'Scratcher' is the term commonly used for illegal tattooists. 'Scratchers' are deemed to be operating illegally because they may be:
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working from premises which is not registered or inspected by the council for safety and hygiene. They often found tattoo in kitchens, bedrooms or other unsuitable environments
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unregistered and have little or no knowledge about how to tattoo someone safely. 'Scratchers' will tell you they know what they are doing but from our experiences they are often undertaking unsafe and unhygienic tattooing
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using equipment which has been purchased from auction websites rather than a suitable trade supplier
Always use a tattooist registered with the council and working from a registered premises. If you don't, you risk becoming infected with HIV, hepatitis or suffer from some other serious health issues.
To report an illegal tattooist, please download our 'Scratcher Catcher' report form at the top of this page.