We always recommend having your jewelry fitted by a trained professional. Not only can changing your jewelry at home cause unnecessary trauma to your piercing if not done smoothly, but an untrained hand can cause serious damage to your jewelry. If you have good experience with handling and changing body piercings, you are at a lower risk of damaging items but this risk is still there.

The most common cause of damage to jewelry is the aggressive use of tools during insertion and removal. This is the main reason why we do not sell or give tools to the public. When used incorrectly, tools can snap threadless pins, pop gems out of their settings, and irreparably scratch delicate jewelry. 

It is very important to note that jewelry damaged during home insertions is not covered by any manufacturer warranty or warranty at Ink Drippers Tattoo. This means that if your jewelry requires repairs such as a pin repair, repolishing, gem resetting or scratch removal, you will need to pay out of pocket or simply purchase a new piece of jewelry. Please do not attempt to fit jewelry at home unless you are confident that you can do so without the use of tools, and without damaging your new jewelry. 

Another common cause of issues with at-home insertions is that you may damage the fistula (piercing channel) by being too rough. Especially if you are unfamiliar with body piercings, it can be very easy to be too aggressive when inserting new jewelry at home. This can cause swelling, bleeding, and irritation even to a well-healed piercing. Depending on the client and the piercing, we may sell you an insertion taper to help with insertion of jewelry. We do not do this for everyone as again, a taper is a tool that can easily be misused. Unless you are confident in your ability to change your jewelry, please book a check-up and we can do it for you for a very small fee. 

If you are purchasing jewelry online, please get in contact with us as we can often recommend a high quality studio near you that can install your new pieces! Please note that some studios may charge a fee for this service.

It is important to look after your jewelry! It is vital for both the security and aesthetic of your piercings that you check on and clean your jewelry, long after your piercing has healed.

It is very easy to clean a healed piercing.  Simply wash with warm water and a mild, fragrance-free facial wash when you are in the shower. 

First, run your piercings under the water to dampen them. Take your favorite facial wash – We recommend rubbing it between your fingers to form a lather. Gently massage the suds in and around your piercings (front and back!) to break up any buildup of oils and skin cells. Massage for 30 seconds to a minute to really allow your piercings to benefit. 

Once your piercings have been thoroughly washed, rinse them well with clean water. When you exit the shower, remember to dry your piercings. Either use a lint-free towel or paper towels. Don’t neglect to dry the backs of your ears!

If your ears feel dry after this, you may want to moisturise them with a sparing application of a neutral oil such as Jojoba oil. You can also use a gentle fragrance-free moisturiser if you wish. Keep in mind to avoid any oils or moisturisers near fresh, healing or irritated piercings!

Throughout your daily life, your piercing jewelry may get dirty. Even with regular showers and cleaning as above, some pieces may need to be removed and cleaned every so often to keep them looking their best.

Most jewelry, both Titanium and Gold, can be cleaned like this. If you are wearing precious gemstones such as Pearls or other natural stones, please check before you clean as this may damage soft stones. This cleaning method is absolutely fine for Swarovski crystals, synthetic Opals, Topaz, Sapphires and Diamonds.

1. Gently remove the end from your jewelry. Use one of the guides above if possible! You do not need to remove the wearable shaft. This makes it less likely that you will struggle to reinsert it.
2. Fill a cup with warm water and a couple of drops of mild dish soap.
3. Dip your jewelry into the soap mixture, and gently brush the item with a soft toothbrush. Take care to focus on any intricate areas such as the prong setting of most gems.
4. Once the end is clean, rinse it with clean water (Do not hold it over the drain!) and dry with clean paper towel.
5. You can now reinstall the end, shiny and clean!

As Gold is a precious metal, it can mildly tarnish over time. This can appear as a dulling of the surface, or the appearance of little brassy patches of color. This is not a cause for concern, and is very easily remedied!

1. Gently remove the item of jewelry. Use one of the guides above where possible.
2. Wash the item as described in the ‘General Cleaning’ section above. Ensure the jewelry is dry before continuing.
3. Take a jewelry polishing cloth (or a soft microfibre cloth as an acceptable substitute) and gently buff the jewelry until it is glossy and very shiny. This may take 1-2 minutes in total per item.
4. Wipe the item with paper towel to remove any polishing particulates.
5. Reinstall your newly polished jewelry!