Tattoo Aftercare Instructions

Piercing Aftercare Instructions

Tattoo Aftercare Instructions

Please keep bandage on for a minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 12 hours.

Remove bandage at home, wash well with hot water and clean hands to remove excess blood/ink/plasma then pat dry with a clean dry towel.

Keep dry while healing - Keep showers quick. No submerging your healing tattoo. (no Baths/swimming/hot tub)

For large scale and heavily coloured tattoos, use EUCERIN AQUAPHOR for the first four days, twice a day, until your tattoo starts to flake. Then switch to a regular unscented, water-based moisturizer (Lubriderm/Aveeno/Cetaphil) twice a day.

for smaller scale work and black and grey tattoos, please use unscented, water-based moisturizer (Lubriderm/Aveeno/Cetaphil) twice a day.

Direct sunlight or tanning is not recommended for healing tattoos and can cause discolouration.

Excessive sweat is not recommended for healing tattoos as it can lead to infection or irritation. Take a break from the gym while healing!

Please contact us if you have any questions! Happy Healing!

Piercing Aftercare Instructions

Cleaning Solutions

• Packaged sterile saline (with no additives, read the label) is a gentle choice for piercing aftercare. We recommend using Neilmed Wound Wash with a Fine Mist nozzle, this can be purchased from the shop.
  
  

Cleaning Instructions for Body Piercings

1. Always wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
2. Gently spray the saline directly onto your piercing, front and back if necessary.
3. Rinse the area with clean water to remove any saline and crusty buildup, having a shower is an easy way to do this.
4. Air dry the area or if needed gently pat dry with a piece of paper towel.

Cleaning Instructions for Oral Piercings

• Rinse out your mouth with clean bottled water after you eat, drink, or smoke.
• If you use mouthwash during your daily routine be sure to avoid the alcoholic ones as they can irritate your new piercing, and use the mouthwash no more than twice a day.
• Oral piercings that are also on the outside of the mouth should be cleaned by using the “Cleaning Instructions for Body Piercings” detailed above.

What Is Normal?

• Initially: Redness, bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, and bruising are normal for the first few days.
• During healing: Some discolouration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
• Once healed: The jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; do not force it. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate.
• A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. Be patient, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.
• Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in—do not leave it empty.

What to Do

• Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. During healing, it is not necessary to rotate or remove your jewelry.
• Stay healthy; the healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Exercise during healing is fine; listen to your body.
• Make sure your bedding is washed and changed regularly. Wear clean, comfortable, breathable clothing that protects your piercing while you are sleeping.
• Showers tend to be safer than taking baths, as bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe in a tub, clean it well before each use and rinse off your piercing when you get out.

What to Avoid

• Avoid touching and moving jewelry in an unhealed piercing, or picking away dried discharge with your fingers. Bacteria from your hands can transfer to your new piercing, increasing the risk of infection.
• Avoid harsh cleaners like Bactine®, tea tree oil, pierced ear care solutions, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Dial® or other antibacterial soaps containing triclosan, as these can damage cells. Also avoid ointments as they prevent necessary air circulation. Use only saline.
• Changing your jewelry before the recommend date can irritate your piercing. Low quality metals can also cause irritation.
• Avoid over-cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.
• Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry, listening with earbuds or using ear plugs, and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.
• Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.
• Avoid submerging the piercing in unhygienic bodies of water such as lakes, pools, hot tubs, etc. Swimming during the first six weeks increases the rick of infection. After six weeks be sure to rinse your piercings thoroughly after submerging them into water.
• Avoid all beauty and personal care productson or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and hairsprays, etc.
Our bodies are all unique so healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your piercer.