Tattoo and Piercing Industries union

The Tattoo and Piercing Industries (TPI) union is a union representing and run by professional tattoo artists and piercers in the United Kingdom. It was founded recently in response to joint attempts to set National Occupational Standards by the Hair and Beauty Industries Authority (HABIA) and the Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA).

Although the industry could certainly do with being regulated, it was deemed inappropriate by those working within this sector for standards to be set by the beauty industry! This is a battle the TPI won and it is currently working with the Environmental Health Department to set basic, national standards which eventually all tattooists and piercers will have to adhere to in order to work within the industry in the UK.