Tattoo and Piercing Aftercare

Tattoo aftercare instructions

Tattoo aftercare

Wash and Treat

Leave your bandage / wrap on for 2 hours maximum. After you remove the bandage, you'll need to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and unscented antibacterial soap to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive, scrub the area gently using only your hand. Pat dry (do not rub) the area with a clean towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very light application of unscented lotion.

Do not use Neosporin

Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and Swimming

You can shower with your new tattoo, just don't saturate it. After your shower pat dry with a clean towel. Make sure to use a fresh clean towel (or paper towel) as towels and washclothes can harbor bacteria. Avoid taking baths for 2-3 weeks. Submerging a tattoo in the bath can cause serious damage.

Do not go in swimming pools or hot tubs! Aside from the potential to soak your healing tattoo, pools and hottubs contain chemicals that will dry your tattoo out and cause infection, even if you do not submerge your tattoo in the water.

Tattoo aftercare

Scabbing and Peeling

After a couple of days, you might have some peeling and possibly some scabbing. This can vary depending on skin type and area of the body that the tattoo has been done. (Do not apply ointment or lotion to a scab) You will also start to itch, just like a sunburn when it begins to heal. Don't pick it and don't scratch! Your scab will heal with color intact as long as you don't pick at it. If your skin is peeling, apply lotion.

Sun protection

After your tattoo has fully healed, you should always wear sunblock to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a tattoo. Before spending a lot of time in excessive sun, protect your tattoo with strong sunblock and reapply every few hours.


 

Piercing aftercare instructions

Piercing aftercare

Cleaning Your Piercing:

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly. Never touch a piercing with dirty hands.
  2. Saturate a clean cotton ball with warm water, and gently wipe away any "crusties" that have gathered around the piercing.
  3. Apply a generous amount of unscented antibacterial liquid soap to your fingertip, and apply to the piercing site and jewelry. Make sure you get the soap everywhere around the piercing and jewelry.
  4. Rinse the piercing and jewelry several times with warm water to remove all the soap.
  5. Dry your piercing with a clean paper towel.

Keep your piercing clean

Cloth towels, especially ones that have already been used, can harbor germs and bacteria. It is safest to use a clean paper towel. If you have to use a fabric cloth or towel, make sure it is clean from the laundry.

Do NOT Use:

Soaking Tips

To aid in healing a new piercing, sea salt soaks once a day should be sufficient. If your piercing is irritated, increase sea salt soaks to 2-3 times per day until the irritation subsides. Follow these guidelines for soaking piercings (especially oral piercings)