Let me share with you some thing about Tattoo. As I am looking for a good tattoo artist myself, this is what I learnt. Being a tattoo artist in Poland is an official profession under the code 343917. But, this list is mainly for stats. No regulation addresses the matter of education, training, or certifications to become a tattoo artist.
So, for now, no specific qualifications are needed. In the PKD (Polish Classification of Activities), tattoo artists fall under the 96.09.Z section.
Tattoo Studio Safety Measures in Poland
This category includes other services like astrology, spiritism, and key cutting. For comparison, cosmetic-based activities have a direct mention in PKD – 96.02.Z.
From a legal perspective, both cosmetologists and tattoo artists perform services that involve breaking the skin’s continuity and need to maintain high sanitary standards.
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Tattoo Studio Inspections in Poland
I think it’s worth saying that the State Sanitary Inspection has no power to verify tattoo artists’ qualifications. Also, there’s no requirement in Poland to report starting a tattoo business to the State Sanitary Inspection authorities.
Tattoo artists often speak about several issues they face as studio owners and the lack of clear legal regulations.
There are laws, but they’re minimal, scattered across various acts. Collecting and interpreting them needs a lawyer’s involvement and experience in many legal fields. If you want to understand these laws better, you might need some legal assistance.
Infections and Infectious Diseases Act
The Act from December 5, 2008, on preventing and combating infections and infectious diseases in humans requires people performing procedures, where human tissue continuity is broken, to implement and follow procedures to prevent infections and infectious diseases.
The State District Sanitary Inspector can advise on equipment sterilization procedures, skin disinfection methods, and room and equipment decontamination, but only if requested by the entity required to implement these procedures.
Safety of Tattoo Studios in Poland Under The Law
In the tattooing process, getting the pigment permanently under your skin isn’t as simple as putting it in the skin’s outermost layer.
The skin is always renewing, so a tattoo done at this depth would quickly peel off. So, let me say, to permanently create body art, the pigment needs to go in the upper layer of the dermis.
This can only be done by cutting the skin’s surface and allowing the introduced pigment to permanently penetrate into the live tissue. A similar technique is used in permanent makeup, where the goal is to enhance appearance, including drawing permanent eyebrow lines or lip color.
The difference between permanent makeup and a tattoo lies in the depth at which the pigment is implemented. Skin pigmentation during permanent makeup occurs at the border of the epidermis and dermis.
Health Risks in Tattooing
I believe it’s worth mentioning that incorrectly done procedures or failing to follow hygienic conditions can lead to many health complicxations. The most common skin complications are irritation, infections, and allergic reactions.
If proper hygiene isn’t maintained during the process, there’s a risk of getting dangerous bloodborne viruses such as HIV, HBV, or HCV. It is worth to say that the risk of infection is as high for the customer as it is for the person doing the procedure.
Tattoo Pigments in Poland – Safe or Not?
Now, if you want to know about tattoo pigments in Poland, allow me to explain. I know some of you might be thinking, „what is he talking about?” But let’s look at this from a health perspective.
It’s shocking that around 40% of pigments used for tattooing in the European Union are not certified!! There are no regulations for tattoo ink compositions! Even better:
Some chemical compounds, which are banned in the European Union for use in cosmetics production, can easily be used for tattooing, that is, permanently introduced under the skin.
I am talking about substances that mostly transform into carcinogenic compounds under UV radiation. This happens in the case of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or aromatic amines (anisidine, toluidine, benzopyrene).
I think it’s safe to say, the risk associated with tattoos isn’t just about breaking skin continuity or exposure to microbes, but also exposure to harmful chemicals. We’ll analyze the dyes used for tattooing in the following part of the article.
Tattoo Inks and Their Impact on Health
Let’s take a quick glance at the common colors used in tattoo inks. Black is often seen as the safest. But what about other colors? Well, allow me to explain:
- Green ink often has chromium salts
- Red uses cinnabar, a mercury sulphate
- Yellow gets its hue from cadmium salts
- Light blue often contains cobalt salts
- Various shades of brown have iron salts
But it’s worth saying, not everything stays on the skin’s surface. Some of it enters your bloodstream and can travel to your liver, kidneys, or even your brain.
What Safety Measures do Polish Tattoo Studios Follow?
Before you even set foot in a tattoo studio, they should hold a detailed discussion with you. It should cover not just your tattoo idea, but also help rule out any potential health risks. If you’re given the green light, you can then set an appointment.
When you arrive, the first thing you should do is disinfect your hands. The studio should provide facilities to make this easy and even encourage it. In this time of epidemic, it’s vital, but it’s always important.
Remember, viruses and bacteria have always been around. Proper sanitation should be standard in any close human interactions, including at the tattoo studio.
The studio and its staff should also uphold cleanliness. All surfaces should be regularly cleaned and disinfected.
Before starting their work, the tattoo artist should put on new, medical-grade disposable gloves. They need to fit well – too small, and they might tear, increasing the risk of germ transfer.
When it’s time to start the tattoo, the first thing the artist should do is clean your skin with alcohol. They also need to open a new needle in front of you, much like a dentist or phlebotomist would do.
If the needle looks dark or tainted with ink or a brown film, take notice. It should have a clear, silver color.
The ink packet should also be newly opened, and its certification should state that it is approved for use in the European Union. Don’t hesitate to ask your artist about it. If they’re using top-grade products, they should have nothing to hide.
Post-Tattoo Care and Cleanliness
What happens after the procedure is equally important. Everything that came into contact with the client’s body should either be thrown out (into a marked medical waste bin) or sterilized.
The tattoo artist is obligated to inform you how to care for your wound so it heals quickly and nicely. They should also let you know what to do if any unwanted reactions occur. So, being there, you need to know these imprtant details.
References:
- https://www.ifirma.pl/blog/poradnik-przedsiebiorcy/jak-otworzyc-studio-tatuazu.html
- https://prawotuszu.pl/category/prawowstudiutatuazu/
- https://blog.dziaraj.pl/2021/03/12/otwieramy-salon-tatuazu-wymagania-prawne/
