Tattoo Supplies

Tattoo supplies are relatively standard across the board.  If tattoo parlors do not have certain tattooing supplies (such as sterilization equipment) at their establishment, it may be a surefire sign not to get your tattoo there. 

The first thing you should look for when you are checking out tattoo parlors is cleaning supplies.  Protective gloves, cleaning products, and sterilizing equipment should be visible.  Autoclave machines are the only suitable piece of sterilizing equipment to be used in tattoo shops, so if you don’t see it, ask just to make sure. 

Sterile needles are, of course, of utmost importance when you are getting a tattoo.   The needles should come from an autoclave bag that you can see.  Inks, water, and ointments should all be fresh and stored in separate containers. 

A tattoo machine is vital in the process of getting a tattoo.  The tattoo machine, sometimes referred to as the tattoo gun, is a controlled machine that works to move the needles up and down, putting the pigment, or the ink, into the skin to form a tattoo. 

Flash art can also be categorized as tattoo supplies.  Flash includes all of the tattoo designs you see when you walk into a tattoo parlor.  Usually it is covering the walls and filling the books inside the studios for customers to come in and choose their tattoo design. 

Some important tattoo supplies for after care include bandages, soap, and ointments, such as vitamin A, D, Bacitracin, or Zinc Oxide.