Pinkie Pell, left, gets a “Hello Kitty” bow tattooed on her right hand by tattoo artist Brandy Burgans at Standard Ink on Frazier Avenue in Chattanooga.WHAT TO KNOWThings to look for before getting a tattoo, required under Tennessee law:• Posted license of the artist and facility• An autoclave, or steam sterilizer• Neat and clean establishment• No live animals in the establishment, except for fish in aquariums• No food or drinks in the operation area• Gloves should be worn at all times by tattoo artistPENALTIES UNDER TENNESSEE LAW• Tattooing without a license: Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $50 fine.• Tattooing someone under 18: Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days.
Tattoo artists cringe when they see the posted pictures on Facebook – someone holding a piece of pizza in one hand and tattooing someone with the other; or tattoos being inked at a kitchen table with a pet nearby; or young teenagers displaying a recent tattoo.
The quick tattoo in your best friend’s kitchen or an alley apartment may be cheaper and faster, but licensed artists say the long-term costs can be devastating. They frequently see transmitted diseases, infected tattoos, badly scarred skin and kids who regret immature decisions.
Licensed tattoo artists call the unlicensed artists “scratchers” or “kitchen magicians.”
“You can’t just pick up a machine and start inking. Scratchers don’t understand that, have no concept of what art is,” said Brandy Burgans, who tattoos at Standard Ink on the North Shore.