New regulations for tattoo parlors on the horizon

If you or someone you care about are fans of body piercings and tattoos, it may surprise you that the body piercing and tattoo industry are largely unregulated. Though most artists -- those who care about their work, their customers, and the future of their business, I would think -- practice diligent sterilization techniques, there are many who don't. Tattoo artists are required to sterilize their needles, but there's virtually no regulation over body piercings.

New legislation being reviewed in the state of Washington would bring both forms of body art under new state regulations. One bill requires sterilization of equipment for all tattooing and body piercing, while the other puts much more funding toward enforcing those same regulations and would allow state agencies to investigate complaints. Another bill would create guidelines based on those given by the CDC and make it a misdemeanor not to follow them, and also require minors to provide written consent before any procedure.

Most tattoo and body piercing artists in Washington support one form or the other of these bills, which goes to show you that the people running the industry are behind the idea of keeping it safe for everyone involved. I guess the lesson here is -- before you let someone leave a permanent mark on your body, know them well. If you're going out for a tattoo or a body piercing, be sure it's through a reputable person and ask them to show evidence that their equipment is sterilized.