Choosing between the hundreds of tattoo parlors out there, and the thousands of tattoo artists, is just as important a decision as choosing a design and where to have it placed on your body. Actually, it is more important. You can live with an ugly tattoo design or a regrettable name from your past on your rear end. Getting a blood borne disease from a used needle is something you might not live through.
Did you know that you can catch a disease from a pot of ink, even if the needles and other equipment are new or properly sterilized?
Another thing you need to know before choosing a tattoo parlor is that your job of finding the right place doesn’t end with making sure everything is clean and sterile, or new. Tattoo artists are artists, and you wouldn’t go to a landscape painter if you wanted a self portrait. Every artist has their own style, and their own specialty. Finding an artist that specializes in the type of tattoo you want is well worth the extra research. All tattoo parlors should offer a portfolio of each artist’s work.

• Rules are rules, even for rebels- There are rules that tattoo parlors have to follow, even though the specifics change from state to state. Google your local standards and make sure that the places you consider are following them. They should be more than happy to show you their certifications and credentials. Even better? A tattoo parlor that has artists who are members of the APT (Alliance of Professional Tattooists).
• Listen to the gossip- That sounds like a funny thing to do, but word of mouth reputation is actually pretty accurate in the tattooing and piercing world. Anyone who has a bad experience will likely want to shout it from the rooftops, and anyone with a great tattoo from a great artist or tattoo parlor will be jumping at any chance to show it off and sing the artists praises. This is one of the rare occasions where you can ask a near stranger a semi-personal question and not be considered rude. Complimenting a great tattoo and asking where it was done is the highest praise you can offer a tattooed stranger.
  
  
  
  

  Choosing the best tattoo parlors is important, but it’s really not difficult. Using common sense and that gut instinct that we all have should lead you in the right direction. If you walk into a place and it just doesn’t feel right to you, then it probably isn’t. If you walk into a place and instantly feel right at home, then you’re likely in the right place…unless you’re right at home in a house where there are things growing in many of the available dishes. If that’s the case, pick your cleanest friend, and have them come along to help you find a good tattoo parlor. You might have them hire you a housekeeper while you’re at it…

  
  

• Cleanliness is…well, you know the rest- Above all, you want a place that uses clean needles, sterilized equipment, and has sanitary everything-else. The artist should wear surgical gloves anytime he or she touches a client, and the tattooing area should remind you of a hospital or dentists office, with better décor. The front waiting area should be clean, too. Have you ever walked through someone’s dirty living room and thought that the kitchen and bathroom would be any cleaner?
• There should be a Biohazard sticker somewhere- Any good tattoo parlor has a sharps container for used needles and razors to be disposed in, and a biohazard container for anything else that has been in contact with blood or body fluids of any kind. If you don’t see these hospital-like items, you need to find another tattoo parlor.
• They should answer you- The employees of a tattoo parlor, even the non-artistic clerks in the front, should be friendly and willing to answer any questions you have about their licenses, certifications, sterilizing practices, and anything else you would like to know about their operation. The artists should be willing (and happy) to show you their equipment and let you see exactly how they operate.