In Nova Scotia at present,there are absolutely no regulations concerning tattooing or body piercing,This means that here is no age limit requirement, no hygiene rules,no obligation to have a sterilizer or even to use sterile needles or instruments. This deplorable and very dangerous situation will soon be coming to an end. Legislation is already passed to regulate and inspect tattooing and tattooing  establishments.With penalties as much as two years in jail  for those who break the rules. Until this legislation comes into effect clients should continue to be vigilant. Ask to see the sterilizer and certificates of regular testing. Be sure to see that new sealed packages are opened in front of you.(Sterilization packages have a light brown or pink arrow on them before sterilization which turns dark brown or black when the contents are sterile.) If you do not see this black or dark brown mark do not continue, ask for your money back and leave! 
 
At the Dragon and Butterfly     Safety Comes First 
When you enter the Dragon & Butterfly Studio the first thing that you will notice is how clean it looks.
The same cleanliness is noticed when you enter any Tattooing Room or Piercing Room . Having the tattoo areas and piercing area in entirely separate rooms from each other and from the Reception Area is very important for the prevention of cross contamination.
(Would you want the public to wander in and out where you were having a surgical procedure?). 

All working surfaces are covered with a double layer of plastic sheeting which is disposed of after each client. All surfaces are wiped down with an anti viral anti bacterial hospital operating theatre grade cleanser (Argo) (See relevant section of Argo bottle label below).  Brand new sealed needles and ink cups are opened in front of each client. Instruments are immediately immersed in an enzymatic cleanser (Empower) after each use. At the end of each day all instruments are put in an ultrasonic cleaner  for an hour. The ultrasonic  is filled with a powerful cleanser that is effective against body fluids and other contaminants.  Then the instruments are rinsed and put in a second ultrasonic cleaner.  After that all the instruments are wrapped and sterilized in one of our two autoclave sterilizers.
          

For hygiene reasons we do not allow pets into any area of the studio. Animal fur harbours millions of bacteria even in the cleanest of animals and can be the cause of serious infection.
Before donning surgical gloves the piercer/artist first washes his/her hands and wrists. We have installed taps with electronic sensors so that the taps never have to be touched to be  turned on or off .

The tattoo machine and electrical cord are wrapped in a long plastic bag to prevent any contact with either the client or artist, the bag is discarded after use and the machine is wiped down with an anti viral disinfectant and left to stand for ten minutes.  As an added precaution to kill any  bacteria in amongst the wiring and coils  the entire machine is soaked in 99% alcohol. The machines can not be immersed in the antiviral solution because it causes corrosion in the internal parts of the machine.
 All the instruments used  come in a sealed sterile, colour coded package that is opened in front of you. Only new body jewelery is used, it also is sealed in a sterile colour coded package.(Some jewelery containing plastic that would melt in the sterilizer is processed in an ultra sonic cleaner and immersed in a hospital grade antiviral/antibacterial disinfectant (Argo see above) before insertion.) 
 
All needles are disposed of in a sharps container in your presence after each and every tattoo and piercing. All instruments and guide tubes are immediately immersed in a container of enzymatic cleaner that will dissolve any body fluid.
At the end of each day the instruments and tubes are removed from the enzymatic cleaner and immersed in a powerful antiviral disinfectant and and placed in an ultrasonic cleaner. The instruments are then bagged and  placed in our high pressure autoclave sterilizer. 
Because of the risk of transmitting skin disease we never re-use tattoo stencils. (We know of a shop locally where re-using stencils is normal practice)
A new stencil is made for each and every tattoo and is destroyed as soon as the tattoo is finished. 
    For your Safety we keep all body jewelry behind glass to prevent the general public from touching it.
The hepatitis virus for instance can live for as long as a month on an inanimate surface. So if some one with hepatitis has touched jewelry within the last month after playing with or touching an unhealed piercing of their own and you buy and insert that jewelry you could get infected with same deadly disease.

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