Tattoo Aftercare
Tattoos are considered wounds.
Wounds need to breathe if they are to heal properly!
~ Wash the tattoo using your fingertips or hand only with a mild antibacterial soap and warm water.
~ Carefully remove all traces of blood.
Not doing so can cause scabbing.
~ Do not scrub the tattoo with a washcloth or
bath sponge during the two week healing period.
~ Gently pat the tattoo dry with a clean soft cloth or let it air dry.
Vitamin E Skin Oil is recommended for use through the
2 week healing time as well as after it is healed
DO NOT USE A+D ointment, bacitracin, Vaseline, bag balm,
or any other heavy creams on your new tattoo.
These products create an air barrier
over your new tattoo, not allowing it to
breath properly which could result in damaging your tattoo!
~ Dab off any excess oil with a paper towel.
You should barely be able to tell that it's there. This is just enough to keep the tattoo moist and to keep it from scabbing.
Your body heat will liquefy the ointment and it may become glossy looking or runny. This means there's too much on there.
Dab more off.
Too much oil will only suffocate the tattoo and liquefy
any scabs that may have formed causing the ink to fall out and look blotchy. There is no need to re-bandage the tattoo.
After 2-3 days you can switch to an unscented, uncolored lotion
until the healing completes. Aveeno, Eucerin, Keri, Lubriderm, Jergens and Curel are good brands.
Healing can take anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks -
possibly longer for slower healers.
~ Long showers or baths must be avoided for 2 weeks.
Prolonged soaking can and will loosen scabs
if any have formed, or will soak through the soft tissue
and cause your ink to flow down the drain.
This includes swimming, hot tubs, and saunas.
Short showers are best, under ten minutes if possible.
~ Do not scratch or pick at the tattoo.
It is normal for the tattoo to become very itchy
during the healing time. To relieve this,
spray the tattoo with rubbing alcohol or slap it
with your hand (this will sting it and take away the itch).
TATTOOS = GOOD
SUN ON YOUR TATTOO = BAD
The sun is BAD for your tattoo, even if you've had it for a long time. A sunburn on a new tattoo can cause a lot of problems. It will dry out your tattoo and cause it to form a horrendous scab much of the time causing the tattoo to fade before it is even healed. It will take much longer to heal completely. It promotes scarring in a new tattoo. Wait until it is fully healed to go back in the sun or a tanning bed and make sure you put on a high quality SUNBLOCK (at least an SPF of 15).
Do not apply sunblock while the tattoo is healing. The tattoo is under your skin, and your tan will form above it. If you get too dark, some colors (white, yellow, pink, and orange) may not show up as brightly as they could. Over time, excessive exposure to sunlight will cause your tattoo to fade no matter what colors are used.
ALWAYS USE SUNBLOCK!
Just a note:
Remember that hands and feet reproduce skin cells much faster than other parts of the body. A tattoo in these areas will sometimes take an extra two weeks to heal. During this time refrain from washing dishes, wearing gloves, or wearing socks and shoes (sandals must not rub the tattoo). Any friction of this type WILL wear away the tattoo within a very short period of time.
Tattoos in these areas are almost never guaranteed.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER!
Your skin will form a protective layer no matter what you do.
If you do not keep it moist or keep it too moist (it's a personal balance, different for each individual),
it will form a thick, hard scab that may crack when you move.
When you form this kind of a scab the ink sits within it and slowly heals into the skin. When the tattoo is kept moist it doesn't have a chance to form a scab but does form a thin membrane to protect the tattoo while it heals. This layer peels off very similar to a sunburn and it is normal to see small flakes of colored skin falling off during this stage of healing.
Do not peel your tattoo, you will pull the ink out!
Touch ups are always available.
This is why I guarantee my work.
If the work is done by me,
I will touch up the tattoo within 3 months of the original date
at no cost - unless, of course, you abused the tattoo.
Piercing Aftercare
Piercing Healing Time
Each area of the body has its own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings tend to heal fastest, while others tend to heal a bit slower. Also, every individual body heals and reacts to piercings in an individualized manner.
A general guideline for approximate healing times is as follows:
- Cheek: 2-3 months
- Cartilage: 2 months-1 year
- Earlobe: 6-8 weeks
- Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks
- Genitals: 4 weeks-6 months
- Labret: 6-8 weeks
- Lip: 6-8 weeks
- Navel: 6 months-over 1 year
- Nipple: 2-6 months
- Nostril: 2 months-1 year
- Septum: 6-8 weeks
- Tongue: 4-6 weeks
Tips for Healing
~ Always wash your hands before touching your
piercing or mixing your sea salt solution.
~ Do not touch your piercing or move it
unnecessarily while it is healing.
~ Avoid contact with other people's bodily fluids.
~ Avoid pools, lakes, rivers, hot tubs and bathtubs.
~Smoking can affect the healing time of piercings; try to cut back.
~ Try not to sleep on your piercing.
Put clean bedding and pillow cases on your bed.
~ For facial and ear piercings, wear long hair up off the healing piercing. This is especially important for cartilage piercings.
~ Using clean hands, check jewelry with balls that screw on/off, to make sure they are tight. Right is tight, left is loose.
Vitamin supplements like Zinc and Vitamin C can help with healing.
Avoid irritants like: rubbing alcohol, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, Listerine, antibiotic ointments, antibacterial soaps, Gly-oxide and pierced ear solutions. These items will not help your piercing heal; they may prolong your healing time.
Normal Healing
A normal piercing may:
- Be swollen (especially oral piercings), tender and have some redness.
- Discharge a cloudy fluid called lymph. This fluid will dry, for piercings outside the mouth, and become "crusties".
- Have a small amount of bleeding or bruising (especially genital piercings).
Abnormal Healing
It is common for people to think they have an infection when is the piercing is simply irritated.
The piercers at Get Inked are always available to help you with your piercing.
You can always go to a doctor if you are concerned, but keep in mind that the answer might be a very simple one with which we can help.
Common signs of infection are:
- Excessive redness
- Heat
- Odor
- Excessive tenderness
- Dark discharge and/or streaks in the tissue.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.
Cleaning Your Piercing
When it comes to healing a body piercing, it is important to remember that your body must do the healing. To your body, a piercing is a very small wound that should be easy to heal if cared for appropriately. In order to keep irritation to a minimum, and to keep the healing time as short as possible, we suggest cleaning your piercing with a solution of warm (not hot) water and sea salt. This solution will approximate the saline that is already inside your body. This will aid your body with healing and will ensure you aren't using anything that will irritate your piercing and prolong the healing.
Cleaning Non-Oral Piercings
Clean your piercing with a solution of warm sea salt water
(1/4 tsp sea salt to 1cup of water), for 5-10 minutes.
This should be done 2-4 times per day.
Stop halfway through the soak and clean off any ''crusties'' using a clean gauze pad or Q-tip. Use another clean gauze pad or Q-tip to dry your piercing after cleaning.
You can either lower the piercing into a cup of salt water, or if the piercing is on a flat area (such as a navel or nipple), you can invert the cup against your skin.
If you are not able to soak the piercing, you can make a compress using a gauze pad or paper towel saturated with the sea salt solution.
It is best to mix a new sea salt solution each time you clean your piercing.
The piercing should be cleaned 2-4 times per day for the whole duration of the healing. Healing times can be found on the back page.
Cleaning Oral Piercings
Rinse your mouth with salt water (1/4 tsp. salt to 1 cup of water) for 30 seconds after eating, smoking or drinking anything other than bottled water. Swish the sea salt solution like mouthwash
Rinsing with an alcohol-free mouthwash such as Tech2000, Biotene, Rembrandt Natural or Tom's of Maine, 2-4 times per day, is suggested, especially if you smoke.
A bottle of pre-mixed sea salt water can be used.
Distilled or bottled water is suggested for oral rinses.
Do not use Listerine or any other mouthwash containing alcohol.
Do not play with the piercing
Try to cut back or stop smoking for 3 weeks
Changing Your Jewelry
A piercing heals on the outside first, so it may appear to be healed long before it actually is. Changing or adjusting jewelry too soon can cause irritation, prolong healing and increase the likelihood of rejection. Unless the jewelry you are wearing is irritating your piercing, you should not change your jewelry or have it adjusted until the piercing is healed. Even after a piercing is well-healed, it could close or shrink when you remove the jewelry. It is always suggested to have a professional change your jewelry for you, especially the first time. Jewelry varies greatly in size and shape, therefore a professional fitting may be necessary when changing styles of jewelry. The piercers at Get Inked are always happy to help you change your jewelry.
Tattoos are considered wounds.
Wounds need to breathe if they are to heal properly!
~ Wash the tattoo using your fingertips or hand only with a mild antibacterial soap and warm water.
~ Carefully remove all traces of blood.
Not doing so can cause scabbing.
~ Do not scrub the tattoo with a washcloth or
bath sponge during the two week healing period.
~ Gently pat the tattoo dry with a clean soft cloth or let it air dry.
Vitamin E Skin Oil is recommended for use through the
2 week healing time as well as after it is healed
DO NOT USE A+D ointment, bacitracin, Vaseline, bag balm,
or any other heavy creams on your new tattoo.
These products create an air barrier
over your new tattoo, not allowing it to
breath properly which could result in damaging your tattoo!
~ Dab off any excess oil with a paper towel.
You should barely be able to tell that it's there. This is just enough to keep the tattoo moist and to keep it from scabbing.
Your body heat will liquefy the ointment and it may become glossy looking or runny. This means there's too much on there.
Dab more off.
Too much oil will only suffocate the tattoo and liquefy
any scabs that may have formed causing the ink to fall out and look blotchy. There is no need to re-bandage the tattoo.
After 2-3 days you can switch to an unscented, uncolored lotion
until the healing completes. Aveeno, Eucerin, Keri, Lubriderm, Jergens and Curel are good brands.
Healing can take anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks -
possibly longer for slower healers.
~ Long showers or baths must be avoided for 2 weeks.
Prolonged soaking can and will loosen scabs
if any have formed, or will soak through the soft tissue
and cause your ink to flow down the drain.
This includes swimming, hot tubs, and saunas.
Short showers are best, under ten minutes if possible.
~ Do not scratch or pick at the tattoo.
It is normal for the tattoo to become very itchy
during the healing time. To relieve this,
spray the tattoo with rubbing alcohol or slap it
with your hand (this will sting it and take away the itch).
TATTOOS = GOOD
SUN ON YOUR TATTOO = BAD
The sun is BAD for your tattoo, even if you've had it for a long time. A sunburn on a new tattoo can cause a lot of problems. It will dry out your tattoo and cause it to form a horrendous scab much of the time causing the tattoo to fade before it is even healed. It will take much longer to heal completely. It promotes scarring in a new tattoo. Wait until it is fully healed to go back in the sun or a tanning bed and make sure you put on a high quality SUNBLOCK (at least an SPF of 15).
Do not apply sunblock while the tattoo is healing. The tattoo is under your skin, and your tan will form above it. If you get too dark, some colors (white, yellow, pink, and orange) may not show up as brightly as they could. Over time, excessive exposure to sunlight will cause your tattoo to fade no matter what colors are used.
ALWAYS USE SUNBLOCK!
Just a note:
Remember that hands and feet reproduce skin cells much faster than other parts of the body. A tattoo in these areas will sometimes take an extra two weeks to heal. During this time refrain from washing dishes, wearing gloves, or wearing socks and shoes (sandals must not rub the tattoo). Any friction of this type WILL wear away the tattoo within a very short period of time.
Tattoos in these areas are almost never guaranteed.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER!
Your skin will form a protective layer no matter what you do.
If you do not keep it moist or keep it too moist (it's a personal balance, different for each individual),
it will form a thick, hard scab that may crack when you move.
When you form this kind of a scab the ink sits within it and slowly heals into the skin. When the tattoo is kept moist it doesn't have a chance to form a scab but does form a thin membrane to protect the tattoo while it heals. This layer peels off very similar to a sunburn and it is normal to see small flakes of colored skin falling off during this stage of healing.
Do not peel your tattoo, you will pull the ink out!
Touch ups are always available.
This is why I guarantee my work.
If the work is done by me,
I will touch up the tattoo within 3 months of the original date
at no cost - unless, of course, you abused the tattoo.
Piercing Aftercare
Piercing Healing Time
Each area of the body has its own unique healing period and process. Oral and oral/facial piercings tend to heal fastest, while others tend to heal a bit slower. Also, every individual body heals and reacts to piercings in an individualized manner.
A general guideline for approximate healing times is as follows:
- Cheek: 2-3 months
- Cartilage: 2 months-1 year
- Earlobe: 6-8 weeks
- Eyebrow: 6-8 weeks
- Genitals: 4 weeks-6 months
- Labret: 6-8 weeks
- Lip: 6-8 weeks
- Navel: 6 months-over 1 year
- Nipple: 2-6 months
- Nostril: 2 months-1 year
- Septum: 6-8 weeks
- Tongue: 4-6 weeks
Tips for Healing
~ Always wash your hands before touching your
piercing or mixing your sea salt solution.
~ Do not touch your piercing or move it
unnecessarily while it is healing.
~ Avoid contact with other people's bodily fluids.
~ Avoid pools, lakes, rivers, hot tubs and bathtubs.
~Smoking can affect the healing time of piercings; try to cut back.
~ Try not to sleep on your piercing.
Put clean bedding and pillow cases on your bed.
~ For facial and ear piercings, wear long hair up off the healing piercing. This is especially important for cartilage piercings.
~ Using clean hands, check jewelry with balls that screw on/off, to make sure they are tight. Right is tight, left is loose.
Vitamin supplements like Zinc and Vitamin C can help with healing.
Avoid irritants like: rubbing alcohol, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, Listerine, antibiotic ointments, antibacterial soaps, Gly-oxide and pierced ear solutions. These items will not help your piercing heal; they may prolong your healing time.
Normal Healing
A normal piercing may:
- Be swollen (especially oral piercings), tender and have some redness.
- Discharge a cloudy fluid called lymph. This fluid will dry, for piercings outside the mouth, and become "crusties".
- Have a small amount of bleeding or bruising (especially genital piercings).
Abnormal Healing
It is common for people to think they have an infection when is the piercing is simply irritated.
The piercers at Get Inked are always available to help you with your piercing.
You can always go to a doctor if you are concerned, but keep in mind that the answer might be a very simple one with which we can help.
Common signs of infection are:
- Excessive redness
- Heat
- Odor
- Excessive tenderness
- Dark discharge and/or streaks in the tissue.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.
Cleaning Your Piercing
When it comes to healing a body piercing, it is important to remember that your body must do the healing. To your body, a piercing is a very small wound that should be easy to heal if cared for appropriately. In order to keep irritation to a minimum, and to keep the healing time as short as possible, we suggest cleaning your piercing with a solution of warm (not hot) water and sea salt. This solution will approximate the saline that is already inside your body. This will aid your body with healing and will ensure you aren't using anything that will irritate your piercing and prolong the healing.
Cleaning Non-Oral Piercings
Clean your piercing with a solution of warm sea salt water
(1/4 tsp sea salt to 1cup of water), for 5-10 minutes.
This should be done 2-4 times per day.
Stop halfway through the soak and clean off any ''crusties'' using a clean gauze pad or Q-tip. Use another clean gauze pad or Q-tip to dry your piercing after cleaning.
You can either lower the piercing into a cup of salt water, or if the piercing is on a flat area (such as a navel or nipple), you can invert the cup against your skin.
If you are not able to soak the piercing, you can make a compress using a gauze pad or paper towel saturated with the sea salt solution.
It is best to mix a new sea salt solution each time you clean your piercing.
The piercing should be cleaned 2-4 times per day for the whole duration of the healing. Healing times can be found on the back page.
Cleaning Oral Piercings
Rinse your mouth with salt water (1/4 tsp. salt to 1 cup of water) for 30 seconds after eating, smoking or drinking anything other than bottled water. Swish the sea salt solution like mouthwash
Rinsing with an alcohol-free mouthwash such as Tech2000, Biotene, Rembrandt Natural or Tom's of Maine, 2-4 times per day, is suggested, especially if you smoke.
A bottle of pre-mixed sea salt water can be used.
Distilled or bottled water is suggested for oral rinses.
Do not use Listerine or any other mouthwash containing alcohol.
Do not play with the piercing
Try to cut back or stop smoking for 3 weeks
Changing Your Jewelry
A piercing heals on the outside first, so it may appear to be healed long before it actually is. Changing or adjusting jewelry too soon can cause irritation, prolong healing and increase the likelihood of rejection. Unless the jewelry you are wearing is irritating your piercing, you should not change your jewelry or have it adjusted until the piercing is healed. Even after a piercing is well-healed, it could close or shrink when you remove the jewelry. It is always suggested to have a professional change your jewelry for you, especially the first time. Jewelry varies greatly in size and shape, therefore a professional fitting may be necessary when changing styles of jewelry. The piercers at Get Inked are always happy to help you change your jewelry.
