General Information
Cleaning Instructions:
- Before cleaning, wash hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial or anti-microbial soap.
- Do not rotate, twist, or move your jewelry.
- Do not remove your jewelry for cleaning.
Saline Spray:
- Ensure that you are using a sterile saline spray with no other ingredients. This can be picked up either at the front counter or at your local pharmacy in the first aid section.
- If using the sterile saline spray, spray your piercing 3-6 times per day – morning, afternoon and night, after showers, and any other time it gets contaminated (for example, if you touch it accidentally).
Chamomile Tea Soaks:
- Chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory, and the warmth will also stimulate healing.
- If you choose to use this method, make the tea in a clean cup and either place the tea bag onto the piercing or invert the cup over it to form a seal.
- Soak your piercing for 5-10 minutes at least twice daily.
Do's and Don'ts
Good Things to Do:
Leave the piercing alone unless you are cleaning it. NO PLAYING
Take a multi-vitamin with zinc and vitamin C for faster healing.
Make sure your bedding is clean and changed frequently while healing.
Leave jewelry in at all times. Even old and well-healed piercings can shrink in a matter of minutes. If your jewelry must be temporarily removed (such as for a medical procedure), contact Haven Body Arts for help.
If you suspect you have an infection, contact your Piercer and we will advise you in what to do.
Don’t Do This:
Don’t use Bacitracin, Neosporin, Rubbing Alcohol, Peroxide, Hibiclens, or Betadine. These products will hinder healing and cause more harm than good!
Avoid submerging your piercings in dirty water, such as pools, lakes and hot-tubs. If you have to go in the water, make sure you cover your piercing with a breathable, non-water permeable wound sealant such as Tegaderm or Clean Seals (found at your local drugstore).
Avoid sleeping on your piercing during healing and any other undue stress.
NO PLAYING!!! NO TOUCHING!!! NO LICKING OR KISSING!!!
Don’t change out starter jewelry until piercing is fully healed unless otherwise advised by your piercer.
Aside from the information found here, don’t hesitate to call the shop and ask further questions.
We want to give you as much information as we can about the healing process and make sure you have a great experience.
What to Expect
What is Normal?
- Bleeding, bruising, discoloration, and swelling are not uncommon. Some tenderness or discomfort by the new piercing is not unusual. However, if anything exceeds past one week, we suggest coming in for a check-up.
- Secretion of fluid which is whitish-yellow in color and makes crusties on the jewelry is perfectly normal. This is not pus but a combination of dead skin cells and blood plasma, which indicates a healing piercing.
- Be patient and clean through the entire healing time, even if the piercing appears to be healed.
- Your piercer can answer any questions.
Ears & Facial
Special Tips for Ear & Facial Piercings:
- Shield piercings from Gel and Hairspray.
- Avoid getting makeup or lotion in or near your piercing.
- Change your pillowcases frequently.
- Avoid placing dirty items on your piercings, such as cell phones and earbuds.
Genital
Special Tips for Genitals:
Sexual activity isn’t prohibited, but it must be hygienic.
Use condoms (without Nonoxynol 9) and dental dams for all sexual contact to avoid the sharing of body fluids. Even in a monogamous relationship, it is important for your piercing’s health.
Use water based lubricants such as KYJelly.
Pleasure Plus condoms have extra room for jewelry.
Oral
Oral Cleaning Instructions:
- Rinse your mouth out with a non-alcoholic, antiseptic mouthwash for 30-60 seconds when you wake up, before going to bed, and after major meals until the piercing is fully healed.
- Rinse you mouth out with as salt water mixture after anything goes in your mouth that is not water.
- For facial-oral piercings (such as lips), ensure that you are keeping up with either warm soaks or sterile saline spray for the outside of your piercing.
What is Normal:
- Swelling of the area is perfectly normal and usually lasts around 7 days. Some tenderness or discomfort is also common.
- You may feel aching, pinching tightness, or other unpleasant sensations on and off for several days or longer.
- You may experience bleeding or bruising on and off. However, if anything exceeds past one week we suggest coming in for a check-up.
- A whitish-yellowish secretion may come from your piercing; this is normal. It is a combination of blood plasma and dead skin cells. This is not pus and it indicates a healing piercing.
Good Things to Do:
- Ice your piercings using an ice pack wrapped in clean paper towels, 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.
- Replace your old toothbrush with a fresh one so you don’t introduce bacteria into your new piercing.
- Try to sleep with your head propped up for the first few nights to minimize nighttime swelling.
- Try to go slowly when you eat and take small bites when you are getting used to your new jewelry.
- Leave your jewelry in at all times. Even old and well-healed piercings can close in seconds.
Don’t Do This:
- No oral or sexual contact, including French Kissing, for the entire healing period. Aside from mouths and other body parts being dirty, you also have an open wound in your mouth, which can transmit STDs.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages as these can cause additional swelling, bleeding and discomfort.
- Reducing smoking or quitting is recommended for faster healing.
- Do not play with the jewelry for the initial healing time beyond normal talking and eating. Playing can result in migration or the formation of scar tissue.
- Do not use Listerine or other mouthwashes that contain alcohol. They do more harm than good.
Single Points
Single point tips:
- Remember to keep your single point pierce covered with a Band-Aid while sleeping during the first week of healing. If the Band-Aid gets wet or compromised, change it.
- Warm soaks can be done twice a day for 5-10 minutes daily; otherwise use the sterile saline spray to clean you piercing.
- Try to avoid undue stress, and anything that may get caught on it such as loofa sponges, knitted clothing or blankets, seat belts, necklaces, purses, or backpacks.
- Remember this pierce is different than others in the respect that you should not try and remove it on your own. If you want it out please come back in. Removal is quite easy when done properly.
Tattoos
Tattoo Aftercare
This is just a general overview of tattoo aftercare, your tattoo artist may give you slightly different instructions. If you have any questions, please contact your artist and they will be happy to assist you.
- Allow the tattoo to remain covered for one to three hours.
- The tattoo may have become stuck to the bandage, using warm water to soak the bandage before removal or removing it during a shower will allow the bandage to come off easier.
- Using soap and warm water, gently wash the tattoo. Do not scrub or pick the tattoo.
- Dry the tattoo by patting it with a disposable paper product. Cloth towels harbor bacteria.
- Using A & D Ointment, cover the tattoo in a thin layer. If the tattoo appears shiny, too much ointment has been applied.
- Remove any excess ointment with a clean paper product, do not rub the tattoo.
- During the first day, every hour clean and apply new ointment to your tattoo.
- On the second day increase the amount of time inbetween applications by an hour or two, and if desired switch to H2Ocean instead of the A & D Ointment. Spread out the applications even more the day after.
- After the third day, discontinue use of the ointment, and switch solely to H2Ocean or a high quality fragrance free moisturizer such a Lubriderm.
- After that, apply moisturizing product when your tattoo becomes dry, flaky or itchy.
- Do not scratch or pick your healing tattoo. When it becomes itchy you may lightly “slap” it, this may alleviate some discomfort.
- It usually takes two to three weeks for the tattoo to completely heal, however this may vary depending on the piece and the person.
Piercing & Tattoos
Our dedicated team of artists and piercers is here to provide exceptional service and bring your ideas to life.
