Hesse, known for its forests, the state capital Wiesbaden and former Roman spa town. Many tattoo artists are based here and they too must adhere to the state's hygiene regulations. Let's take a closer look at what these are.
Even in Hesse, you can't avoid drawing up a hygiene plan for your studio. The plan must list all hygiene-relevant measures associated with the procedure on people, with the respective prevention and personnel protection measures differentiated.
Before you tattoo a customer, you must sanitise your hands and wear disposable gloves during the work process. Your hands must also be cleaned and disinfected at the end of the session. The skin area to be treated must also be disinfected before starting the tattooing process. Your machine must also be disinfected by you and be sterile.
After the tattoo session, you should disinfect all work surfaces and treatment chairs by scrubbing and wiping. Only agents that have been assessed as effective and are on the list of the Association for Applied Hygiene may be used to disinfect equipment, hands and surfaces. Hand and skin sanitisers must not be decanted into other storage containers. Regular ventilation of your workspace is also necessary.
At the end of the session, the treated skin area must be treated with an antiseptic. Your used needles must be disposed of in a sealable container. The colour used may only be used per customer and any leftovers in the ink cap must be disposed of after the session.

Let's move on to Saxony. A federal state in the east of Germany with numerous palaces and castles. Here, too, there are special health regulations that we will take a look at.
The owner of a tattoo studio in Saxony is responsible for ensuring that hygiene requirements are met. In addition to drawing up a hygiene plan and implementing it, they are also responsible for routinely monitoring their own compliance with the measures set out in the hygiene plan. The state of Saxony advises that the health authority or a hygiene specialist should be involved in drawing up the hygiene plan.
The hygiene plan must be checked annually to ensure that it is up to date and amended if necessary. The hygiene plan must be displayed in the studio in such a way that it can be viewed by every employee at all times. Employees must be instructed about the measures in writing.
Basic hygiene in a tattoo studio includes ensuring that the tattoo artist's workplace is physically separate from the waiting area and is adequately lit and ventilated. A sink with running water, soap and disinfectant dispensers, a disposable towel holder and a waste bin must be available in every work area. Floors and walls should be wet-cleanable and disinfectable. This also applies to work surfaces, couches and chairs.
Your staff must exchange their street clothes for work clothes before starting work and keep their street clothes separate from their work clothes. Accompanying persons are not permitted in the work area, and animals are also an absolute no-go.
Your tattoo machine must be sterile and sterilised before use. Disposable material must be disposed of properly after the tattoo session. If you have spray bottles with skin disinfectant, these must be kept in their original packaging. Decanting is not permitted.
Your work surface, the required instruments and materials must be disinfected before the session and placed on a low-germ or sterile surface.
In Saxony, work clothes must also be kept separate from street clothes. Long hair should be tied back and jewellery must be removed during the session. Your hands must be thoroughly washed with liquid soap and then disinfected before you start.
Before you start tattooing, you should also inform your client about possible risks and side effects. You should check the area of skin to be tattooed for pathological skin changes and advise against the procedure if there are any skin abnormalities. The area to be tattooed must be cleaned and disinfected beforehand.
After the treatment, the tattoo must be protected with Vaseline or an antiseptic ointment. It is also possible to use a tattoo film. If you take your Vaseline from a larger pot, you must always use a disposable spatula to remove it and then dispose of it. Your used needles must be disposed of after the session in specially designed disposal containers.

The federal state of Lower Saxony is located in the north-west of Germany. Let's take a closer look at the hygiene regulations that apply there.
Activities in which the skin is injured, such as tattooing, pose an increased risk of infection. Therefore, strict hygiene regulations also apply in Lower Saxony to prevent infection.
In Lower Saxony, the tattooist's workplace must also be either structurally (separate room) or functionally (partition wall) separated from the waiting area. The work area should only contain objects that are required for the tattooing process. In Lower Saxony, the work area must also have a washbasin with running water, dispensers for liquid soap and disinfectant, disposable towels and waste containers. The surfaces as well as the treatment table and work surface must be smooth, wipeable and disinfectable. Your tattoo station must be covered with an instrument tray and changed for each customer. The treatment table should also be covered with a disposable paper pad or similar.
A puncture-proof waste container must be used for used needles or razor blades. Eating, drinking, smoking and pets are prohibited in the immediate work area.
Good hand hygiene is also the be-all and end-all in Lower Saxony. Washing and disinfecting hands can prevent the transmission of pathogens. Hands must be disinfected in the following situations:
- Before tattooing
- After tattooing
- After contact with blood or other body fluids
- After contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
- After removing protective gloves

Hand disinfection is even a legal requirement for tattoo artists and piercers under the hygiene regulations.
Let's move on to your client's tattooed skin area. This must be carefully depilated, cleaned and disinfected before the session. A new disposable razor must be used for each customer. Before you disinfect the area, you should make sure that the skin is dry. During and after the session, the area may only be cleaned with sterile water or another sterile solution. After tattooing, the skin should be treated with wound and healing ointment. It is also possible to use a tattoo film.
Instruments such as needle holders, handles or similar must be cleaned and disinfected. Your machine, which does not come into direct contact with the skin, must also be wrapped in a protective film to prevent possible contamination. Cleaning and disinfecting the machine is absolutely essential despite the film!
The tattoo colours should be stored in a closed drawer or cupboard to protect them from dust. The best-before date and the period of use must not be exceeded. For each customer, the colour must be placed in disposable ink caps, which must then be disposed of after the session. If you need to dilute your colour, you should always use sterile water or a sterile solution.
In Lower Saxony, the customer must also be sufficiently informed about the risks and side effects before the session begins. It is also advisable to have the customer sign a declaration of consent.