Aftercare Instructions

Taking care of your tattoo or piercing is crucial to ensuring its longevity and beauty. At Ink Drippers Tattoo, we provide comprehensive aftercare instructions and products to help you keep your new body art looking its best.

We have done everything we can to make sure your piercing will heal well, but a healthy piercing is a team effort between piercer and client! Please follow the instructions listed here to care for your piercing.

• Piercings must be kept clean. The cleaning method changes slighty depending on your piercing, see below for details.
• Piercings must be kept dry. You must not soak, submerge, or swim with a new piercing for a minimum of 4 weeks.
• Touching must be kept to a minimum. This means no touching, twisting or turning the jewelry.

• Clean piercing twice daily with Sterile Saline.
• TO CLEAN: First, wash hands with antibacterial soap and water. Spray a small amount of sterile saline onto both the front and back of your piercing to soak and soften crusties. Use a piece of non-woven gauze or clean, folded kitchen roll to gently remove any debris. Once the piercing is clean, gently dab away any remaining moisture. 
• Do not use any extra products, homemade remedies or chemicals.
• Do not twist, turn or fiddle with your jewelry! This introduces bacteria, damages the healing piercing and can extend your healing time.
• Do not soak or submerge your piercing in the first 4 weeks. This means you must avoid swimming, bathing in bathtubs, hot tubs, saunas etc. Please keep this in mind when booking your appointments.
• Please follow downsize instructions and book a check up when your piercing is 3-6 weeks old. See the bottom of the page for downsizing timeframes for your specific piercing.
• If you’re unsure or have questions at any stage, then please don’t hesitate to contact us! We’re more than happy to help. Contact us via email or through our instagram.

• For nasal piercings, follow the General Piercing Aftercare instructions as above to clean only the outside of your piercing. It is not necessary to clean the jewelry on the inside of your nose unless there is a visible build up (see below for instructions). The inside of the nose is self-cleaning and excessive cleaning may cause irritation to the sensitive skin. Septum piercings should only be cleaned when there is visible buildup, and can for the most part be left entirely alone.
• TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF YOUR NASAL PIERCING: First, wash your hands with antibacterial soap and water. Spray a small amount of sterile saline solution onto a piece of nonwoven gauze or clean paper towel. Fold into a corner, and gently wipe away any buildup.

• Clean the outside of the piercing twice daily following the General Piercing Aftercare as shown above.
• To clean the inside of your mouth (and any inner oral piercings), use an alcohol-free mouthwash morning and night and after each main meal, for a maximum of 5 times a day.
• Rinse your mouth out with clean water after eating, drinking, smoking or having sexual or oral contact using your mouth.
• Avoid spicy foods and sucking on straws for a few weeks as this can exacerbate any swelling.
• We recommend drinking plenty of cold water to help with your swelling. We do not recommend applying or sucking on ice as this can damage your tissues and cause cold burns.

• Follow the General Piercing Aftercare as above. Take extra care to be very gentle when cleaning for the first 14 days.
• It is recommended to wear a disposable adhestive plaster firmly over your piercing for 12 hours on, 12 hours off for the first 5-7 days to help your piercing to sit flush and avoid snags.
• Once the piercing has settled, you may use a dental floss pick to help remove large buildups between jewellery and skin.

• Each intimate piercing has slightly different aftercare. You will be instructed on what will be best for your piercing at your consultation, and you will recieve a refresher on the date of your piercing!
• Generally, you will want to follow the General Piercing Aftercare as above.
• Use a sanitary towel/liner for the first week (you must change this a minimum of twice daily for hygeine purposes).
• Avoid sexual contact and masturbation where possible for at least 2-4 weeks.
• Wear a condom for sex and avoid the body fluids of others for the first 4 weeks.
• Listen to your body. If it is uncomfortable or sore at any stage, then communicate with your partner or stop!

Downsizing is important for a happy, healthy piercing that lasts a lifetime. Downsizing means switching the post or ring to a shorter one to give a snug fit after swelling has gone down. A snug, well-fitting piece of jewellery minimises the risk of snagging and pressure issues, and is much more comfortable to wear permanently. 2-6 weeks after being pierced is the average time window to downsize. Your piercer will let you know what is ideal for your piercing, as everybody is different. Book your appointment for a downsize. We recommend confirming the rough date into your calendar so you don’t forget!

A checkup 2-4 weeks after piercing is recommended even for piercings which don’t require a downsize. This helps us make sure your piercing is healing well and we can help solve any issues early on. 

Check below to see the advised checkup times for your specific piercing.

Inner Oral Piercings (Tongue, frenulum, etc.) – 7-14 days

Oral Piercings (Lip/Cheeks) – 2-3 weeks

Ear Piercings, Body Piercings, Surface Piercings – 4-6 weeks

Once a week it is highly recommended to tighten any threaded ends, or squeeze together threadless ends and posts to ensure your jewelry does not loosen over time, or get lost. You will also have a full demonstration of how your jewelry works and how to maintain it’s security at your appointment. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure jewelry remains secure over time! Ink Drippers Tattoo cannot be held responsible for lost jewelry.

It is important to maintain good hygeine with your jewelry. Even healed piercings require regular cleaning to maintain their health and allow them to continue to look good. Once your piercing has fully healed, we recommend removing the just tops of your jewelry and giving them a gentle scrub with a soft-bristled toothbrush and some mild soap to remove any debris or oil residue. This will keep your piercings happy and your jewelry looking perfect! If you have lots of jewelry, or are a jewelry enthusiast, it may be worth investing in a small benchtop ultrasonic cleaner as this gives the best results.

Once every other day, we recommend using a mild, fragrance-free facial soap (as these are designed for your most delicate skin) to clean in and around your piercings . You do not need to remove the jewelry to do this. Simply form a light lather with a small dab of facial soap between your fingers, and gently massage this into the skin in and around your piercings for 45-60 seconds. This will help lift away any stubborn skin flakes, oils and dirt. Rinse with plenty of warm water and dry well.

Oral piercings may be susceptible to plaque buildup over time. It is vital to maintain good oral hygeine, and use a toothbrush (an electric toothbrush works very well!) and a dab of toothpaste to brush your jewelry directly to remove any debris. This should be done daily!

Solid Gold body jewelry can slightly tarnish over time. A gentle buff using a pre-impregnated polishing cloth will bring your gold back to full shine. Simply remove the end, give it a light polish, rinse it with clean water and dry it well to remove any residue. Once it is cleaned and shiny, it can be returned it to it’s usual placement.