Tattoo and Body Piercing Aftercare Information
Tattoo & Piercing Aftercare – It’s Important!
When your tattoo is completed and your piercings have been done, the next, most important step you must take is proper aftercare. We recommend Moon Butter balm
Our tattoo aftercare butter, Moon Butter, is handcrafted by our licensed piercer Kimberly Morel under her company New Moon Herbals. This tattoo aftercare is non-petroleum based for optimal healing.
Our artists not only recommend the Moon Butter for aftercare, they also use it to lubricate as they tattoo. The special formulation of Moon Butter keeps the swelling and redness to a minimum which helps the artist to work on our clients with less irritation, allowing the client to sit longer for their tattoo session.
With a base of Shea Butter and additional butters, such as Pumpkin Seed Butter, Acai’, Green Tea and Aloe. All ingredients are listed on the containers.
The Moon Butter aftercare comes in unscented for use during and right after tattoo work is done. We also offer Mango/Vanilla and Coconut scents. Both are favorites by our clients.
Please stop on to purchase at Wayne’s Tattoo World, located at 6 West Broadway, Derry, NH.
Our job is done, now it’s your turn…
Remove bandage in 2 to 4 hours.
Wash tattoo carefully with warm water and a mild unscented anti-microbial soap.
Pat Dry and let it breathe for a few minutes.
Apply a thin layer of Aquafor or MoonButter. You don’t want to suffocate your new tattoo, so just a thin layer!
Clean and apply healing agent 3 times a day.
After the tattoo is done peeling switch to an unscented moisturizer.
A good lotion to use is Lubriderm. Don’t use fancy creams, hippy potions, or perfumed lotions. You do not need antibiotic creme.
Showers are fine. Baths, swimming, and sauna are out until the tattoo is healed
No sun or tanning until the tattoo is completely healed. Sunburn on a fresh tattoo can cause severe irritation and allergy.
Do not pick, scratch, or ‘help’ the scab to come off.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call us. We’re here to help!
CLEANING SOLUTIONS – Use one or both of the following solutions for healing piercings:
- We recommend Wound Wash saline as a spray, such as Nelimed, available for purchase at our shop, (or similar sold at pharmacies). ** Saline for contact lenses should not be used as piercing aftercare.
- Sea salt mixture: Dissolve ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (.75 to1.42 grams) of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz / 250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water. *A stronger mixture is not better;a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCINGS
- DO NOT rotate the jewelry.
- WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason.
- Use a Mild, Fragrance Free, Liquid Soap, gently lather around the piercing using your fingers then rinse (when in the shower clean it last as to rinse any fragrance shampoos or body washes).
- Avoid using harsh soaps, or soaps with dyes, fragrances, or tricolsan. RINSE thoroughly to remove all traces of soap from the piercing.
- Allow the piercing to air-dry or gently pat dry with a paper towel. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and can snag on the jewelry causing injury.
WHAT IS NORMAL?
- Initially: some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, or bruising.
- During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
- Submerging the piercing in water should be avoided for 4 weeks (such as swimming, hot tubs etc) showering is fine.
- Once healed: Washing the piercing is still very necessary. If you fail to include cleaning to your piercing part of your daily hygiene routine, normal but smelly bodily secretions may accumulate. Also, a bump or bumps may form around the jewelry (piercing sight). – see our guide below about bumps.
- KEEP MAKE-UP AWAY! Make-up should never touch the piercing… keep all make-up a dime-size away from all piercing sights.
- 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.
- **Microdermals: Keep covered with a small bandage for 24 hours. Remove carefully in the shower or wet the bandage before removing. It is important to let the air hit the piercing, however if you are sleeping or doing strenuous activities keep the piercing covered until you can learn a routine with your new bling!
Download the PIERCING AFTERCARE PDF
What causes “bumps” and irritation to happen?
- Touching or moving the jewelry
- Make-up (moisturizers, foundation, powders, blush, etc.)
- Hair sprays and hair dyes
- Changing the jewelry too soon
- Removing the jewelry consistently for a sport
- Sweating without cleaning
- Also, sometimes sleeping on a fresh piercing, make sure to soak upon waking and ice.
Sea Salt Soaks For “Bumps” and Irritated Piercings
- Thoroughly clean hands and nails.
- Completely Soak a piece of gauze with Sea Salt Spray or Sea Salt Mixture (recipe below)
- Hold wet gauze over irritated piercing, both front and back and apply gentle pressure. Hold over the piercing for 5 minutes. Do this at least 2x daily.
- If there is swelling, ice after the soak.
- Do not move the jewelry or twist.
- Repeat this as long as the piercing is irritated or there is a bump present.
This method will breakdown any outside callous over the bump and weep out the fluid trapped inside. You will see this on the gauze, blood may be present.
How Long Will It Take For The Bumps To Go Away?
Depending on how long the area has been irritated it can take 2 weeks or longer for bump to go away.
Sea Salt Mixture:
- 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon (.75 to 1.42 grams) of Non-Iodized (iodine-free) sea salt
- 1 cup (8oz/250 ml) of warm distilled or bottled water.
- Mix sea salt and water – do not add additional sea salt
A stronger mixture is not better; a saline solution that is too strong can irritate the piercing.
