Yes. Tattoo and body piercing studios must follow standard precautions for infection control and prevention to prevent the spread of disease. These precautions include proper hand washing, gloving, use of personal protective equipment, injury prevention, and proper handling and disposal of needles or other sharp instruments and contaminated articles. Tattoo or body piercing equipment used by studios must be properly sterilized by either steam sterilization (autoclave) or by dry heat sterilization. Rather than sterilize the equipment themselves, some studios prefer to purchase equipment that is already pre-sterilized by the manufacturer. If you have questions concerning infections, infection prevention or sterilization practices ask for more details, or contact your local health department.
