As we all know in the midst of this Covid world, everything and everybody has had to make changes. Business' all over the country have had to instate strict measures to ensure the safety of their clients and staff. The tattoo industry is probably one of the best equipped to transition with ease in order to meet these standards, with impeccable hygiene standards being key to normal business.
Studios around Aberdeen have been dedicated to keeping up these high standards and customers have appreciated every effort to make everyone safe.
Depending on where you choose to book your appointment, you may be met with slightly differing rules, but it seems that many parlours have very similar guidelines.
So if you are thinking it's about time for your next tattoo, but you're not sure if it's safe and want to know what to expect before you book an appointment, this is a little rundown of what you might be faced with.
Wearing a mask
Now this is definitely the most obvious one, at this point you know that you have to wear a mask when you enter any business now. You will have to wear your mask for the duration of your appointment, as you know this may be over a period of hours. Unless you have had to wear masks to work, you might not be used to wearing them for such a long time but, lets face it, although they can be annoying, you will probably have bigger things grabbing your attention.
Sanitising
You'll no doubt be asked to sanitise your hands upon entering the studio and if you need to have breaks throughout your appointment to eat or use the bathroom. This is a two way street and your artists are being extra vigilant with sanitising their stations and more.
Grey City are making a concerted effort to keep everyone safe. The new addition of a sanitising and health check station alongside designated walkways to maintain social distancing between customers is only a portion of the precautions being taken. The studio have also had Elite Disinfection Services (EDS), disinfect the entire shop and they have vowed to repeat this every 21 days to ensure this high standard is maintained.
Victoria Rieger recently attended a tattoo appointment at Grey City and said "I think the measures taken were good and I definitely felt safe during my appointment since tattoo studios have a high hygiene standard anyway. Sanitising the work station between every customer is the norm in the industry (with it without corona) and there’s usually a distance for privacy reasons between the customers anyway."
Victoria also went on to say that she would definitely return to Grey City for another appointment while the studio is operating in these conditions.
Attending your appointment alone
In the past some studios have allowed you to bring someone along to your appointment, even to just sit in the waiting room. At the moment, with the need for social distancing, studios may not be able to accommodate this. The well being of everyone is top priority and therefore you may be told that you cannot bring anyone unless their presence is absolutely necessary. If you are under 16 and getting a piercing you will need to bring a parent or guardian to sign consent forms but be prepared for them to be asked to wait outside during the appointment.
Utopia Body Arts, Rebel Ink, Shazink Tattoo Studio and many more have this rule in place.
Keeping to your scheduled time
When you book your appointment, you will be given a time of arrival and many shops may ask that you arrive on time, not early or late to ensure that there aren't too many people in reception at once.
In early September, I had my first, post-lockdown appointment at Rebel Ink. My booking was made for 12 and I was asked to get there exactly for 12. Rebel Ink also asks that you wait outside when you arrive and they will let you in. This extra measure is also prevent walk-ins.
Booking Only
As you can gather from the last item, many studios are no longer accepting walk-ins. This is just to control the number of people coming in and out. Make sure you keep an eye out on social media though, if any last minute slots become available, artists will be sure to post there!
Track and Trace
You'll probably be used to filling out all your details for Track and Trace forms. This one is definitely no disruption at all as you have to fill out health and safety forms before your tattoo anyway.
Isolate!!!
This should absolutely go without saying but if you have been in contact with anyone who is showing symptoms, has been tested positive or have started to show symptoms yourself, DO NOT ATTEND YOUR APPOINTMENT.
Your artist's top priority is everyone's safety, contact them and let them know you can't attend your appointment. They will be understanding. they will reschedule, it will not be the end of the world. They would rather you rescheduled than put anyone at risk
Do the right thing!
Like most things nowadays, there is a need for extra planning when it comes to booking your tattoo and having it done. This can cause anxiety for some and it may be helpful to get a rough idea of what you will be met with.
I felt very safe when I visited Rebel Ink in September, I could see that everyone was taking it very seriously and was prepared to go above and beyond to protect themselves and others. The standards were high and I would not be afraid to return to have more work done. Victoria's glowing review of Grey City also gives me faith that I would be protected if I were to book an appointment with an artist there.
Overall, the majority of our studios here are doing exceptionally well to keep up this level of care. It is up to you where you will safest to book an appointment, however, hopefully this post has helped to give you a clearer idea of what you will be faced with on the day!