Page 17 - Journal14_Neat
P. 17
Tattooing on a Unified Front
by Wesley Lingerfelt, Eternal Expressions
Wesley Lingerfelt is a professional tattoo artist and owner of Eternal Expressions in Rome, Georgia.
Wesley has worked in the body art industry as a tattoo artist since 1998, starting in Calhoun, GA where
he worked until 2003 when he purchased Eternal Expressions.
Wesley has been a member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists since 2005, and is currently the
Alliance’s representative for the state of Georgia.
With the advent of tattoos in popular culture uneducated in safe practices, and under-qualified for
today, it is imperative as responsible tattoo artists the profession.
and health inspectors that we do something to
protect not only the body art industry, but the public Like the hair and skin care industries, tattoo
as well. businesses need strong regulations and support. This
means not only inspecting and ensuring the safety of
We are seeing an explosion in popularity of professional practices within the licensed studios,
tattoos. Through the help of TV shows like Ink but also prosecuting unregulated and unsafe home
Master, Best Ink, Bad Tattoos, and Miami Ink the tattooing businesses. In these situations, health
tattoo industry is reaching clients that would never regulators often refer to law enforcement; however,
have stepped into the tattoo shop. Although the law enforcers cite the need for health professionals
tattoo industry has been around for over 5,000 years, to tell them who to prosecute. It is frustrating to
progressed at an alarming rate over the last 20. artists who are paying licensing fees, following
That's right 5,000 years. For some reason unlike the regulations, and concerned with the betterment of
medical industry, skincare, or even the nail care the industry. Without repercussions, home tattooists
industry we've stayed in the dark, until lately. As a will continue to put the public at risk.
result there are inherent problems, one of which is
unsafe professional practices. Professional tattooists complain about this often
with each other, but when shared with local elected
As the experts, health inspectors inspect for safe officials, they are not taken seriously enough. To
practices and enforce regulations; however, the many it may seem that we are trying to eliminate
environmental health industry has been unable to competition, but in fact we are trying to protect our
keep up. Often the health inspectors require more industry.
education in tattoo practices and what they are
looking for when inspecting a tattoo studio. Jurisdictional variability further confuses the
Statistics say that there are over 21,000 licensed issue. Some states regulate tattoo studios county by
tattoo shops in the United States, with only around county, and some have separate regulations for city
3,000 health departments in United States, how and county. At minimum we need national
could they keep up? regulation and standardization, with minimal
variation at state and local levels. Regulation should
Despite this need for education among health include apprenticeship agendas, defined practice
inspectors, this is not the biggest problem. Tattoo hours, continuing education, and repercussions such
artists who work in a licensed shop aren’t either. as fines, loss of equipment, or loss of future
The biggest problem in body art is home tattooing. licensing.
Rapid popularity and growth in tattooing has We as tattooists want to have strong relationships
spawned resurgence in the amount of home tattooist, with the health department, and it’s time to stand
and that is a concern for both tattoo professionals together as a unified team.
and health inspectors. Social media sites and other
websites such as Craigslist show that many of these Wesley Lingfelt, Owner
unregulated and dangerous businesses exist. A Eternal Expressions, Inc.
search of these websites can turn up a minimum of
100 tattooists in a town or city, and including 1907 Shorter Ave SW
persons who are unregulated, unlicensed, Rome, GA 30701
(706) 232-8999
www.facebook.com/pages/
Eternal-Expressions-Tattoo/146656778684402
18 Georgia Environmentalist Volume 36
by Wesley Lingerfelt, Eternal Expressions
Wesley Lingerfelt is a professional tattoo artist and owner of Eternal Expressions in Rome, Georgia.
Wesley has worked in the body art industry as a tattoo artist since 1998, starting in Calhoun, GA where
he worked until 2003 when he purchased Eternal Expressions.
Wesley has been a member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists since 2005, and is currently the
Alliance’s representative for the state of Georgia.
With the advent of tattoos in popular culture uneducated in safe practices, and under-qualified for
today, it is imperative as responsible tattoo artists the profession.
and health inspectors that we do something to
protect not only the body art industry, but the public Like the hair and skin care industries, tattoo
as well. businesses need strong regulations and support. This
means not only inspecting and ensuring the safety of
We are seeing an explosion in popularity of professional practices within the licensed studios,
tattoos. Through the help of TV shows like Ink but also prosecuting unregulated and unsafe home
Master, Best Ink, Bad Tattoos, and Miami Ink the tattooing businesses. In these situations, health
tattoo industry is reaching clients that would never regulators often refer to law enforcement; however,
have stepped into the tattoo shop. Although the law enforcers cite the need for health professionals
tattoo industry has been around for over 5,000 years, to tell them who to prosecute. It is frustrating to
progressed at an alarming rate over the last 20. artists who are paying licensing fees, following
That's right 5,000 years. For some reason unlike the regulations, and concerned with the betterment of
medical industry, skincare, or even the nail care the industry. Without repercussions, home tattooists
industry we've stayed in the dark, until lately. As a will continue to put the public at risk.
result there are inherent problems, one of which is
unsafe professional practices. Professional tattooists complain about this often
with each other, but when shared with local elected
As the experts, health inspectors inspect for safe officials, they are not taken seriously enough. To
practices and enforce regulations; however, the many it may seem that we are trying to eliminate
environmental health industry has been unable to competition, but in fact we are trying to protect our
keep up. Often the health inspectors require more industry.
education in tattoo practices and what they are
looking for when inspecting a tattoo studio. Jurisdictional variability further confuses the
Statistics say that there are over 21,000 licensed issue. Some states regulate tattoo studios county by
tattoo shops in the United States, with only around county, and some have separate regulations for city
3,000 health departments in United States, how and county. At minimum we need national
could they keep up? regulation and standardization, with minimal
variation at state and local levels. Regulation should
Despite this need for education among health include apprenticeship agendas, defined practice
inspectors, this is not the biggest problem. Tattoo hours, continuing education, and repercussions such
artists who work in a licensed shop aren’t either. as fines, loss of equipment, or loss of future
The biggest problem in body art is home tattooing. licensing.
Rapid popularity and growth in tattooing has We as tattooists want to have strong relationships
spawned resurgence in the amount of home tattooist, with the health department, and it’s time to stand
and that is a concern for both tattoo professionals together as a unified team.
and health inspectors. Social media sites and other
websites such as Craigslist show that many of these Wesley Lingfelt, Owner
unregulated and dangerous businesses exist. A Eternal Expressions, Inc.
search of these websites can turn up a minimum of
100 tattooists in a town or city, and including 1907 Shorter Ave SW
persons who are unregulated, unlicensed, Rome, GA 30701
(706) 232-8999
www.facebook.com/pages/
Eternal-Expressions-Tattoo/146656778684402
18 Georgia Environmentalist Volume 36
