TATTOO AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS

Always wash your hands before touching your tattoo!
When you get home: Remove bandage within 1 - 2 hours after getting your tattoo. Do not re-bandage. Your tattoo needs to breathe, just like an open wound.
Wash your tattoo with an anti-bacterial liquid soap. Be gentle, do not use a washcloth or anything that will exfoliate your tattoo. Only use your hands.
Gently pat your tattoo dry with a paper towel. Do not rub, or use a fabric with a rough surface.
The first 3-4 days: Rub a small amount of ointment on your tattoo. You may use Aquaphor or a tattoo ointment like TLC – whatever you know you’re not allergic to. Always use clean hands and do not place your fingers back into the ointment after touching your tattoo. Make sure to rub the ointment in so that it is not shiny, or greasy– you want the thinnest amount possible. Pat off any excess ointment with a clean paper towel. Do not use Vaseline, petroleum, Neosporin, or Bag Balm. Wash, dry, and apply lotion/ointment 1-3 times daily, as needed.
On the first night, you may want to wrap your tattoo in saran wrap to prevent sticking to your bedding. Do not use any cloth bandages or pads, as the fibers of this material can adhere to your open tattoo and hinder the healing process.
Wear clean, soft clothing over your tattoo for the first 2 weeks– nothing abrasive or irritating. For a foot tattoo: go barefoot as much as possible. If you must wear shoes, first wrap your clean tattoo in saran wrap, then cover with a clean cotton sock before putting on your shoe. Avoid sandals or flip-flops for this period to prevent chafing and damage to the tattoo.
After day 3 or 4: On the 3rd or 4th day your tattoo will begin to peel. This is normal! Do not pick at the skin. Begin using a mild, white, unscented lotion, free of dyes or Perfumes.
Use lotion for minimum 2 weeks, 1-2 times daily.

Things to Avoid

Do not pick, scratch, peel, slap, rub or irritate your tattoo.
You can shower, but you may not soak your tattoo for 2 weeks. No swimming, soaking, or hot tub.
You may not expose your tattoo to the sun for at least 3 weeks, after that you must use sunblock.
Do not wear abrasive materials, jewelry, or shoes that rub against your tattoo.
Do not let anyone touch your tattoo unless they wash their hands.
Beware of gym equipment; wash it well before using it.

Piercing Aftercare: The Official Guide

Are Piercings Professional? | Body Modification & The Workplac

Your piercing doesn’t end when you get out of the artist’s chair. Once your body is pierced, the aftercare process begins. Diligent piercing aftercare ensures you heal properly, faster, and more comfortably.

This guide runs through the basic steps, tips, and products you should know for healthy and effective healing. First, we look at why your piercing aftercare routine is important.

What Happens If I Don’t Follow My Piercing Aftercare Routine?

Piercings are awesome, but they are a responsibility. If you don’t follow your piercing aftercare routine you are putting your piercing, and your health, at risk.

When you are pierced you are creating a wound in your body, aftercare is how you ensure that wound heals the way you want it to. The most important factor in this is preventing an infection. If a fresh piercing is infected, the skin can heal over the infection, which can become a severe problem.

As well, an aftercare routines ensure that your piercing turns out the way you want it. It reduces the risk of your body rejecting the piercing and ensures that it doesn’t heal crooked.

Your aftercare routine also helps to make the healing process more comfortable. It speeds up the process so you can change your jewellery or get the next part of your curated ear piercing project sooner. As well, it helps you manage swelling and pain during the process itself.

Fortunately, a piercing aftercare routine is easy to follow. It just requires consistency.

Piercing Aftercare Steps: A Basic Aftercare Routine

Step 1: Daily Cleaning

You should clean your piercing once a day. Do not remove the jewellery in during cleaning. The jewellery should be left inside the piercing until it has completely healed. Removing and reinserting jewellery will irritate the piercing. As well, it risks having the piercing closing over if the jewellery is out for too long.

Start by washing your hands, then gently apply an antimicrobial soap to the entry and exit holes of the piercing. As well, clean any visible parts of the jewellery without pushing or pulling on it. Spend about 30 seconds cleaning working the soap into the area.

Once thoroughly cleaned, rinse away all soap residue and pat dry with a paper towel or allow to air dry. Cloth towels can have bacteria on them and should be avoided.

Avoid over cleaning. If your piercer recommends cleaning once a day, do not exceed. Extra cleanings can dry out or irritate the piercing.

Step 2: Sea Salt Soaks

Using a sterile saline solution soak the piercing at least once daily. Soak a gauze pad, or paper towel, in the solution and apply gently press it to both sides of the piercing. Leave on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

Unlike cleaning, soaks can be done multiple times per day.

Step 3: Protect the Piercing

Throughout aftercare, you want to make sure you minimize any irritation to the piercing. The biggest aspect, stop touching your piercing.

We get it, a new piercing is exciting and the area feels different. It may even itch at first. But the more you touch it, the slower it will heal.

As well, you want to prevent anything else that will push or pull on it. For instance, for an ear piercing, you may want to avoid hats and try not to sleep on that side of your head.

You also want to keep it dry, except when cleaning. It’s best to avoid activities like swimming, as well as not allowing other people’s saliva from coming into contact with the piercing (ex. kissing).

Step 4: Healthy Lifestyle

How you treat your body affects how it will heal. Activities like smoking and drinking will slow the healing process and should be avoided, especially in the first few days after the piercing. As well, getting enough rest will help your body heal much faster.

The better you take care of yourself during healing, the better your body can manage the piercing. Although you want to increase rest for the first few days, for most of the process regular exercise will promote healing. As well, a healthy diet will keep your body ready to fight off harmful bacteria.