The front counter area is where you'll be greeted by any one of our staff. They'll be happy to assist you with any of your questions.

The front counter area is also where you can view our autoclave spore test results, fill out any required paperwork, receive your tattoo / piercing aftercare, purchase any tattoo / piercing aftercare products, view our wide selection of body jewellery and of course; the worst part of getting a tattoo or piercing... paying for it.

Though it is never our goal to make a client wait occasionally it happens time to time.

In the event that you should have to wait awhile we have provided you with a comfortable sitting area, where you can read a variety of magazines.

Sonic Tattoo has thousands designs displayed on large screened TV by some of the best artists in the industry. We update this data base every few months but we clients encouraged to bring their designs and ideas.

If after visiting us you are still having trouble settling on a design or an idea than we strongly encourage you to do an internet search where you can find numerous designs and ideas.

If you still can’t find anything it doesn’t matter because all of our artists would be more than happy to draw you up something totally custom and original.

We also have provided you with a large screened TV to display all the work that our artists have done so that maybe you might like a certain style of one of the artists to do your tattoo.

All of our tattoo and piercing areas are kept in basic white to ensure maximum cleanliness and light reflection.

All of the artists and piercers can personalize their own areas, but choose to keep their areas simple and organized.

All tattoo and piercing areas are completely sterilized and wiped down after every tattoo / piercing, leaving the area clean for the next client

Autoclave I, Autoclave II, Sterilization Area, Ultrasonic, Certificate of Participation, Spore Test and Spore Incubator

At Sonic Tattoo we use two Ritter M7 Speedclaves by Midmark. The Ritter M7 is a manual autoclave that is referred to as the work horse of the tattoo industry.

Tattooing

All needles used at Sonic Tattoo are single use, pre-made and pre-sterilized. After needles have been used the entire needle grouping and needle bar is disposed of in a sharps / bio hazardous waste container. The needles are the only piece of the equipment that actually penetrates the skin. Tattoo tubes are re-used but not before being put through a rigorous cleaning before sterilization in an autoclave.

An autoclave is a pressurized steam sterilization unit that is used in hospitals, dental offices, laboratories and onsite at our studio.

When getting a tattoo the area should be clean, and any instruments or needles should come out of a sealed autoclave pouch. The artist should always wear nitrile gloves, ink should be dispensed into disposable ink caps, and the artist should use barrier film to cover spray bottles, machines, power supplies, and clip cords to prevent cross contamination.

Piercing

All piercing needles are single use, and are disposed of in a sharps / bio hazardous waste container. All instruments used for piercing are re-used after going through a rigorous cleaning and sterilization in an autoclave.

When getting a piercing the area should be clean, and any instruments and needles should come out of a sealed autoclave pouch. The Piercer should always wear nitrile gloves and should not touch anything outside of his / her sterile field to prevent cross contamination.

Sonic Tattoo uses the most modern sterilization techniques, including autoclave sterilization, ultrasonic cleaners and disposable single use tattooing and piercing equipment. We Meet and Exceed all the rules and recommendations of the Provincial Government, Federal Government and Niagara Region Public Health Board.

Certificate of Participation

Our spore test results are always displayed at the front of our studio and in our piercing room. Our certificate of participation is clearly displayed so that you can view the name of the laboratory and proof of every passing test. If you ever want to know more we would be glad to take you back to our sterilization area and go through the process with you step by step until you are completely satisfied with what you have seen.

Spore Testing

The following is the simplest way to describe what spore testing is for tattoo studios. All tattoo studios must challenge their autoclave bi-weekly according to current local Health Board and Provincial standards. This is achieved by taking a spore sample and placing it in an autoclave pouch that is run through a standard 30 minute autoclave cycle. After the cycle is over you would then send it to a laboratory of your choice, once received by the laboratory they would then begin to incubate the sample for any growth. If no growth was observed then your autoclave passed but if growth was observed then your autoclave failed.

Sonic Tattoo is fully insured and Health Board inspected. All of our autoclaves are spore tested on a bi-weekly basis by an independent laboratory as per Health Board and Provincial regulations. Sonic Tattoo uses the 3M Attest Biological Monitoring System. We use Germiphene Corporation as an independent laboratory who is the corporation that owns and operates the B-SAFE Biological Spore Test Analysis for Efficacy.

Sonic Tattoo challenges all critical variables of our autoclave on a daily basis even though this is not expected of us from Health Canada and the Niagara Region Public Health Board. Aside from the mandated bi-weekly testing, we spore test and incubate our autoclave once a week in house. We use liquid biological monitors because the sample is contained in a glass ampoule and they have a 100% effectiveness rate. Unfortunately not too many spore testing facilities use the liquid biological monitors anymore. This means that we and most other studios are force to use the blue paper biological strips which are subjected to environmental conditions and have a much lower effectiveness rate. These blue paper strips will produce the occasional false positive so it is important to use a company such as Germiphene Corporation which supplies 2 strips with every spore test to ensure that this doesn’t happen often. We also use 3M Comply SteriGage steam and EO chemical integrators with each sterilization cycle. These integrators are designed to react to all critical variables such as the proper amount of time, the correct temperature and pressure was achieved during the sterilization cycle. Chemical integrators are the only closest way to monitor if your autoclave is working properly next to a spore test. The chemical integrators we use have an effectiveness rate of approximately 99%. This allows us to monitor every load for any mechanical anomalies or cycle failures. All other studios that don’t follow this same method that we use could be using a nonfunctioning autoclave for up to 3 to 5 days. That time frame is unacceptable to Sonic Tattoo and we will always endeavor to improve our processes in every area of our industry.

Sonic Tattoo has always prompted Health Canada and the Niagara Region Public Health Board to increase the current standards but to no avail they have stuck with the same minimum standards for the last 10 years. Only recently have the new standards been release with some minor changes. Sonic Tattoo has never been satisfied with these minimal standards so we have always gone above and beyond the minimum standards. Our Health Board has tattoo studios test their autoclaves bi-weekly and has three inspections a year which in our opinion isn’t enough. The reason why we use the 3M Attest Biological Monitoring System is that it allows us to test our autoclaves weekly and incubate the spore sample in the studio. This allows us to know within a matter of hours what the results of the spore test will be. Even though Sonic Tattoo also uses biological indicators and integrators in every autoclave cycles to ensure all the critical variables are being met, we still have our autoclaves serviced every 6 months for cleaning and recalibration.

Sonic Tattoo has always had open viewing of our sterilization area and the sterilization process. We use the most modern sterilization techniques and the latest specialized equipment for your health and safety. Our sterilization records are available for your viewing at anytime if you would like to see them. When you are considering getting a tattoo or a piercing from a tattoo studio, insisting on seeing the spore test results and all other sterilization documentation should be highest on your list when choosing for a safe tattoo studio. If any tattoo studio is unwilling to show you their sterilization records or their sterilization area then I would be concerned because there is nothing to hide when it comes to your safety. Remember to ask as many questions as you want and if any questions can’t be answered to your satisfaction then concern should be exercised.

Remember it's as much your responsibility to question every tattoo studio where you consider getting a tattoo or a piercing. After all, you’re only putting yourself at risk if you don't ask questions.