Congratulations! If you're reading this, you've probably just received a new tattoo, or at the very least, are taking the appropriate steps towards learning how to care for and maintain a healing tattoo. Most clients expect the tattoo to be the hardest part of the procedure. This is not the case, the healing afterwards requires consistent use and a good understanding of aftercare techniques. These techniques will differ depending on the location of the tattoo, and your own personal lifestyle. Here, we will outline the two main aftercare techniques recommended by our artists.
THE TEGADERM METHOD
THINGS TO KNOW:
DR. BRONNERS SOAP AND HUSTLE BUTTER METHOD
IMPORTANT INFO AND HELPFUL TIPS
Thank you!
The Ink Therapy Team
Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably just received a new piercing, or at the very least, are taking the appropriate steps towards learning how to care for and maintain a healthy piercing. Most clients expect the piercing to be the hardest part of the procedure. This is not the case, the healing afterwards requires consistent use and a good understanding of aftercare techniques. These techniques differ depending on the location of the piercing, and your own personal life style.
The success of your body piercing will depend on a number of different factors, which can vary according to your day to day habits and activities. Avoid engaging in stressful activities, and situations as much as possible. Eat healthy foods, and get the appropriate amount of sleep each night. Doing these things while also maintaining a cleaned and undisturbed piercing site will allow your body to dedicate as many resources to the healing process as possible.
Things to consider when healing your piercing.
diet
lifestyle
stress level
aftercare regimen
certain physical activities
Things to do when healing your piercing
The following cleaning routine is generally recommended 2-3 times a day, depending on lifestyle and area of the piercing.
Sterile saline wound wash is a wonderful substance, but not a magical one. It’s not responsible for healing your piercing, just keeping it clean. Proper protocol for cleaning is as follows.
The number one thing they all have in common is, Leave the jewelry alone. There are many misconceptions and popular myths about piercing, one of the most common being that you need to twist or rotate the jewelry while in the body. On the contrary, this will actually prolong the healing process. Do not do this, as the healing process involves getting the body to grow and develop skin inside the healing piercing, technically referred to as a fistula. When you twist, rotate, or slide your jewelry, you are actually ripping the tissue that’s developing. This can lead to several problems including, but not limited to, increased trauma, swelling, uneven, migrated, or drifted piercing, and potentially infection, among other things.
We love to take a look at your piercing while it’s healing, and encourage you to stop by the studio regularly for check ups, this can help identify any issues you may not have noticed, or those which may not have fully developed. Early Identification of potential issues is crucial for resolving complications quickly and in an efficient manner. Aftercare isn’t one size fits all, and adjustments may need to be made to the routine on a per client basis. Which brings us to downsizes.
Downsizing your jewelry is very important. Initially the jewelry we install will be a bit larger to accommodate swelling. Obviously that won’t be ideal long term, or comfortable once the piercing has completed the first stage of healing. The best way to keep you and your piercing as happy as possible is to stop issues and irritation from happening in the first place. So we strongly encourage you to visit us again for a downsize around 2-6weeks, depending on the piercing and how fast your body heals the initial wound. We also love seeing the end results of our work. Smiling customers are the best part of our jobs.
Tips and tricks:
OUTSIDE CARE
I think hands down the most important thing to know is; a healthy body makes a healthy piercing. All the essentials; sleep, hydration, hygiene, and nutrition are the keys to a successful piercing.
Ink Therapy recommends using a Sterile wound Wash Saline Solution from a pressurized can. We feel one of the best ways to apply the saline is with a sterile gauze pad. A gauze pad held gently to the piercing for no more than 2 minutes. Try not to rub or move the piercing with the gauze pad. This process should be done 2-3 times a day.
A hot shower can help loosen up any crusties or build ups prior to the sterile saline cleaning.
INSIDE CARE
Here's the difference with a general aftercare routing and the oral aftercare part. We all know our mouth tends to have a lot of germs. So how do we counter balance this? Cleaning an oral piercing.
Use a new toothbrush and store it in a clean area away from other toothbrushes. Brush after each meal with a non-whitening toothpaste. You may also rinse with an alcohol free mouthwash. Drinking water throughout the day can help clean the food debris away from the piercing site during and after a meal.
SOME HELPFUL HINTS OF THINGS TO AVOID
Thank you!
The Ink Therapy Team