The use of the following products on or around a healing piercing will damage it and should never be used:
- NO Rubbing Alcohol
- NO Hydrogen Peroxide
- NO Neosporin or other ointments
- NO Make Up on or around the piercing
- NO Spray Tanning or other chemical tanning agent
- NO Lotion
- NO Perfume
- NO Swimming unless you cover your piercing with a waterproof bandage such as Nexcare
- NO Tegaderm Bandages
- DO NOT change the jewelry until your piercing is fully healed
Oral Piercings Only:
- NO mouth washes containing alcohol such as Listerine or Scope
- NO open mouth kissing
- NO spicy foods
The above mentioned things can have adverse effects on healing piercings and can add to your healing time, create ugly scar tissue, can cause your piercing to abscess, or could even cause irritation or infection.
What you should use:
- Cleaning Solution: A mild liquid unscented soap such as Dove, Ivory, Soft Soap Naturals, Dr. Bronner’s (baby soap not peppermint), Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap
- Other aftercare products H2Ocean or non-iodized Sea Salt
- Oral Rinse: Alcohol free antibacterial mouth wash
We like Crest Pro-Health or Listerine Zero
Cleaning Solution: H2Ocean
- Keep your Micro Dermal Anchor covered with small round band aides for the first 2 days, changing bandages during cleaning.
- 3 times a day get a paper towel and run it under the hottest water you can stand without burning yourself.
- Apply hot wet paper towel to your micro dermal anchor.
- Hold it there with light pressure until no longer warm.
- After hot compress spray H2Ocean onto a cotton swab and wipe the area around your Micro Dermal Anchor.
Micro Dermal Anchors look healed long before they are completely healed, please continue your aftercare for at least 2 months even if it already looks healed.
Never twist, spin, or play with your piercing! This does not facilitate healing!
- Body Piercings need to be cleaned once or twice daily, every day, for the entire healing time. Most people clean morning and/or night in the shower. Do not clean with your liquid soap product more than twice a day as this can irritate your piercing and possibly delay your healing. For once a day cleanings do it at the end of your day.
- Before cleanings wash hands with liquid soap and hot water Never touch healing piercings with dirty hands, this is vital for avoiding infections.
- Prepare the area for cleansing by rinsing or soaking the area with warm water and be sure to remove any stubborn crust using a cotton swab and warm water. This step is very important for your comfort.
- Apply a small amount of your soap to the area with your clean hand or cotton swab. Cleanse the area and the jewelry and let the soap stay there for a full 30 seconds before rinsing. Rinse the area thoroughly under running water to completely remove soap residue from the piercing. *For nostril or septum piercings use a small cup of warm water, put your nose in it and blow bubbles to rinse the inside of your nose*
- Gently pat dry with disposable paper products such as gauze, paper towel, toilet paper, or tissues (cloth towels can harbor bacteria and painfully catch on jewelry).
DO NOT remove your jewelry for cleanings, and do not rotate your jewelry while cleaning it as that can damage your piercing and extend healing times. Please try to be patient, each body is unique, and healing times can vary considerably. If your piercing is tender or secreting you should continue the care regimen even if it is past the stated average healing time range.
Should I Soak or Spray?
It’s a personal choice they do the same thing so only do one as doing both can over dry your piercing.
H2Ocean
Just spray on pierced area and allow solution to dry and absorb into the skin. We recommend spraying the solution on the piercing every 3-4 hours, because the enzyme (lysozyme) will remain active killing bad bacteria for 4-5 hours. This will ensure that no infection will occur. You can not overuse this product. We recommend a mist that covers the piercing area. Do not dry the area let the solution dry and absorb in the skin.
– OR –
Sea Salt Soak
First fill a fresh disposable cup- with approximately 8 ounces of warm/hot water and add a ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt, stirring until it is dissolved. Soak your piercing for 5 to 10 minutes once daily.
Non-iodized sea salt is available in most supermarkets in the seasoning aisle and the container is marked as “not a source of iodine”.
Oral Rinse
The Optimal way to care for your piercing is to rinse with your Oral Rinse for 30-60 seconds, 4-6 times a day. The ideal time to rinse is after meals, after smoking, or after drinking sugary drinks. Be careful not to over-clean your piercing, as this can also prevent proper healing. Signs of over cleaning include a white or yellow looking tongue.
We like Crest Pro-Health, Biotene, or other similar alcohol free antibacterial mouth wash.
Sea Salt Rinse
In addition to oral rinse, non-iodized sea salt rinses will assist in healing your piercing. First fill a fresh disposable cup- with approximately 8 ounces of warm water and add a ¼ teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt, stirring until it is dissolved. Then, rinse your mouth for approximately 30 seconds. Note: Some piercers and pierces have had much success by substituting non-iodized sea salt rinses for medical-grade oral rinses or other sterile saline solutions.
Ice
Ice and other cold liquids can help reduce swelling. Ice pops, ice cream, and frozen yogurt are also good ways to reduce swelling, but be sure to perform either a sea-salt soak or oral rinse following your snack (this is not necessary if you just use plain ice). Swelling tends to last 3-5 days.
Brushing Your Teeth
It is important to brush your teeth three times daily while your piercing is healing. Brushing your teeth will cut down on the amount of bacteria and food particles in your mouth. It is suggested that you purchase a new soft bristle toothbrush to use during the initial healing period. Also, plaque (a white crusty shell) will begin to build up on your tongue jewelry if you do not gently brush the balls and post. You should brush your jewelry daily if you want to prevent plaque build-up.
Approximate Healing Times:
Cartilage – 3 months – 1 year
Earlobe – 6 – 8 weeks
Eyebrow – 6 – 8 weeks
Genitals – 4 weeks – 6 months
Navel – 6 months – over 1 year
Nipple – 3 – 6 months
Nostril – 3 months – 1 year
Septum – 6 – 8 weeks
Cheek – 6 – 12 months
Labret – 6 – 8 weeks
Lip – 6 – 8 weeks
Tongue – 4 – 6 weeks
Please keep in mind that these Approximate Healing Times are estimations, and should be regarded only as advisory approximations. The unique content and structure of your body may require different amounts of care and attention. It is also recommended that you keep your initial starter jewelry in your piercing for the duration of the healing period until your piercing is completely healed. Starter jewelry is intended to maintain fresh piercings with the greatest of ease of cleaning, initial wear, and care, and the lowest frequency of infection, migration, or discomfort. Changing your jewelry before a piercing is properly healed may be detrimental to the healing process, and can result in an extended, or insufficient healing period. If you have any questions or notice any developing complications, do not hesitate to contact your piercer. Most piercings heal comfortably and without hindrance, but if you are concerned with your piercing, your piercer can probably offer a few simple and quick solutions.
Mild liquid unscented antibacterial soap: Dial Gold
Ointment: Aquaphor
Unscented mild lotion: Lubriderm, or Vaseline Intensive Care
- After 1 hour remove the bandage and gently hand wash your tattoo with warm water and Dial Gold liquid soap (or similar soap). DO NOT RE-BANDAGE! Let the tattoo air dry for 20 minutes.
- Then apply a THIN layer of Aquaphor. Wash your tattoo 3 times a day for 3 days, reapplying a thin layer of Aquaphor each time.
- After 3 days, discontinue use of Aquaphor and switch to a fragrance free skin lotion (Lubriderm, Vaseline Intensive Care, etc). The tattoo may begin to peel on the third or fourth day. Continues using the lotion until your skin is returned to it’s pre-tattooed condition.
DO NOT pick, peel, scratch or otherwise interfere with the healing process.
DO NOT allow the tattoo to be in direct sunlight during the healing process.
DO NOT Soak in any body of water such as a hot tub, swimming pool, Ocean, Lake, River, Bath Tub while healing.
After 3 to four weeks the tattoo should be almost fully healed. Use sunscreen to minimize color loss when in the sun. The same artist will perform ONE touch up at no charge within three months of the tattoo application for NORMAL color loss during the healing process.
Inksanity is not responsible for touch ups on tattoos done by artists who have left our employment.