Friday the 13th is a popular day in the tattoo industry with artists offering a “flash sheet” consisting of small, pre-designed looks with a 13 in honor of the date, most of which costs only $13, plus a tip.
“Whenever we do Friday the 13th we do it more to like give back to our community,” said Roman Robledo, an artist at Lost Boys Tattoo Studio. “We try to go out, you know, and make some really nice designs.”
As several Tyler shops prepare for the day, Robledo says the coronavirus (COVID-19), outbreak hasn’t really affected business.
“Because we stay really clean like we wash our hands, we have our own sink,” he said. “We stay Lysol-ing everything, we metastasize everything, we've been doing that before the whole coronavirus thing happened.”
All tattoo shops must follow rules set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Some of the rules include, the tattoo artist must wear barrier gowns, gloves, to avoid contact and exchange of body fluids. The gloves and barrier gowns, in particular, must be changed after each client.
"Every setup is brand new, every needle is brand new, every tube is brand new,” Robledo said.
Friday the 13th will offer a break from the pandemic.
“We try to keep it out of the shop it's like politics and stuff like that, you know, and the coronavirus is a very weird subject,” he said.
Robledo says while tattoo artists will be doing their part to sanitize, anyone planning on getting inked should do the same especially as there are usually long lines and wait times at the shops.
“Make sure you wash your hands and sanitizing, we're going to be with a lot of people," he said.
If anyone has concerns about getting a tattoo, they should talk with a doctor especially if they have a pre-existing medical condition or weakened immune system.
Tyler Tattoo Shops Participating in Friday 13th deals:
- -Lost Boys Tattoo Studio -Sir Dapper Permanent MakeUp & Ink Revitalization
- -La Familia Tattoo Studio
- -Moth + Moon Tattoo