Harm Reduction: Information on Safe Poking.

Tattooing at Home: Reducing the Risk of Infection

Tattooing at home comes with a higher risk of infection compared to getting a tattoo in a professional shop. However, there are several steps you can take to minimise the risk of infection, blood borne diseases, bad tats and other complications.

1. Maintain a Clean Environment/ Canvas

  • Disinfect Thoroughly: Clean everything!! Disinfect the nozzle of your ink with an alcohol swab, make sure to do the same for your ink cup. Clean the area where you will be tattooing with an antiseptic. Disinfect the skin area before tattoing. Use cling film after tattooing to protect it.

2. Use Needles Safely

  • Never Share or Reuse Needles!: Always use new, sterile (in date) needles for each tattoo session. Dispose of used needles properly in a sharps container.

3. Practice First

  • Practice on Fruit or Fake Skin: Before tattooing people, practice on fruit or synthetic skin to hone your skills.

4. Source Supplies from Reputable Vendors

  • Buy Quality Supplies: Always buy your supplies from good sources. I usually get mine from tattoo suppliers like Killer Ink. Make sure you have all the supplies you need before starting, especially things that will help with hygiene/ safety.

Additional Resources

I would highly reccomend over researching. I don’t know everything, but here are some resources that I found helpful when I was getting started. The Reddit Stick 'n' Pokes Community. This thread has great advice on safety/ some really cool tattoos.

Here are some other quick reads.

Some videos I found helpful

Happy poking.