Aftercare Guide
Follow these instructions carefully to protect your new tattoo, piercing or tooth gem and get the best possible result.
Tattoo Care
Before your session
- Sleep well the night before your appointment.
- Eat a solid meal 1-2 hours before arriving - low blood sugar makes the experience harder.
- Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before your session.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water in the days leading up to your appointment.
- Moisturise the area daily for 3-5 days beforehand - hydrated skin takes ink better.
- Wear or bring loose clothing that gives easy access to the area being tattooed.
- Avoid sunburn on the area. Sunburned skin cannot be tattooed.
- Do not apply numbing cream unless discussed and approved by your artist in advance.
After your session
- Leave the protective wrap on for the time your artist recommends (usually 2-6 hours, or overnight for second-skin film).
- Wash gently with lukewarm water and unscented soap. Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- Apply a thin layer of unscented, alcohol-free moisturiser 2-3 times per day.
- Do not pick, scratch, or peel the tattoo - even when it flakes.
- Avoid soaking: no swimming pools, sea, baths, or saunas for at least 3 weeks.
- Keep the tattoo out of direct sunlight during healing. After healing, always apply SPF 50+.
- Avoid tight clothing rubbing against the fresh tattoo.
- The surface heals in 2-3 weeks. Full skin-depth healing takes around 3 months.
- Contact us if anything looks unexpectedly red, swollen, or weeping after the first few days.
Piercing Care
Before your session
- Eat a full meal before your appointment to keep blood sugar stable.
- Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before.
- Clean the area gently with mild soap beforehand.
- Avoid blood-thinning medications (such as aspirin) unless medically required - check with your doctor if unsure.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothing that does not cover or press against the piercing site.
- Remove any jewellery already in or near the area.
After your session
- Clean twice daily with a sterile saline solution (0.9% NaCl) or a dedicated piercing aftercare spray.
- Do not rotate or move the jewellery - this disrupts healing and is no longer recommended practice.
- Pat dry with a disposable paper towel after cleaning. Avoid cloth towels.
- Do not touch the piercing with unwashed hands.
- Avoid swimming pools, sea water, and hot tubs during healing.
- Do not apply alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or ointments - these damage healing tissue.
- Sleep on a clean pillowcase. For ear piercings, a travel pillow can reduce pressure.
- Healing times vary: lobes 6-8 weeks, cartilage 6-12 months, naval 6-12 months, nostril 4-6 months.
- Some swelling, tenderness, and clear/white discharge in the first days is normal. Unusual pain, heat, or green discharge warrants a visit to your doctor.
- Do not change or remove the jewellery until the piercing is fully healed.
Tooth Gem Care
Before your session
- Brush your teeth as normal before you come - the tooth is cleaned and dried before the gem is bonded.
- Tell us in advance if the tooth you have in mind has a filling, crown or veneer, or if you wear braces or an aligner.
- Nothing is drilled and no enamel is removed, so no other preparation is needed.
After your session
- Do not brush directly over the gem for the first 12 hours.
- Avoid hard or sugary food for the first 12 hours.
- Do not use an electric toothbrush for the first 48 hours.
- Always brush over the gem slowly and gently.
- Avoid touching the gem with your nails.
- The bond takes 48-72 hours to set fully.
- Never try to remove the gem yourself, and do not let anyone other than a dentist do it - contact your dentist to have it taken off safely.
Questions about your healing? Message us on WhatsApp and we will get back to you.
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