Tattoos and Piercings

Your tattoo artist must:

• Work in an inspected studio storefront or home-based studio.
• Have a work area that is clean and organized.
• Have a sink. It should have hot and cold running water, liquid soap and paper towels.
• Wash hands using liquid soap and water, or use hand sanitizer. It must be done before putting on a new pair of gloves.
• Cover the machine, lighting, and spray bottles in plastic. The plastic should be discarded after use.
• Use new, disposable applicators.
• Throw out leftover product after each client.
• Must pour ink in front of you. Be sure the new ink caps are new. Old ink and used caps must be thrown out.
• Use a new, disposable cup with clean water for rinsing ink from tattoo needles.
• Clean the skin with an antiseptic before beginning.
• Use a new, disposable razor if shaving is required.
• Use a new, disposable stencil.
• Use new, pre-packaged, and sterile disposable tattoo needles.
• Make sure that all tattoo tubes, grips and needles must be sterile and kept in sealed packaging. The artist must assemble it in front of you.
• Discard used needles and razors into a sharps container after use.
• Must clean and sterilize all reusable metal tubes and grips after use.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Aftercare tips for tattoos

Ask about the follow-up care. The artist must give you verbal and written instructions. They tell you how to clean and care for your tattoo to help prevent an infection.

• The finished tattoo should be covered with a clean bandage.
• Always wash your hands before you touch your tattoo.
• Only touch your tattoo to clean it.
• Make sure clothing does not irritate the area.
• See your doctor immediately if the tattooed area becomes infected. Signs are increased redness, swelling, tenderness and/or the appearance of pus.

Do not get a tattoo if...

Do not get a tattoo if the artist cannot answer your questions. That should warn you not to get a tattoo.

Warning signs are:

• The artist does not use new, pre-packaged, sterile, disposable needles.
• The artist does not use proper cleaning and disinfecting or sterilizing methods.
• The artist appears to have used drugs or alcohol.
• You have used drugs or alcohol. Alcohol and drugs may thin your blood and this may lead to excessive bleeding.
• The studio cannot show you the latest inspection report.
• The disclosure sign is not posted.

Your body piercing artist must:

• Work in an inspected storefront or home-based studio.
• Have a work area that is clean and organized.
• Have a sink with hot and cold running water, liquid soap and paper towels.
• Wash hands using liquid soap and water, or use hand sanitizer. It must be done before putting on a new pair of gloves.
• Must apply products with new, disposable applicators.
• Must throw out left over product after each client.
• Must clean the skin with a skin antiseptic. After the area is marked, the piercer must clean the area again with an antiseptic just before you are pierced. Mouth piercings require a mouth rinse.
• Must use new, pre-packaged, sterile and disposable needles every time.
• Use piercing instruments (e.g. needles, clamps) that are sterile and stored in sealed packaging. The piercer must open it in front of you.
• Must use sterile jewellery that is made of high quality, non-allergenic materials such as gold, surgical steel, niobium, titanium or PTFE nylon.
• Must discard used needles into a sharps container after use.
• Must ensure that all reusable equipment used to pierce the skin, or that may become contaminated during the service (i.e. clamps, pliers, etc.) is cleaned and sterilized.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Your ear piercing artist must:

• Only use an ear piercing device on ear lobes. An ear piercing device should not be used to pierce any other part of the body.
• Must use new, pre-packaged, sterile, disposable, plastic cartridges or adapters when using an ear piercing device.
• Use earrings and disposable cartridge or adapters that are stored in sealed sterile packages and should be opened in front of you.
• Discard plastic cartridges or adapters after use.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Aftercare tips for body and ear piercing:

Ask about the follow-up care. The artist must give you verbal and written instructions. They will tell you how to clean and care for your piercing to help prevent an infection.

• Always wash your hands before cleaning your piercing or the surrounding area.
• Do not touch your piercing. Only clean it until it has healed.
• Piercings may take weeks or months to heal.
• Risk of infection is higher if clothing irritates the pierced area.
• Rick of infection is higher if the area is not kept clean and dry while healing.
• Piercings can result in serious scarring or disfigurement if infected.
• See your doctor immediately if the pierced area becomes infected. Signs are increased redness, swelling, tenderness and/or the appearance of pus.
• Do not remove the jewelry. The hole can close up around the infected area.

Do not get a body or ear piercing if...

Do not get a body or ear piercing if an artist cannot or will not answer all your questions. That should warn you not to get a piercing done.

Warning signs are:

• The artist does not use new, pre-packaged, sterile, disposable needles.
• The artist does not use proper cleaning and disinfecting or sterilizing methods.
• The artist appears to have used drugs or alcohol.
• You have used drugs or alcohol. Alcohol and drugs may thin your blood and this may lead to excessive bleeding.
• The studio cannot show you the latest inspection report.
• The disclosure sign is not posted.

A blood or body fluid exposure is when:

• A needle or tool contaminated with someone's blood or body fluid has broken your skin.
• Your broken skin is exposed to someone's blood or body fluid.
• Someone else's blood or body fluid gets in your eyes, nose or mouth.

Steps to take if a blood or body fluid exposure happens:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Wear new gloves before touching the area.
3. Wash the cut with soap and water. Allow the cut to bleed freely.
4. Apply a skin antiseptic and bandage the area.
5. If there has been a splash into your eyes, nose or mouth, flush the area with water.
6. Contact a doctor.
7. Tell your artist so they can document the details of this exposure. It is a requirement.

• Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
• Ontario Regulation 136/18 - Personal Service Settings
• Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Service Settings

• Blood and bodily fluids exposure response procedures
• Body piercing
• Disinfectant Log Sheet
• Disposable versus reusable items
• Ear lobe piercing
• Needle cartridge system
• Tattooing and micropigmentation

You do not have to see blood or body fluid to get an infection. You can look at the information here to protect yourself and your clients.

• Accidental exposure response and recording form
• Blood-borne diseases
• Client record form for invasive procedures
• General and operational requirements English | Vietnamese
• Routine practices English | Vietnamese

Regular cleaning and disinfection helps to prevent the spread of germs.

Cleaning removes dirt, organic matter, and most germs. Cleaning alone does not kill harmful germs left behind. Clean all surfaces before disinfecting them. Disinfection kills most disease-causing germs that stay on surfaces.

• Facts about cleaning and disinfection
• Cleaning instruments
• Disinfection chart
• Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization flow chart
• Read the label and follow the instructions
• Using bleach as a disinfectant
• Dilution calculator for bleach
• Cleaning a blood/body fluid spill

Sterilization kills all germs including viruses, bacteria, fungi and spores. Proper cleaning is important before sterilization. Items that break the skin such as needles and lancets must be new, pre-packaged and in sterile condition.

Your must test your autoclave every other week by sending the spore test to a laboratory.

Resources on how to sterilize reusable items on-site:

• Ultrasonic cleaner log sheet
• Sterilization
• Chemical and physical monitoring
• Sterilization log
• Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization flow chart

Wash your hands to stop the spread of germs. Handwashing is the simplest and most important thing that you can do to reduce the spread of germs. It keeps you and your clients from getting sick.

Facts about handwashing

Handwashing steps

• Version 1: English | French
• Version 2: English | French
• Version 3: English | French

Hand sanitizing steps

• Version 1: English | French
• Version 2: English | French
• Version 3: English | French

Videos

• Keeping Hands Clean video
• Hand sanitizer video

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