This was the statement of caution made by Chuah Khang Wei of Pink Tattoos, a well-known tattoo parlour located in Bangsar.
Speaking to FMT, Chuah noted the lack of qualifications and standards for an individual to be recognised as a tattoo artist and said “it would be great” if the relevant authorities had a certain set of standards to go by.
Elaborating on his concerns, Chuah said it was different in other countries where one would have to undergo several tests before qualifying as a certified tattoo artist.
“To even be a qualified apprentice you would need to take a ‘bloodborne pathogen test’. Since a tattoo artist deals with blood all the time, cross contamination of blood can easily occur if you don’t know the right way to keep your equipment and work station clean and sterile.
“It teaches you pretty much everything you need to know to ensure the lowest possible chance of cross contamination,” said Chuah.
In the absence of strict tests and laws, Chuah said Malaysians who wanted to become tattoo artists should adhere to the basics of hygiene, and that they should “always know what they are doing.”
“Needless to say a professional tattoo shop should ensure their artists know this, and also ensure their shop is in the most sterile and hygienic of conditions but of course, not every shop ensures this.
“Whether a tattoo artist is qualified in Malaysia, there is no real way to know. All you can do is look through their portfolio, do your own research, and trust the tattoo artist you choose. You may think a shop is unhygienic but someone else may think it’s acceptable,” said Chuah.
He also urged Malaysians to research the hygiene aspects of getting a tattoo before attempting to acquire one.
“The public needs to be educated on basic hygiene, the do’s and don’ts. For starters, artists should know what they are doing and on the other end it is also the wearers’ responsibility to take care of their healing tattoos.”
The very first tattoo convention in Peninsular Malaysia was held in June last year at MAEPS Serdang. Called The Wayang Kulit Tattoo Show 2015, it comprised 24 artists from Malaysia and Singapore, and was a surprising success.
“It is quite of an extreme thing, knowing that this is a Muslim country but then, we had a rather surprising turnout. We were glad,” Taco Joe of Black Ink Industry Tattoo Studios reportedly said.
Julian Oh, a popular Subang-based tattoo artist noted that people today were more open to the idea of tattoos as compared to those of previous generations.
“I think that whole stigma (of tattoos disappeared) ten years ago especially due to shows like Miami Ink that came on air and everybody can see what tattoos are all about,” Oh said.
Fin T, also from Pink Tattoos however said people must stop “perpetuating (the myth) that all tattoo studios are dungeons and all tattoo artists are dropouts, bikers and skinheads”, which was far from the actual truth as most were distinguished artists in their own right.
“Slowly, it is not going to happen overnight. It is changing and it’s because of the people and the way they are seeing things now.
“In Pink Tattoo, we like to make people feel comfortable. We are very 1950-ish themed. We greet our customers with a smile and help guide them in getting the tattoo of their choice,” Fin T said.