TRAINING FOR PIERCERS & TATTOO ARTISTS
There is no formal education for the professions of piercers or tattoo artists like there is for cosmetologists, hairdressers, dentists, medical technicians, and the like. Since these two professions are not entirely legally regulated, anyone can open a legal piercing or tattoo studio and start working without any knowledge. Of course, you can also work ‘on the black market’ in a private arrangement. Free market means that everyone has the right to work in the way they want and consider suitable, and the client has the right to choose and bear responsibility for their own health.
For those who want to professionally pursue tattooing or piercing, there are several options. The ideal option would be to find a mentor who would take you on for training. The training itself is not the same everywhere and greatly depends on the mentor’s experience and knowledge. Some mentors may show you everything they know in two months, while with others, you may learn for a minimum of two years. In Croatia, it is quite difficult to find mentorship unless a studio is looking for new employees. Octopus is currently not seeking new people or taking on apprentices. Due to the daily workload in the studio, we do not have the time to fully dedicate ourselves to apprentices, and we do not want our name to be associated with incomplete knowledge. In situations when there is a need for new employees, we announce job openings on our social media.
The second option for those who genuinely want to work in body modification is to attend various seminars abroad. There are not many of them, not all are of high quality, and they are not held frequently. Be sure to inquire about the specific knowledge you will gain so that you do not pay for something you could have learned online.
Who should not pursue piercing or tattooing career
Piercing and tattooing are often seen as very ‘cool’ professions, something that many people would like to do to stand out in society, boost their ego on social media, and the like. There are also those who see it as a quick and easy way to make money. This profile of people usually does not achieve a long-lasting successful career in tattooing or piercing.
Because of those who engage in body modification do so amateurishly, in unhygienic conditions, and without basic training, the entire piercing and tattoo industry gets a bad reputation. Because, of course, no newspaper will write about the thousands of piercings or tattoos that heal without any complications; those are not interesting news. Everyone will focus on that one case where a person ended up in the emergency room due to an amateur piercing or situations where a smartass with a newly made tattoo decides to swim in a harbor and dies of sepsis.
For professional studios, it is challenging enough to battle bureaucracy and social prejudice, even without the negative influence that comes from poorly executed tattoos or piercings. Amateurs engaging in these activities and treating them as hobbies lead to the stigmatization of people who work in this profession professionally and have dedicated their entire lives to it, as well as body mod enthusiasts who act responsibly toward their bodies and health, choosing safety and quality. We all experience discomfort because we are seen as potential causes of bloodborne diseases.
Anyone who finds it difficult to invest in training or attend a seminar outside their city and does not have a problem with providing services without any knowledge or practice, should consider refraining from pursuing piercing or tattooing until they have caused greater harm to themselves or others.
Yes, it’s hard to find mentorship and get a job as a tattoo artist or piercer. But that doesn’t mean mentorship and training are unnecessary. Would you go to a dentist who learned their trade from YouTube as a hobby alongside another full-time office job? Or to a hairstylist who bought a comb and scissors at a drugstore and works from home, not the best but at least affordable…
Piercing and tattooing fall into the category of high-risk professions due to the use of sharp objects that cause damage to the skin and the potential for disease transmission, contamination, complications in healing, and so on.
Health has no price, and it is easier to do everything right from the start than to fix problems later.
