How Cosmetic Tattooing is Adapting to Pandemic Protocol

Tattoo shops are finally opening up around the world after a significant lockdown due to the pandemic. Due to the realities of the ongoing situation, artists are tasked with following new protocols to ensure the health and safety of their clients. Shops have transitioned to operating on an appointment-only basis, requiring clients to wear masks and keeping six feet of distance between stations.

But what about cosmetic tattooing? Cosmetic tattoo is much more intimate than most other types of tattooing, as artists are working on a client’s face. Despite the challenges, cosmetic tattooers are taking the proper steps to ensure client/artist safety. We caught up with Angela Lin, the owner and lead cosmetic tattooer of Vancouver’s Studio Artisphere to learn her pandemic policies and how COVID-19 has impacted her industry.

What are your procedures to ensure the health and safety of both clients and artists during a cosmetic tattoo?

If you have any symptoms or any kind of illness, please reschedule your appointment. We are waiving last-minute rebooking fees at this time and your deposit will be transferred to your rescheduled appointment.

We’re unable to book clients traveling from out of the province or out of the country until further notice. If you have recently traveled out of the country, please email your artist and reschedule your appointment.

We will require you to wear a mask at all times for your appointment, so we ask that you bring your own mask or you can purchase one of ours at a minimal fee. All staff members will also be wearing masks.

When you arrive to your appointment, please check-in at the front desk and if your artist isn’t able to take you in immediately, you may wait outside or in your car and your artist will text you when they are ready.

No guests are allowed to limit the number of people in our studio.

Upon entering you will be asked to wash and sanitize your hands at our sink and wipe down your phone with sanitizer as well.

We will not be accepting any cash at this time. Only credit cards or debit.

Please limit the number of items you will be bringing to our studio. If possible, only bring a phone and your form of payment and leave bags and other items at home.

Beverages will not be provided during this time.

Will clients be able to safely receive microblading and lip blushing?

They will be able to safely receive microblading, as long as the clients and artists are wearing PPE gear. Lip blush procedures will depend on your city.

How has the pandemic impacted your industry?

We’ve been impacted because our studio was closed during quarantine and we weren’t able to make sales during this time. Now that we are back in operation, we have to spread our appointments further apart and limit the amount of artists that are able to work at the same time to enforce social distancing and reduce contact with the virus.

Going forward, what has changed and what will stay the same?

Our safety policies and practices in bloodborne pathogens haven’t changed. We’ve always been super strict on that at our studio and it’s always been our number one concern.

What has changed is the amount of people we are able to allow in the studio and the extra precautions we are taking to reduce spread of this virus, which means less sales and more costs in PPE.

How will this impact the cosmetic tattooing industry in the long run?

Prices might have to be higher on services to account for the extra costs to run a business.