We Totally get the thrill of turning your body into an art gallery; of exploring self-expression through self-decoration. From tiny and tasteful tattoos to full-on floral sleeves, we’re seeing more and more tattoo art adorn the skin of our besties and beaus — but are tattoos safe?

Winter Stone, the tattoo artist whose fans include Miley Cyrus, Emma Roberts and Sophie Turner (who recently shared this new ink on Instagram), assures us that tattoos are, in fact, safe if the right products are used.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted reports of people developing infections from contaminated tattoo inks, as well as adverse reactions to the inks themselves. Should these reports be a concern? Or are they coming from those using irresponsible practices? If so, we already shop around for trust-worthy artists. What gives?

According to a 2015 Harris Poll, about 3 in 10 (or 29%) people surveyed have at least one tattoo. The practice might not be new, but, as with every area of personal care, the norms in chemical use can change in an industry over time.

Cryskay

What do we need to know to be safer? Here are Winter’s pro tips for getting a tattoo that’s sure to be safe:

Be sure to go to a reputable artist and studio. This might feel like a no-brainer, but be sure to do your research before getting inked up. A spontaneous trip to the tattoo studio is not worth the risk that they might not be using safe practices or clean ink.

Striker Sisters

Is black ink the most dangerous? Black ink used to be more dangerous years ago, when metals were used to create the ink, but this process has been done with a long time ago. Is black the most dangerous? No, but colors can be dangerous due to allergic reactions which can lead to infections. Red is the most common to have an infection from what I’ve seen over the years.

Should tattoo lovers be concerned? Tattoo lovers need not to be concerned about the inks of the future. They are all very safe. 11-14 of the top brands are produced here in the USA under strict guidelines.

Tattoos are one thing, but what about piercings? We asked an acupuncturist if there are any energetic consequences to piercings — explore the story here!