•  Sri Lankan Tattoo Association in favour 

Tattoos have become more commonplace in recent times than they were in the past decade or so, likely owing to society’s more relaxed and tolerant attitude toward the art form as well as due to it becoming more accessible, in Sri Lanka in particular. 

A number of tattoo studios have popped up in Colombo alone, with even more coming up around the island. There are even artists who offer tattoos at salons and various pop-up stalls at carnivals, both of which have their own issues, but regardless, it is a sign of the growing demand for tattooing as an art form and industry. 

Tattooing has become so prevalent within the island that Sri Lanka Tourism has also made note of its significance amongst tourists who chose to get tattooed in Sri Lanka, owing to cheaper rates while also being offered standardised services. 

However, while tattooing is a booming industry with more and more fresh young talent stepping into the scene, it is not without its troubles. 

One of the more recent conversations around tattooing in Sri Lanka has been the lack of formal regulation. While professional artists often maintain certain standards for their studios, following internationally accepted practices of hygiene and techniques, there are many who simply do not follow any real procedure given the lack of regulation. 

While tattooing is not a recognised industry in Sri Lanka, it is a profession followed by many and longtime practitioners have made attempts to standardise the practice. The Sri Lankan Tattoo Association (SLTA), which was formed in 2018 by veteran tattoo artist Sajith de Silva and a few other colleagues, currently attempts to maintain the professional standards required for tattooing to continue as a risk free and safe industry.  

Sri Lankan Tattoo Association 

Sajith de Silva, who has well over two decades of experience, shared that while the majority of Sri Lankan tattoo studios did attempt to maintain a certain standard to ensure the health and safety of their customers, there had been a recent trend of quick and easy attempts at entering the tattoo industry. 

“There are places which offer two-day tattoo courses, giving incorrect guidance to new artists. Even in terms of the machine that we use, there are cheaper, more commercial versions of it available in the market now, which leads people to believe that just about anyone can pick up a needle and become a tattoo artist,” he said.  

While regulations regarding tattooing and piercing procedures vary according to each country, it is widely accepted that regulations are necessary. 

While some countries impose stringent licensing requirements for artists and studios, there are others that simply require one to register as a tattoo artist or just require tattoo equipment to be regulated. 

Within the UK, a tattooist is required to have a licence for a broad range of permanent surgical procedures including tattooing, semi-permanent skin colouring, cosmetic piercing, electrolysis, and acupuncture. 

A personal licence and a registered premises licence for a studio is issued to ensure that you have the legal right to practise tattooing. A health official will also need to carry out a full inspection of the studio before granting the licence. There are also local bylaws set out regarding staff hygiene as well as the safety and cleanliness of premises, furniture, and equipment.

Health and safety 

De Silva stated that the SLTA was looking for a type of regulation that was ‘applicable’ to Sri Lankan artists, which should be practical and reasonable. He shared that there were reasons for requesting such regulations, adding that it was not simply for the benefit of customers, but also for the artists themselves and to ensure that tattooing as an industry was allowed to flourish. 

“Artists sometimes hold pop-ups at carnivals and outdoor spaces. On occasions such as this, sometimes Public Health Inspectors (PHI) come and declare that it is unhygienic and sometimes rummage through the bins where the needles have been disposed of. Typically, once the needle has been disposed of, those bins are sealed and you do not pull them out; it should be disintegrated properly. Clearly, even these PHIs are unaware of how it should be done, which can be harmful to them as well. It is really not just for one party, regulation is beneficial for everyone,” he said. 

He added that there was strong concern over the potential transmission of the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections through tattooing, adding that it could also transmit the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) if proper standards were not maintained.

“Ideally, the tattoo studio should maintain conditions akin to an operating theatre. Equipment should be sterilised; it is not sufficient to use surgical spirit, Dettol, or boiling water. This is why there are concerns when tattooing is done in salons, since the ammonia in hair products could cause irritation,” he said, noting that it was possible for toxic elements to migrate and deposit in the lymph nodes, which may increase the risk of chronic inflammation. 

Speaking to Brunch, tattoo artist Uditha Rangana too shared that regulation was a necessity, especially with regard to the spread of diseases. Although there was a lack of convincing evidence for the spread of HIV through tattooing, the other concerns were very real and pressing, he stressed. 

He said that he supported regulation if it could be undertaken in a manner in which the artists were not shackled or where it did not become an unfair monopoly. 

Customer perspective

Sriyal Nilanka, an individual who falls under the category of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and who has received a number of tattoos in Sri Lanka, shared his experience with local tattoo studios. He noted that of an incident where he had been made to disclose his HIV status and denied services.

Commenting on the denial of services on the grounds of a positive HIV status, tattooist Rangana noted that customers could make a complaint if the industry was regulated, since the studio would be unfit for service provision if it had a risk of HIV transmission. 

Nilanka shared that he continued to get tattoos from other studios in Sri Lanka and that there were many which did not discriminate while also maintaining health and safety standards.

Commenting on the necessity of regulations for the Sri Lankan tattoo industry, Uwin Lugoda, a tattoo enthusiast who has got over 20 tattoos in Sri Lanka, said: “I think regulation can be a good thing. Tattooing is a huge industry and regulation would allow for local artists to grow and learn.”

However, he also added: “An association should not mean the creation of a mafia where just a handful of people have a say and control everything. It should be fair and equal; every artist should be heard and the best practices should be encouraged. It shouldn’t be a burden or an exercise in turf wars, where the power of an association is wielded in order to attack other artists.”

“There is a lot of money to be made in this industry. Tattooing is a kind of luxury, since it is not a necessity, and it should be held to that standard,” he said.  

Sajith de Silva shared that the SLTA was currently conducting programmes for up and coming artists to provide guidance and share information on how to enter the industry, best practices, maintenance of equipment, etc. He shared that this was undertaken at cost, as the association did not charge for the training itself, but instead for the venue and the meal packet that was distributed to participants. 

He added that the association wished to encourage local artists to work toward implementing internationally accepted practices and adopt safety standards so as to ensure that tattooing as an industry did not suffer, or at worst, end up being demonised by the Lankan public.