Tattoo Hygeine Rating Scheme Launches In Hull

Tattoo studios in Hull are now being rated on how hygeinic they are.

A new voluntary scheme - to drive up standards - is being launched by Hull City Council today.

It'll rate the cleanliness of tattoo parlours and is similar to the food hygeine rating scheme, with ratings from one to four.

28 businesses in the city have already signed up to the initiative - including Needles and Skins on Southcoates Lane.

Tony works there and says a scheme like this is needed to help protect more customers from bad tattooing. He told Viking FM:

"You can give someone a death sentence with a tattoo machine and people don't take it seriously enough. Everyone should get rated on the work that they do and their abilites because the major problem at the minute is that shops are opening and tattoo artists are untrained. You do get a lot of bad tattooists in shops because you don't have to have any training whatsoever as long as you have the health certificate basically."

He says correcting bad tattoos is something he deals with on a regular basis:

"It'll happen in most tattoo studios, very bad tattooing and infections. People don't know about cross-contamination and the inks that they use are sub-standard and nothing is tested. We have seen instances where the tattoos have eaten into people's skin, it's people having a go at tattooing when they've got no idea what they are doing and so they go too deep causing scarring.

"Infection-wise it can be anything really. People re use needles because they don't have a clue what they are doing. They have only got five needles to work from and so some don't sterilise them and it is an ongoing worry.

"I'd encourage everyone to make sure they do their home work and check out their artist, check out their work and make sure you can see work that they are showing has actually been done in their studio by that artist. There is a lot people should look into and they should always check out their artist way before getting a tattoo."

In addition to launching the scheme, the Council is also launching a campaign for people to report illegal tattooists operating in the city, named ‘Catch a Scratcher’. Unregistered, illegal tattooists known as “scratchers” pose a risk to the public. Using cheap tattooing kits bought online, they can advertise their work on social media sites, they often work from home, garden sheds or even do home visits. Members of public may be tempted away from registered tattooists by cheap prices offered by the scratchers.