Creating a Trauma Informed Tattoo Experience

Servicing a tattoo puts your client in a very vulnerable state.  Their body is being permanently modified with an invasive and intimate procedure. This can be a very triggering experience for people with any type of sexual or physical trauma. Tattoo-trauma needs to be eliminated. As an industry we need to do better.  Health and safety are the most important part of our job description. I could not tell you how many horror stories I have heard.

You cannot assume your clients do not have any type of physical trauma, and how you interact with your clients could potentially re-traumatize them. According to the Center for Disease Control over half of women have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during her lifetime and 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during his lifetime. 

As professionals it is our job to make sure our clients feel safe, comfortable, and satisfied with your service. A vital component to this is being a trauma-informed tattoo artist.  This is a professional tattoo artist who is educated on how to interact with their clients in a trauma friendly manner.  How can we best support all our clients?

Step One: Understand How 

Understand how tattooing can be emotionally triggering for traumatized people is the first step in being informed.  Tattooing is a very intimate act and a vulnerable process.  People with trauma are susceptible to these types of services and must be approached properly.  I wish I could say I have not heard stories before.  But unfortunately, it is one I hear on a weekly basis. Many people who come to me for a tattoo have tattoos they started years ago but could not finish emotionally. This isn’t always due to a poor quality of tattoo, but frequently due to the way the tattoo artist interacted with them.

Step 2: Know what not to ask

One of the most important parts of trauma-informed tattooing is to use boundaries. This should be used with all of your clients, regardless of age, sex, gender, race, or level of trauma.  A vital part of this step is to never ask your clients if they have trauma you need to be aware of.  Always assume you need to interact with them gently.

Step 3: Announce and Ask 

Announce and explain everything you are about to do before you do it. Example; “I am going to rub some stencil transfer into the skin, this helps the stencil stick to you.” It is also important to ask permission when helping your client reposition. Example: “Is it okay if I move your arm?”  Finally, ask permission and/or announce if you will be standing behind your client. Example: “I am going to step behind you to place the stencil.” Using this level of communication helps anyone feel comfortable and safe in a stress-inducing situation.

Step four: Check in and Give control

Check in with your client throughout the tattoo process! It is important they know you care about how they are doing.  To the general public, the idea of a tattoo artist is definitely stereotyped.  Showing compassion will help your client feel comfortable with you. 

Giving your client control is probably one of the most important elements.  It is important you make it known to your clients they have full control over what is happening to their body. Reiterate they can speak up, say no, and stop any time they please. Doing this will help avoid the violated or forced feeling some people may experience getting tattoos. 

Step Five: Unbiased Privacy: 

Offering privacy to all of your clients is a great way to avoid making people feel vulnerable, exposed, and violated. It is important everyone has access to this regardless of gender or sex. For example, male clients may want privacy but feel discouraged to ask due to societal pressures. 

Obviously having a private tattoo room is ideal, but this is not an option for many artists. Supplying disposable sheets and pasties to expose only the area you are tattooing is a very effective way to provide privacy in an open floor plan. 

Step Six: Respect

Treat your clients with respect! Unprofessional behavior is frowned upon for a reason. In the regards of being trauma informed there are a few guidelines to go by. 

The first, do not hit on or make any romantic gestures towards your clients. Many of the people I have talked to who experienced this are afraid to turn down any advances out of fear of the artist hurting them or messing up their tattoo. Even though most of us would never do this, the situation makes some feel forced into romantic interactions. 

Secondly, do not be sarcastic with clients you do not know.  Sarcasm is interpreted differently by everyone.  It is easy to come across as aggressive with a client whom you haven’t learned their “comedy boundaries.”  I recommend avoiding this all together. I know many people like to joke with their long-term clients, and that is okay! Make sure you know the person will be comfortable with it first to avoid seeming mean and aggressive.  Otherwise, some clients may even end up scared of you. 

Third, we are all human. No matter who your client is, they deserve your utmost respect. Avoid jokes about sensitive topics with everyone. I also recommend avoiding political or religious conversations if you are unsure of your client’s stance. To sum it up, do not assume what your client is and isn’t okay with. Usually if you give it enough time, they will show you what they are okay with all on their own. 

In just a few simple steps you can help move the industry forward and provide a safe space for your clients.  I trust this will keep your clients coming back and make the entire interaction easier for both you and your client.