask lots of questions. Find out about their experience, how long they've been piercing and where they learned. Do they have any specialist qualifications? Ask advice about the most appropriate jewellery for your piercing - any experienced piercer will be able to recommend what's best, advise you about aftercare and explain the risks without any hesitation
• Ask for their aftercare sheet, and read it before you even have the piercing done! A good piercing studio should have a standard aftercare sheet. If it tells you to use hydrogen peroxide, for example, it could indicate that they are not keeping up with industry standards.

Why Hygiene is So Important

If you don't pay proper attention to hygiene, you could end up with hepatitis or even HIV, Some strains of hepatitis can live for up to eight hours on dirty instruments if left at normal room temperatures. You could also end up with a nasty bacterial infection if the studio isn't following proper hygiene rules, which can develop into septicaemia or toxic shock. Both can be fatal.

What You Can and Can't Do

There is no statutory age limit for ear or cosmetic piercing in England or Wales, but some London Boroughs do impose license conditions which relate to the age of the client.

Under English law, anyone under the age of 16 can't have a genital piercing, as genital piercing under 16 is actually classed as an indecent assault. The same applies to female breast piercings, although boys under 16 may have their nipples pierced.

Body piercing needn't be painful in the long term. With some careful research and common sense, you can have a piercing to be proud of with no problems.

https://www.facebook.com/mrwolfpiercing

The Correct Body Piercing Jewellery for Hygiene

You're going to have a piercing - you know where you want it, but what do you want to put in it? Here's a guide to the jewellery best suited for all areas.

Come to https://www.facebook.com/mrwolfpiercing for a large selection of body jewellery.

Ear Lobe

The ear piercing is by far the most popular type of body piercing, either a single lobe piercing, or multiple piercings in the rim. There are many different parts of the ear that can be pierced, depending on how adventurous you are.

Once the lobe is fully healed, you can hang anything you like from it - whether you have a penchant for hoops, chandeliers, or you're a diamond stud fan. When you have the initial piercing, though, the studio will probably suggest that it's done with a stud, or what's called a 'ball closure ring'. Some of the more unusual piercings (such as the 'Industrial') use a barbell, which stretches from one side of the ear to the other. The usual healing time for an ear piercing is five to six weeks.

Eyebrow

Eyebrows are usually pierced with a barbell or a ball closure ring, and these can be fitted in a selection of different designs and sizes. You can, have your eyebrow pierced in several different places, but the most common place is on the outer edge of the brow. This type of piercing can take six to eight weeks to fully heal.

Madonna, Lip and Labret piercings

Piercings on or near the lip will nearly always be done with a stud. Healing time is around six to eight weeks.

Nostril

Nose piercings are usually fitted with a stud, as this makes the piercing easier to clean while it's healing. Nose studs aren't the same as ear studs, and don't have butterfly clips to keep them in place - they are bent into a horseshoe shape inside the nose, which stops them falling out. Once the piercing has fully healed, the stud can be swapped for a ball closure ring. The nostril can take up to 12 weeks to heal.

Tongue

Although you might not think it, a tongue piercing is said to be one of the least painful piercings you can have - although the few days afterwards can be uncomfortable. Tongue piercings are usually done with a long barbell, as there is likely to be a fair amount of swelling. This can be changed down to a shorter one as the swelling goes down and the piercing heals. The healing process for a tongue piercing will take about three weeks, and there can be a few days on soft food as the swelling dies down.

Nipple

A nipple can be pierced several times, and it can be a vertical or a horizontal piercing. When a male nipple is pierced, it's usually done with a barbell, ball closure ring or a circular barbell, and the best choice for female nipples is a simple barbell, for comfort.A barbell is always used for a vertical piercing. Once the nipple is fully healed, after about 12 weeks, the barbell can be changed for whatever suits!

Navel (Belly Button)

Navel piercing is another really popular fashion statement, seen on models and pop stars everywhere! The most common form of navel piercing, the upper piercing, is usually best done with a bananabell (a jewelled navel bar) or a ball closure ring. If you have the ball closure ring to start with, some studios will suggest that you change after a few weeks to a bananabell. Although the piercing isn't healed at that stage, the bananabell sits much closer to the body so this reduces the risk of catching on clothing as the piercing heals and the swelling goes down. Healing takes around six months in some people but can take as long as a year.

Materials

Always ask your piercer for their recommendations about which types of metal are best for your piercing. Generally speaking, any metal you choose should be a type that's known not to react to body tissues - some precious metals and surgical implant materials work well.

Good Choices for Body Piercings

• 14k or 18k white or yellow gold
• Surgical implant stainless steel or titanium
• Niobium

Bad Choices

• Sterling silver - it oxidizes (tarnishes) when it comes into contact with body tissues.
• Plated gold - the plating can rub off and the exposed metal underneath can react with your body to cause irritation and infection.
• Poor quality steel.
• Any type of fake gold or base metal jewellery, which may corrode when exposed to bodily fluids.

It's important that you take your time to decide exactly what jewellery you would like to wear in your piercing, and you'll probably find that there is a huge range of designs and colours that make the decision a difficult one. Either way, you're likely to be wearing your choice for a good few weeks or months while the piercing heals so pick something that's going to keep you happy for the long term - and always ask your piercer for their recommendations if you're not sure.

https://www.facebook.com/mrwolfpiercing

A Welsh piercer in London....

Whats the time MrWolf?........ well let me tell you, its time to come to see MrWolf for all of your high quality body piercing and body modification, as well as this we offer tattoo removal and other laser services.

Follow #mrwolfpiercing

Welcome to #theden Situated at the amazing KinkyInk Tattoo Studio, Battersea Rise, SW11 1HW 02072233666 where you can get all the piercings, scarification, reconstruction and laser services you desire.

Just a short walk from Clapham Junction overground and other various transport links we offer an extremely professional and comforting service where we will make you feel just like one of our own pack. If you can't find what you are hunting for on our price list below then please feel free to call the shop or email us on the contact details provided and we will be sure to help you out.

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