Holidaymakers in Benidorm have been sent a warning over tattoos in the bustling Spanish resort.
The allure of getting inked can be powerful on holiday, particularly in a vibrant party location like Benidorm where alcohol can sometimes cloud judgement.
However, it appears that not every tattoo parlour in Benidorm is as reputable as tourists might hope. Local YouTuber ‘Benidorm by Ana’, who boasts more than 17,000 followers and shares updates about the coastal hotspot, recently raised red flags concerning the safety of these establishments.
In her video, Ana warned: “You have to find a very good place, a very good business, where you will actually let these people stick needles with paint inside of your body. And you might think, ‘These establishments are open, these establishments have to meet regulations, right? They should have their paperwork in order, they should have their licences, these artists should be trained’.
“A lot of the time, when you get inside, you see these typical printouts of pictures of tattoos. But you don’t know if it’s that person who performed this specific tattoo.”
Ana highlighted last weekend’s alarming events when local police raided two tattoo shops and confiscated a stash of gear. Police said in a statement: “More than 200 tattooing tools had to be confiscated in two establishments for not meeting sanitary conditions (inks, needles, lotions, etc.). Moreover, the tattooists were not authorised to exercise their activity.”
Ana went on: “These are needles! This should be sterile because it’s needles and you are putting something below your skin. And the skin gets scratched, and you might get an infection, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong, so you need to go to a place that you trust.”
Nonetheless, Ana assured there are still “great” tattoo parlours in Benidorm and recommended Di Angelo Tattoo to her followers, which her husband has used in the past.
Wrapping up her advice, Ana cautioned: “Whenever you see tattoo places that charge you really cheap, check out the surroundings, check if it’s clean, check how the utensils are being stored – don’t jump into it!”
This post was originally published on here