Just another reason to go with a professional in a shop that cares!
Hey everyone! Just a note from your friendly tattoo artists at the Upper Room!
It's no mystery, the countless reasons to get tattooed by licensed professionals... but, for the sake of your health, let me add another. Recently there was a massive recall of tattoo inks from a Cali based company. We were the first to hear, as soon as the recall happened, through the Health Department on July 14th- a month before breaking the mainstream news. I remember opening up my email (Posted below) to read about the company who was selling these inks and "tattoo kits".
Now there is something that chaps my hide. I can not begin to tell you how inundated our community (now an "industry") has become with all these cheap companies who will do anything to make a buck off anyone who wants to buy without regard to public health and safety. If they haven't been trained, if they've never been taught, if they aren't licensed AND in a shop... they should not be able to buy. So... contaminated batches of inks, needles and more, being sold by some cracker-jack company with a Dragon on the label as seen in the photo below are the culprit of infections.
Why so harsh? Because, companies should operate with a code of ethics and should abide by that code within an industry. Unfortunately, our industry has been inundated with people trying to "cash in" without being brought it. Age old traditions have been thrust aside in the name of financial gain. I'm sorry, but when it comes to things as personal as getting tattooed, you should be seeking out the most qualified and responsible tattooers you can. Not only that, but you should be more concerned with their reputation, their cleanliness and their uprightness than trying to save a few bucks. This is your body we are talking about here.
And just to put your mind at ease, we DO NOT deal with companies who sell through Amazon or are willing to take risks and sell to just anyone. Our companies hold true to the ethics set up by our grandaddy's in tattooing. We use ORGANIC INKS that have been washed out and washed out to create the purest form of color, committing to the highest standards of safety and providing you with the most solid, bright, and long lasting tattoos around. We are careful who we spend our money with, we believe that the money we make is to be stewarded correctly and we would never toss our pearls to companies who do not hold to the same ethical practices we do.
If you would like to read more about this recall and check out the labels of the company who released these botched inks and kits, here you go! There's even a phone number at the very end for the FDA if you have any further questions.
Here is the email from the health department (I've removed their contacts out of respect for those who sent them):
Hello Body Art Practitioners,
Please be advised of the voluntary recall mentioned below: Regards,
L. Sloan
Senior Environmental Health Specialist
Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2014 2:02 PM To: XXX Subject: FW: Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Tattoo Ink, Tattoo Needles, Tattoo kits Due to Microbial Contamination
Something to keep an eye out for.
_____
G. Reyes
Supervising Environmental Health Specialist
Riverside County Environmental Health
From: U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, July 14, 2014 5:13 AM To: Ellis-Merki, Dottie Subject: Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Tattoo Ink, Tattoo Needles, Tattoo kits Due to Microbial Contamination
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Food Safety Alerts
Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Tattoo Ink, Tattoo Needles, Tattoo kits Due to Microbial Contamination
July 11, 2014- White & Blue Lion, Inc. in the City of Industry, CA is recalling all lots of tattoo Inks and tattoo needles due to pathogenic bacterial contamination. Use of these products may cause bacterial infection and can lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. The recall includes all tattoo inks, tattoo needles, and tattoo kits distributed by White & Blue Lion including the ones specifically listed below:
Tattoo Inks sold in kits and separately)
Brand
Code
Size
All Colors
Multi colored Chinese Dragon Image with black and white lettering
Lot No. OR20036 Batch #8 Best if used by 16/12/16
5 ml bottle
Tattoo Needles (included in kits)
Brand
Codes
Lot No
Expiration
Individually packaged in groups of 5
None – labeled as “CE0197 Pre-made tattoo needle” “sterilized by E.O. Gas”
Art No. 1203RL, 1205M, 1205RL, 1205RS, 1209RL, 1207RL, 1207M, 1207RS, 1209M, 1209RS
201308, 201307, 201312, 201402, 201311, 201310
JUN2018
The inks and needles are sold in tattoo kits and the inks are also sold separately by 8Decades and White & Blue Lion, Inc. through www.amazon.com.
There was a report of one illness as of today’s date.
FDA Laboratory testing has found microbial bacterial contamination in both the inks and needles.
This recall is being made with the knowledge of the US Food and Drug Administration.
Consumers with any questions should contact us at 1-626-586-3485 from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am to 6pm PST.