Are you a tattoo artist in Baden-Württemberg? Then the following regulations apply to you:
According to the Ordinance of the State Government and the Ministry of Social Affairs on the Prevention of Communicable Diseases of 11 June 2022, the following is decreed for the state of Baden-Württemberg. This ordinance applies to anyone who, professionally or commercially, carries out an activity in which pathogens can transmit transmissible diseases through blood or other body fluids. This includes tattoo artists, acupuncturists, hairdressers, podiatrists and chiropodists as well as beauticians and piercers. If you work in one of these areas, you must follow strict hygiene rules. These include washing your hands before treatment and disinfecting the skin area to be treated. Your working materials, such as the tattoo needle, must be sterile and thrown away after use. Items such as your tattoo machine must be cleaned and disinfected after use. You must also ensure that your machine is kept sterile. It is compulsory to wear gloves when working so that you do not come into contact with customer injuries. Apart from the hygiene of your working materials, the hygiene in your treatment room is also important. No pets are allowed in your treatment room and you must provide yourself and your staff with soap dispensers, disinfectants and washbasins for cleaning. The workplace where you work must also be

Certain hygiene rules also apply to tattoo studios in the state of Bavaria. By and large, they do not differ from their neighbouring state Baden-Württemberg. In addition to the regulations already mentioned above, Bavaria also requires that the treatment couch be covered with a disposable pad and changed after each client.
The Bavarian ordinance also contains a separate point on tattoo inks. These should be kept dust-protected in a closed drawer or cupboard. The best-before date and the period of use after opening must not be exceeded. After using the ink, the bottle must be closed again immediately. Please also use Ink Caps for each customer individually and throw them away after use. If you need to dilute ink, use sterile water or a sterile solution.
Since tattooing is considered an offence of bodily harm, you must inform your clients about possible risks before the appointment and also about the correct behaviour and aftercare.
The state of Bavaria also advises you to get vaccinated against hepatitis B because of the possible contact with blood or wound fluid.

In Saxony-Anhalt, too, there are hygiene regulations to which tattoo artists must adhere. Here, too, strict regulations ensure that transmissible diseases are prevented from spreading among humans. Every procedure that injures the skin can lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, C or AIDS through the escape of blood or blood serum. This can be triggered by even the smallest droplets of blood or serum that are barely visible to the eye. The risk for tattoo artists is classified as low to moderate.
The responsibility for compliance with hygienic requirements lies with the owner of the studio. This includes:

•               Preparation and updating of a facility-specific hygiene plan.
•               Implementation of the hygiene plan measures
•               Routine or occasional self-monitoring of compliance with the hygiene plan.  

Basically, it is recommended to involve the health authority and/or the advice of a hygiene specialist. The hygiene plan must be reviewed and adapted annually to ensure that it is up to date. At least once a year, employees must be instructed in the required hygiene measures. In any case, you should record this instruction in writing. As in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the workplace must be physically separated from the waiting area. The workspace should be sufficiently

If you are still unsure about hygiene, we advise you to contact the health authority responsible for your federal state directly. Here you can find out about the current regulations and be well prepared for the next visit to the health office.