Michele Perry, co-owner of Mink Ink Tattoo, shows some of the sanitary precautions her business takes, including glasses, medical masks and plastic-covered equipment, as she inks a tattoo on her husband, Steve, in Kingman.
KINGMAN – Hoping to be akin to California, Nevada, Utah and more than 15 other states across the nation, Mink Ink Tattoo owners Michele and Steve Perry are working to get local tattoo parlors regulated by the health department.
“Some of the scars we see are just horrifying,” Michele said.
When Michele moved to Kingman from New York to open her business, she sought out the health department to inspect her shop – even offering to pay any costs associated with it. But the health department declined, saying it was not in its jurisdiction and staff wasn’t trained to do so.
Despite an absence of regulations, Michele contacted Confirm Manufacturing Systems, a private company, to inspect her equipment for sanitation, compliance and to obtain a certificate of inspection. She also uses Tomtronics, another private business, to service her autoclave annually.
According to a 2006 study by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 24 percent of Americans between 18 and 50 have one or more tattoos. The number jumps to 36 percent when the age group is narrowed to Americans between the ages of 18 and 29.
With more than 20 years of experience as a tattoo artist, Michele has knowledge and advice to pass on to anyone who is interested in getting a tattoo: Seek out reputable shops through research, look at the tattoo artists in action and see their work after the tattoo has healed.
The state statute requires a person to use a sterilized needle or other substance that will leave color under the skin only once. The person cannot administer anesthesia unless they are licensed.
There are exceptions to the statute, however. It “does not apply to the ear piercing of a person who has written or verbal permission from a parent or legal guardian or to procedures that are prescribed by a health care provider who is licensed.”
It is a defense to a prosecution for a violation of the age requirements if that person requested age identification and relied in good faith on the accuracy of the information contained in the identification.
Inspired to take action for the safety of their customers and their industry, the Mink Ink Tattoo owners plan on meeting with Kingman Mayor Les Byram in August following the move of their business to a new location. Steve said they wanted to start on a smaller scale and hopefully work their way up to regulations across the state.
“People are at risk,” Steve said. “We don’t want to make it impossible to work in this state, just safe.”
Michele added that tattoo artists should treat each job as if they’re performing surgery. “If there is one infection or person in the hospital, that brings all our industry down,” Michele said.
Rachel Patterson, environmental health manager with the Mohave County Department of Public Health, said her department has talked about regulating tattoo and piercing shops.
“It’s something that we would like to do,” Patterson said. “There hasn’t been the resources.”
Coconino County is the only county in the state to regulate tattoo and piercing businesses.