Mitchell Dean is a tattoo artist at Crimson Veil Tattoo located in El Paso, Texas. Mitch wrote this letter to address both the Texas Governor and the Mayor of El Paso about where the state categorized tattoo shops and has decided to keep them closed. 

Dear Texas Governor Greg Abbott and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, 

Due to the decision that has been made, I am under the impression that you do not have much knowledge of the tattoo industry. Unlike the tattooing that you might of known from 20-30 years ago, modern  tattooing is now a career that is highly concerned about sanitation and cross-contamination.

The  fact that we deal daily with blood we have to be yearly tested and approved with the blood-borne pathogen certificate.  Any instruments used that are not disposable are properly sterilized  in an autoclave or cleaned and sanitized using medical grade cleaning solutions. The same solutions then are used to disinfect any surfaces that may have become in contact anytime during the tattoo.  A tattoo studio’s cleanliness is on par with those of most medical facilities.

In terms of the reopening of Texas, currently barber shops and salons, to name a few, are being allowed to open Friday, due to them being ruled as safe to the public. However tattoo shops are unable to open and are in the same category as bars and strip clubs.  With the proper measures taken, as with any open business, tattoo studios should be allowed to open up again, but with limited entry.  Hopefully with this knowledge or with any research into what modern tattooing looks like you might change your opinion on this subject. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Mitchell Dean

More From KLAQ El Paso