AFTERCARE

Tattoo Aftercare

Leave your bandage on your tattoo for at least 2 hours.
After removing the bandage, wash gently with an anti-bacterial soap and be sure NOT to use a washcloth.
Pat the tattoo with a clean towel and let it air dry for a few minutes.
Apply an extremely thin layer of aftercare product or antibiotic ointment to the tattoo.
If the tattoo is in a place where it may get dirty or contaminated (ie..hands/feet), use a clean sterile bandage until the threat of infection is gone.
No Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs, Lake Water or Soaking of the tattoo for 2 weeks. This includes exposure to the sun and tanning beds.
If you have any questions or concerns with your tattoo, please contact our studio first. Then, your Doctor if needed, and finally call the Health Department at 1-888-839-6676 

Saniderm Aftercare

Saniderm Instructions

-The first piece of Saniderm can be left on your new tattoo for 8 to 24 hours. If you notice excessive weeping or fluid

under the Saniderm, replace it with a new piece.

-At the 24-hour mark, remove the Saniderm gently. Wash the tattoo area with a mild antibacterial soap and allow the

area to dry. Once dry, apply a second sheet of Saniderm. This will stay on for up to 6 days and see you through the

peeling stage.

Helpful Tips

-Do not use a washcloth, loofah, or sponge to clean your tattoo. These can be painful to clean a new tattoo with and

may harbor bacteria.

-The best way to remove Saniderm is to find an edge of the bandage and then to pull it back over itself in the direction

of hair growth. Pulling upward on the Saniderm can be painful, so we don’t recommend it. We suggest removing the

Saniderm in a warm shower. The warm water will loosen the adhesive and make it easier to remove.

-Make sure that you properly apply the Saniderm bandage (all edges are sealed) and leave at least 1 inch of buffer

area around the tattoo.

-Rounding the corners before application will help reduce pulling or peeling of the adhesive edges.

Piercing Aftercare

Always wash your hands before touching your body piercing. Wash the piercing 2 to 3 times daily using an antibacterial soap. DO NOT USE A WASHCLOTH as you don’t want to get cloth fibers in your new piercing. After washing, use an anti-bacterial spray to medicate the piercing. Never us alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. They may damage your healthy cells and cause scare tissue. Be sure to follow all special instructions for the piercing you may have received at your time of service. No Swimming Pools, Lakes, Hot Tubs, or Soaking of the piercing for 2 weeks. If you have any questions or concerns with your piercing, please contact our studio first. Then, your Doctor if needed, and finally call the Health Department at 1-888-839-6676.

 Exterior Piercings

 WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason. SALINE soak for five to ten minutes once or more per day. Invert a cup of warm water saline solution over the area to form a vacuum. For certain piercings, it may be easier to apply using clean gauze or paper towels saturated with saline solution. A brief rinse afterward will remove any residue. SOAP no more than once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and piercing. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds. RINSE thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry through the piercing. DRY by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.  

What is Normal Initially: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising. During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals. Once healed: the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; DO NOT force it. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as a part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate. A piercing may seem healed before the healing process is complete. This is because tissue heals from the outside in, and although it feels fine, the interior remains fragile. BE PATIENT, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period. Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, keep jewelry in. DO NOT LEAVE IT EMPTY!  

Cleaning Solutions Use one or both of the following solutions for healing piercings: Packaged sterile saline solution with NO additives (read the label), or a non-iodized sea salt mixture: Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8oz) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate your piercing. A mild, fragrance-free liquid soap-preferably anti-microbial or germicidal.  

Oral Piercings

PLEASE Do not play with your jewelry. Long term effects include permanent damage to teeth, gums, and other oral structures. Avoid undue trauma; excessive playing with the jewelry during healing can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, and other complications. Avoid using mouthwash containing alcohol. It can irritate the piercing and delay healing. Avoid oral sexual contact including French (wet) kissing or oral sex during healing (even with a long-term partner). Avoid chewing on tobacco, gum, fingernails, pencils, sunglasses, and other foreign objects that could harbor bacteria. Avoid smoking! It increases risks and lengthens healing time. Avoid aspirin, alcohol, and large amounts of caffeine as long as you are experiencing bleeding or swelling. Avoid submerging healing piercings in bodies of water such as pools, lakes, etc.  

Cleaning Solutions Use one or both of the following solutions for inside the mouth Antimicrobial or antibacterial alcohol-free mouth rinse. Packaged sterile saline solution with no additives (read the label) or non-iodized sea salt mixture: Dissolve 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine free) sea salt into one cup (8oz) of warm distilled or bottled water. A stronger mixture is not better. Saline solution that is too strong can irritate your piercing. (If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, please check with your doctor before using a saline product as your primary cleaning solution.  Cleaning instructions for inside the Mouth Rinse mouth with cleaning solution for 30 seconds after meals and at bedtime (4-5 times daily) during the entire healing period. Cleaning too often or with too strong of rinse can cause discoloration and irritation of your mouth and piercing.  

Laser Removal Aftercare 

After treatment, your treated area may seem like a superficial burn wound. Many patients experience immediate whitening of the area, plus bruising, swelling, blistering, and scabbing. Here are some basic guidelines to handling these side effects and achieving excellent laser tattoo removal results:

  1. For the first 3 days after treatment, keep the treated area bandaged with sterile gauze and protected with a thin layer of antibiotic or healing ointment. After 3 days, keep the treated area clean and dry during the healing process. If necessary, clean the area gently with mild soap and water and pat dry.

  2. Blistering is common after laser treatment and is a part of the natural healing process. Do not be alarmed by blisters, but do protect the area and apply an ointment for at least 24 hours after the blisters have popped.

  3. You may apply cool compresses as necessary for 24 hours after treatment to help reduce discomfort and inflammation. You may take regular Tylenol, but avoid aspirin (as it can increase the risk of bruising or bleeding).

  4. Do not pick any scabs that form. This step is very important to prevent scarring. Avoid any activity (such as shaving) in the treated area that may cause scabs to remove.

  5. Feel free to shower 2 hours after treatment, but avoid high water pressure hitting the treated area. Also, do not soak the treated area until all scabs and blisters have completely healed – that means no baths, hot tubs, or swimming to prevent the chance of infection.

  6. Exercise is generally safe after treatment, as long as all other aftercare instructions have been followed.

  7. Wear a sun block of SPF 25 or higher over the area for 3 months following treatment. Avoid wearing makeup or creams near the treated area for the first 2 days after treatment.

  8. Itching is very common due to the dehydrating effect of the laser. Use Aquaphor, Vitamin E ointment, or hydrocortisone cream to moisturize the area as it heals.

  9. If the area looks infected (honey-colored crusting, oozing, spreading redness) or you have an extreme reaction, immediately contact medical professionals for help.

Healing is usually complete in about 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the patient’s aftercare, immune system, and level of treatment.

Scarring, which can be hypertrophic or even keloid, can occur but is very rare. Loss of skin pigment (or excess gain of skin pigment) in the treated area may occur, but is temporary in almost all cases.