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Aftercare Instructions and Support

Following your artist's aftercare instructions is essential to promote proper healing, prevent infection, and ensure the longevity and quality of your tattoo or piercing. These guidelines are tailored to your specific procedure and help protect your investment while ensuring your comfort and safety during the healing process.

Piercing Aftercare

CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS FOR BODY PIERCINGS WASH your hands thoroughly before cleaning or touching your piercing for any reason. SALINE: Clean your new piercing 2–3 times daily using NeilMed Piercing Aftercare or sterile saline. For some piercings, it may be easier to apply saline with clean, saturated gauze. Moving or rotating the jewelry is not necessary during cleaning. DRY by gently patting the area with clean, disposable paper products or using a hairdryer on a low setting. Avoid cloth towels, as they can harbor bacteria and snag on the jewelry, causing injury. What to Avoid Harsh cleaning products: Avoid alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soaps, iodine, or other harsh substances that can damage cells. Similarly, avoid ointments, as they prevent proper air circulation. Submerging the piercing: Stay out of unhygienic bodies of water, including lakes, pools, and hot tubs. Beauty products: Do not use cosmetics, lotions, sprays, or similar products near the piercing. Touching or picking: Avoid touching, picking, or playing with your piercing, and ensure no one else’s bodily fluids come into contact with it. Trauma to the area: Protect your piercing from being bumped or pulled, as this can cause scarring and migration. What Is Normal? Initially (first 3–4 weeks): Expect some bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness, and/or bruising. During healing: You may notice discoloration, itching, and a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that can form crust on the jewelry. The tissue might tighten around the jewelry as it heals. Once healed: The jewelry may not move freely; do not force it. Regular cleaning as part of your hygiene routine will help prevent the accumulation of smelly bodily secretions. Remember, a piercing may appear healed before it is fully healed. While the outside might look fine, the interior tissue is still fragile. Continue cleaning for the entire initial healing period. Important: Even healed piercings can shrink or close quickly, sometimes within minutes. If you want to keep your piercing, always wear jewelry to prevent closure. When to Seek Help If you notice dark-colored discharge or skin discoloration, contact your doctor. If your piercer has instructed you to downsize your jewelry, ensure you book a downsizing appointment at the appropriate time (usually 4–6 weeks after your initial piercing). Failure to downsize can lead to migration and scarring. If you have concerns or issues with your piercing, do not remove the jewelry. Instead, consult your piercer to address the problem.

Tattoo Aftercare

Caring For Your New Tattoo We recommend your wrap stays on for 2 - 4 hours, unless otherwise specified by your artist. For HYPAFIX Self Adherent bandage we recommend the bandage stays on for a period NO LONGER than 48 hours unless otherwise stated. After removal of your wrapping a wash is required, an unscented low level ph bar soap such as, Dove or Jergen’s antibacterial would be best suited. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly before touching your tattoo. Wash your tattoo by creating a foamy lather in hands then apply lather gently to tattoo. After washing, rinse under lukewarm water. Washing is required 2 - 3 times a day every day for 2 weeks, unless otherwise specified by your artist. For Aftercare we recommend one of the following products: H2Ocean Tattoo aftercare, After Inked, or unscented Lubriderm. The product is to be applied 3 - 5 times daily for a period of two weeks. During your tattoo’s healing process you will notice a sun-burn like peeling which has the colours of your tattoo in it. This is part of the healing process and should be expected. If any scabbing occurs do not pick it off as you WILL damage your tattoo. DO treat your fresh tattoo as a fresh open wound, take care when applying any cosmetics or deodorants within 6 inches of your tattoo, as any foreign substance entering your tattoo can and will most likely cause complications during healing. This also includes other people, pets, etc. DO NOT pick or scratch at your tattoo as you can accidentally remove ink that you’ve just paid for. Keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight during the initial two week period, as UV light can be very damaging to you as you heal, THIS INCLUDES TANNING BEDS. After the 2 weeks period you should apply a sun screen SPF 40 or stronger to preserve the life of your tattoo. DO NOT submerge your tattoo in ANY body of water, this means: lakes, pools, rivers, hot tubs and baths, as all of these can contain foreign chemicals and bacteria that can be damaging to your healing tattoo. Showering is fine while the tattoo is healing, just do not let the water hit directly against your tattoo as hard water pressure may cause irritation. WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS: Once you have received your new tattoo you can expect redness, swelling and some pain. This can last up to a week or longer. A buildup of fluid within the HYPAFIX bandage is to be expected and needs to be washed thoroughly upon removal of the bandage. If improper care is implemented after the procedure an infection can occur. If you notice any signs of infection, please do not hesitate to contact your doctor. Please return to The Altered Nation within a month’s time for a check up. We do offer a free touch up as long as the provided aftercare is followed. If you do not return after 3 months we cannot guarantee a free touch up.