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Rules and health

Hygiene and rules in Germany

Tattooing means working with blood. That’s why hygiene isn’t an extra but the basis. In Germany it is arranged differently than in the Netherlands, and it’s good to know what you can see and ask yourself.

Who supervises?

In Germany there is no separate vocational training or national licence for tattoo artists, unlike the Dutch GGD licence. That doesn’t mean nothing is regulated. Under § 36 (2) of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG), the Gesundheitsamt (local health authority) can inspect businesses where pathogens can be transmitted through blood during the work. A tattoo studio is one of them. The ink falls under food and consumer law and under European chemicals legislation.

Rules for ink

Since 4 January 2022, the European regulation 2020/2081 (REACH) restricts a long list of substances in tattoo ink, with maximum concentrations. For the pigments Blue 15:3 and Green 7 a separate restriction has applied since 4 January 2023. In Germany the Tätowiermittel-Verordnung comes on top of that. Ink doesn’t need approval before it goes on the market, but the manufacturer is responsible and the authorities can inspect. Information also has to be on the packaging, such as the composition and the batch number. More about this in ink and colour.

Where infections come from

The Bavarian state office names unhygienic rooms and working methods, non-sterile instruments and contaminated ink as causes of infections. Those are exactly the things a studio has under control. The BfR, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, also points out that allergic reactions are possible, sometimes only years later. That last one can happen even with a perfectly clean studio.

What to look out for yourself

  • The workstation is screened off or easy to wipe down, and it is tidy.
  • Needles and parts that touch the skin come out of a sealed, sterile package in front of you or are single-use.
  • The tattoo artist works with gloves, and changes them when touching anything other than the workstation.
  • Machine, cables, bottles and lamp are taped off or covered.
  • Ink goes into its own small cup that is thrown away after your session, and doesn’t go back into the bottle.
  • Afterwards you get aftercare information to take home.

Questions are always fine

Feel free to ask which ink is used and whether the details are kept. Ask how the needles are disposed of. A studio that is proud of how it works won’t find that an annoying question. Trust your gut: if a room or an answer doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to stay.

What the studio asks of you

Hygiene works both ways. Tell them about medication, allergies and blood diseases. Come with clean skin. Only touch the fresh tattoo with clean hands, and keep pets and friends off it for a while. What you do at home partly decides how it turns out; see aftercare day by day.

Where Inked Babes stands

The studio itself names hygiene and personal attention as its starting point on its business profile. Want to see how they work, or have a specific question? Ask it beforehand via contact.

If something does go wrong

If you get a fever, pus or increasing pain after the session, see a doctor first and then let the studio know what happened. Tell the doctor when the tattoo was done and which colours were used. That’s why it’s handy to keep the studio’s details and a photo of your tattoo. In Germany you can file a complaint about hygiene with the local Gesundheitsamt; for Gronau that is the Kreis Borken. That isn’t meant to attack anyone, but to make sure a problem doesn’t continue.

Frequently asked

Does a German tattoo artist need a licence?

There is no national professional licence like the Dutch GGD licence. The Gesundheitsamt can, however, inspect infection hygiene.

Is tattoo ink regulated?

Yes. Since 2022 the European REACH regulation restricts substances in tattoo ink; in Germany the Tätowiermittel-Verordnung also applies.

Can I ask which ink is used?

Yes, that is a normal question and a good one to ask.

Sources

General information, not medical or legal advice. Aftercare advice from the studio comes first.