aftercare guides

Having problems? Reach out for advice or a follow up appointment.

piercing aftercare

    • Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before cleaning your piercing.

    • Spray both sides/exit points of the piercing area with sterile saline solution. Gently remove any crusties or buildup with a clean paper towel.

    • Pat the area dry with a fresh paper towel or non-woven gauze to remove the saline. Dry both sides/exit points. Also do this after showering.

    • Clean your piercing 1-2 times daily.

    • Check jewelry closures while cleaning your piercing and tighten if necessary.

    • For oral piercings, use saline on the external portion of the piercing. Rinse your mouth with alcohol free mouth wash morning, night, and after eating or drinking anything other than water. You can switch to rinsing your mouth with water after eating if the frequent use of mouth wash is causing irritation. It is strongly recommended to refrain from smoking while healing oral piercings.

    • Protect your piercing from physical trauma. Avoid catching, bumping, or snagging the jewelry. Be cautious when dressing, sleeping, and playing sports.

    • Downsize your jewelry within the recommended timeframe .

    • Always dry your piercing after cleaning and showering.

    • Avoid using cotton swabs/pads to clean your piercing.

    • Do not pick off or forcefully remove crusties. If it’s not coming off with gentle cleaning, then it’s not ready to be removed.

    • Avoid contact with water (other than showers) such as swimming pools, hot tubs, steam rooms/saunas, or natural bodies of water for at least 4-6 weeks.

    • Do not remove the jewelry during the healing period.

    • Do not cover your piercing with bandages or tape.

    • Do not rotate, twist, or slide the jewelry, even when cleaning.

    • Do not over-clean your piercing. Over cleaning can cause irritated or dry skin, which heals slower than healthy skin.

    • Keep pets away from healing piercings and surfaces that will come into contact with the piercing area (eg. pillows).

    • Avoid cleaning with anything other than sterile saline solution (eg. hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, tea tree oil, etc).

    • Avoid using cosmetics and harsh skincare products around the healing piercing.

    • Avoid putting pressure on the healing piercing (eg. sleeping on the piercing, wearing restrictive clothing etc).

  • Minor bleeding, swelling, redness, and clear plasma/fluid leakage can be expected after a piercing. However, excessive swelling or redness, heat, bad odours, green fluid leakage, and intense pain are not! If you believe you may have an infection, do not remove the jewelry, and seek help from a physician ASAP.

  • The jewelry you are initially pierced with is intentionally longer than the jewelry you will wear in your healed piercing. This allows the tissue to swell and fluids to drain, and prevents embedded jewelry. It is crucial that you downsize to a shorter bar/post after the initial swelling period. Excessively long jewelry can lead to migration, angle shift, rejection, irritation, piercing bumps, prolonged healing, and an increased risk of the piercing catching on clothing or other objects.

  • Migration is when the piercing hole gradually moves from its original placement due to external pressures (eg. snagging, improper jewelry, sleeping on the piercing) or individual anatomy/healing patterns. Rejection is an advanced stage of migration where the body actively pushes the jewelry out of the tissue. Surface piercings are the most susceptible to this complication. There is no way to treat migration or rejection once it begins; removing the jewelry promptly is the only way to minimize further scarring and complications. Periodically taking photos of your piercing can be helpful in monitoring the piercing’s placement.

  • Nesting is a normal, desirable process for fully healed inner-mouth piercings (like lip or cheek piercings) where the back of the jewelry gently settles into the soft tissue, creating a shallow indentation. This is the body's natural way of protecting the teeth and gums. Embedding is a serious complication where the jewelry sinks beneath the surface of the tissue, and may be difficult to see or remove. Embedding often happens due to severe swelling combined with jewelry that is too short. Fully embedded jewelry may need to be surgically removed by a physician. Get in touch ASAP if you think your jewelry may be starting to embed!

  • Keloids are a rare, genetic form of scarring. They are permanent and require removal from a physician. Small, raised “irritation bumps” around healing piercings are annoying, but extremely common and non-permanent. They usually go away on their own once the source of irritation is identified and removed. Common sources of irritation include:

    • Pressure/excessive contact with the area (eg. touching the piercing, twisting the jewelry, restrictive clothing, sleeping on the piercing etc).

    • Improper jewelry (eg. metal you may be allergic to, coated jewelry in a non-healed piercing, downsize needed, switching to a thinner gauge or hoop too early etc).

    • External irritants (eg. cosmetics, harsh skincare products, improper cleaning solutions etc).

  • If you were pierced with a flat back/straight bar, putting a hoop in too soon can cause irritation bumps, increased healing time, and what is known as the “cheese wire effect” (particularly with thinner gauges). Wait an additional month after fully healing your piercing before changing to a hoop, to ensure the inner layers of the tissue have also had time to heal.

tattoo aftercare

    • Always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before touching or cleaning your healing tattoo.

    • Do not soak your tattoo in water (baths, hot tubs, pools, saunas, steam rooms) for at least 2–3 weeks. Quick showers are fine.

    • Keep your new tattoo out of direct sunlight and tanning beds until it is fully healed.

    • Do not pick, scratch, or peel your tattoo. This can pull out ink and cause permanent damage or scarring.

    • Wear loose, breathable clothing that won't rub or irritate the tattoo area.

    • Avoid sweat-inducing activities for the first 48 hours. Avoid excessively working out the tattooed area of the body until all scabbing is completely healed to prevent cracking the skin.

    • Do not use bar soaps or bath towels to clean/dry your tattoo.

    • Avoid alcohol consumption for the first 48 hours as it can increase swelling and bleeding.

    • Only apply thin layers of moisturizer when you really need it. Too much or too thick moisturizer can clog pores and prevent your skin from breathing. Avoid petroleum based moisturizers (like Aquaphor) for the same reason.

    • Keep pets away from your fresh tattoo or areas that may contact the tattoo (such as your bed).

    • Keep the initial Saniderm on for up to 24 hours. It’s normal to see some fluid accumulating under the bandage at this time, however, if the fluid leaks before the first 24 hours have passed, remove the bandage immediately. Remove the Saniderm by running it under very warm water and slowly peeling it off.

    • After removing the initial Saniderm, gently wash the tattoo with warm water and an unscented liquid soap. Pat the tattoo dry with a clean/fresh paper towel.

    • When the tattoo is dry, apply the second Saniderm banadage, making sure all edges are properly sealed to the skin and the tattoo is completely covered with a ½ inch margin. This second application can stay on for 3-6 days. Remove if you notice any fluid buildup or leakage.

    • After removing the second Saniderm, continue to wash the tattoo twice a day until fully healed. You can apply a thin layer of unscented moisturizer up to twice daily when the tattoo reaches the dry, flaky stage.

    • Keep the bandage on for 2-6 hours. Do not leave the bandage on overnight. Remove the bandage gently to avoid damaging the fresh tattoo.

    • Clean the tattoo with very warm water and unscented liquid soap, then pat dry with a clean/fresh paper towel.

    • Continue to clean/dry the tattoo up to three times daily throughout the healing process.

    • Keep the area clean and dry at all times, and change your bedding frequently.

    • Around day 3 or 4, when the tattoo starts flaking and peeling, you can apply a thin layer of unscented moisturizer up to twice daily.

  • Slight redness and swelling immediately after a tattoo is normal, and mild itchiness can be expected as the tattoo heals. However, contact a physician if you experience any of the following:

    • Excessive redness, swelling or itchiness

    • Yellow/green fluid discharge

    • Red streaks radiating from the tattoo

    • A rash or hives around the tattooed area

    • Hot or tender-to-the-touch skin around the tattooed area.

    • Fever or chills

  • Most tatttoos will be visibly healed by 2-4 weeks, at which point you can stop your aftercare routine and resume regular activities. The inner layers of skin will not be fully healed until 3-5 months. Expect a longer healing time for tattoos on high movement areas, such as joints.

  • Protect your tattoo from UV exposure as much as you can, now and forever. UV radiation is the biggest contributor to tattoo fading and aging. Protect your artistic investment by keeping your ink out of the sun, wearing UPF rated clothing, and applying sunscreen when possible.