You’ve decided: You’re going to get inked. You’ve spent hours researching or sketching to find the perfect design, given some thought to how to cover (or display) your new tatt at your wedding or job interview, and listened with a minimum of eye-rolling to all the horror stories about how “that barbed wire armband looked more like a picket fence by the time she was 50.” Now think about how you’re going to choose the right tattoo parlor.

Oddly, the FDA regulates some of the inks and pigments that are used in tattooing, but there are no federal rules that cover the actual practice – though your state or city may have some. Increasingly, inks and other additives that have not been FDA approved for injection into the skin are being used for special tattooing effects, and some places even use automobile paint! Make sure you know what a shop uses.

Almost everyone is hyper-aware of blood-borne pathogens these days, and though tattooing carries little risk of HIV exposure, the possibility of Hepatitis C and other infections is very real. Therefore, a safety-conscious professional will always: use a new needle and tube setup from a sealed envelope for EACH tattoo; use fresh ink poured into a disposable container for EACH tattoo; put on a new pair of latex gloves before beginning any preparations; put Vaseline or cream on your finished tattoo using a disposable tool, not by hand; and use an autoclave to sterilize ALL equipment between tattoos.

Your overall impressions of the cleanliness of the shop are important, as is your rapport with the prospective artist. These precautions protect the artist much as they do you, so a professional will take you through every step patiently, showing you all the equipment and explaining the safety procedures and any certifications they may have. If your artist IS a professional, he will welcome your questions. If he is evasive or impatient, look elsewhere – no matter how well he inks, it’s not worth the risk.

And, if you are too timid to ask these questions – wait for a while longer. You aren’t mature enough yet!